Life In Erin Hoops and the Jr. NBA/Jr.WNBA

First Article

Joban’s Ball

Joban’s Ball all began because I did two things I had never done before.

First: I gave Joban a basketball to take home and bring back to use every Saturday.  (Doing this with everyone risks not having enough basketballs for everyone on Saturday as people will forget to bring their ball with them, so Erin Hoops gives its players their ball on our last Saturday.)

Second: I did the Know Your Ball activity, which I had never used before.  I told each player, ages 3 to 6, to find some special feature on their ball which would allow them to find it again if they had to.  (Kids were busy for a moment or two turning their ball around and studying it, i.e., getting to Know Your Ball.)  Then I had them all roll their ball (gently) down to the far end of the gym.  Everyone watched their ball carefully.  I said go get your ball and come back with it.  This step can be left out with older players).  When everyone was back I had them roll their ball down to the far wall again, and then had them go and touch the other, opposite wall before going and getting their ball.  Chaos reigned.  They now had to truly search for their ball, but ball-bonding and fun was had.

Result every Saturday Joban brings HIS ball.  Every Saturday the balls get shuffled about, and every Saturday we have to stop everything while Joban finds HIS ball.

Such is life in the Junior NBA/WNBA.

Second Article

May You All Have A Joban

There’s hope for all of us...

Joban was three last Sept.

Joban wanted to play basketball, but in Erin Hoops three’s to young.

The parents “beg”.  What coach could resist?  Joban joined our mostly 5 and 6 year old group.

Joban’s a coach’s nightmare...

He rarely does what everyone else is doing.  He’s too young to understand the concept of coaching and of following directions.

Joban’s shooting at the 7 foot high basket.  That’s all he wants to do.

Involve him in a passing activity and one pass later there he is with his ball shooting again.

The coach slowly learns to relate to Joban.

In Oct. Joban can’t even get his small basketball (about size 3) as high as the rim.

Joban may not do what everyone else is doing, but Joban never stops trying to score.  He shoots and misses endlessly.  Eventually the odd ball falls in.  Parents, coaches, kids all cheer his accomplishment.

Today, Feb. 3/02 Joban ran from basket to basket in the gym, directed to score at each basket.  He didn’t recognize the significance of the (directed) task...but...he made three baskets in a row on the first three hoops he shot at.

Joban travels on each shot.  He doesn’t care.

We don’t care.

Joban’s scoring almost 50% of his shots now.

Oh no!

Joban’s stepped back three feet further from the basket and is trying to score from further out...

Oh boy! – Here we go again.

Such is life in Erin Hoops and the Jr.NBA/Jr.WNBA.

by Patrick Suessmuth

Erin Hoops 

These two articles are dedicated to Joban

(and all other little tykes playing basketball).