Too many youth basketball players are stuck in “test mode.” Game after game, weekend after weekend — with little time spent learning or practicing the right way. Imagine if school worked like that. Would any kid actually pass? Imagine you’re waking up for school. The alarm goes off, you get dressed, grab a Pop-Tart, and head out the door. As you leave, your mom calls out, “Good luck on your test today!” You smile, confident, because last night you reviewed the entire science unit you’d been learning for the past three weeks. You’re ready to dominate this test on photosynthesis. Think about how school works:
- Classroom lessons where you learn and take notes.
- Homework that helps you apply those lessons and get feedback.
- Quizzes that check your understanding before the big test.
LEARNING → HOMEWORK → STUDYING → TEST
That’s the foundation of education — and it’s worked for a long time.
Now, if we translate that process to basketball, it should look like this:
PRACTICE → TRAINING → STUDY (film, watch hoops, meet with coaches) → GAME
But what if school was different? What if every day, you skipped the lessons, never did homework, never studied — and just took test after test after test? Something tells me your grades would tank, and that new Xbox game you were hoping for might stay on the shelf a little longer.
Unfortunately, that’s what youth basketball looks like these days:
Game after game after game — with nowhere near enough learning, studying, or “homework” in between. We’re completely upside down.
To do well on a test, you have to learn the material, practice it, and build confidence through smaller challenges like quizzes or projects. The same goes for basketball. The game is the test. Without preparation, your “grade” in that test won’t be what it could be.
Yet today, the culture pushes more and more games — even in “camps” that promise exposure or rankings. Kids show up, dribble around for 30 minutes, then play a dozen games in a weekend where nobody plays defense. Games are being used for the wrong reason. Sure, we can learn from them, but for youth players, games should make up maybe 20% of total basketball time.
I get it — games are fun! They create highlights for parents, players, and Instagram. But without real training, focused practice, film study, and small-sided games like 3-on-3, players are skipping the steps that actually lead to getting an A on game day.
So why do so many players skip these steps?
Simple — they haven’t found the right coach, mentor, or program.
Yes, there are players grinding daily, working hard, and loving the process. But for every one of those, there are dozens more getting pushed into more and more games with little true development.
How Do We Fix This?
Parents — it starts with you. When you’re choosing a place for your son or daughter to play, ask the right questions:
- How much time will my child’s team spend training and practicing versus playing games?
- Will my child have the same coach at practices and games to ensure consistent teaching and feedback?
- Are there additional skill development opportunities outside of regular practice?
- Does the program have a clear philosophy around offense, defense, and player growth?
Get the answers — and then make sure they’re actually happening.
There are a lot of smooth talkers in the youth sports world right now. Some programs will tell you what you want to hear, but never deliver on it. Be the parent who checks the follow-through. Because just like school, your kid deserves the full learning experience — not just the test.
Final Thought
If you’re a parent, coach, or player — take a step back and look at your basketball calendar. Are you spending more time taking tests or doing the work that gets you ready for them?
Let’s flip the model back upright. Let’s make learning, training, and practice the focus — so the games can truly show what we’ve learned.
