My teammate wont pass me the ball!

Are you having an issue with your teammates passing the ball to you. Do they look your direction and give a turn away and pass the ball to someone else? 

This could be because your teammate is either a ball hog or doesn't trust you on the court. Id like to say its a trust issue. Are you involved in practice? Do you call for the ball when you are open? Does your coach realize what is going on? If not then you need to look at a few things before you become upset. 

#1  Communication is key. If you ever feel neglected on the court then you need to speak up. If you feel that you have been practicing on your game and you're confident enough to handle the ball whether its to dribble drive, shoot, or pass to another teammate then  you need to speak with you coach about the chemistry on the team . 

Sometimes athletes whoa re a little more seasoned feel they have the need to have total control over the basketball. But it is fact that you NEED 5 players on the court and as a team everyone should be able to touch the ball at least once. 

If your coach felt confident enough to put you int he game, then you certainly deserve a chance. If you are silent and hang your head low then you are heading in the wrong direction. While in practice you must learn to call for the ball with confidence and let your teammates know that you are ready and available to handle that ball. Dont be afraid to speak up.  You never know, maybe they just think you dont want to be too involved. 

Talk to your teammate who you think might be over looking you. Let them know that you can do it and that you are ready to play in this great game of basketball with them. After time they will see that they can trust you and will knowledge you more often on the court. 

If its a team chemistry issue then your coaching staff most certainly needs to recognize that there is an issue with sharing the ball on the court. Even if you have superstars on your team if you belong on the team, t hen you deserve to be apart of the game. 

I personally have always loved to pass and get my teammates involved and as a coach I am sure to remind my players to pass the ball around so that the defense moves and we can get a good easy shot versus one person throwing up a crazy shot because they feel they are better than their other teammates. Its really difficult to have good team chemistry if the ball is rotated and touched by every player, even the post. 

I cant stress it enough how important it is to communicate with your team and your coaching staff. Speaking up will work wonders for you and your team. So get out there, open your mouth and be ready when its your turn to touch the ball. Stay focused, pay attention in practice, stay active and involved and volunteer yourself when the coach asks for players to step on the court.

Wishing you the best of Luck as always!!

GET YOUR BALL ON GIRL!! 

CAUSE SHECANBALL!! 

Junior High Basketball

Junior High Basketball is the time where most young athletes begin to play in a structured, organized game of real basketball. Although many players will be new to the game, this is the time to learn the fundamentals of basketball. 


In Junior high school the game is taught with fun, and love and also learning the basics of the game. In junior high you will learn the technicalities of the game such as, dribbling, shooting, jump balls, out of bounds , sportsmanship, team work and so many other details of the game. Usually younger athletes are allowed to make more mistakes than more seasoned players. But over time you too will become more advanced, although on a smaller scale, if you continue to practice and work on the basics. 

Often times you will see junior high school players shooting free throws on a closer line than high school an d above, but don't fret, some junior high schoolers can ball, and have raised the bar with the knowledge and skills they have because they may have started at a very young age. 

Mostly all the players are shorter and slower than high school players, but that doesn't stop you from improving your skills so that you can have an opportunity to try out for your high school team when you reach that level. 

I encourage all young junior high school players to visit high schools and watch the games when season is in session. There is nothing better than to learn visually and to see the potential that you can reach, or even surpass. 

Here are a few tips for you junior high girls out there who are anxious to start the new season. 

#1. Don't be discouraged. There are many athletes with different levels of skills, this is the time to work on your skills and become a better player. Don't expect to play like Lisa Leslie or Tamika Catchings at this young age.  You will have time to improve, so just go out there and enjoy yourself. 

#2. Stay focused on having fun. I know that a lot of young athletes become frustrated when they miss baskets or forget a play. That is okay. Now is the time to really learn the game, especially if you were lucky enough to have a good coach, but even if you don't, the goal is to learn and have fun. 

#3. Work on your game daily. If you have the opportunity to have access to a court, or even have a ball with you, don't forget to add some extra workouts or practice on different skills in your backyard, or at the park when practice with your team is over. Individual skills are important to this team game and if you are not working on your  own time, you will miss o ut on that extra practice that could boost you to the next level. 

#4. This game is just a game. Don't get caught up in parents going over board or an over zealous coach who is pressuring your team to focus on winning. If you find yourself in this situation you should talk to someone about it. At the ages or 11-13 you should be focusing on improving and not trying to win a WNBA championship. So go out there and have fun. It'ts only a game! 

















NXN3WNNUWG3E

The 6TH WO(MAN)

Too many players in the Junior High, High Shcool and Collegiate level are concerned with Starting a game. Sure it shows that you have been selected by your coach as a star player, or someone who can get things going while others await the game. But there always, always , always must be a player off the bench who can continue the momentum on the court. That person is usually coined the Sixth (Wo)Man.

The Sixth Man is the key player to many coaches strategies as the star players, or starters will need a rest for a few minutes. The Sixth man is the player who takes on the challenge, has no issues coming off the bench, stays focused on the game so that when its their turn, there is no great difference between the star players and the bench players.

If you find yourself coming off the bench and able to average 15 to 20 minutes per game then you should take pride in the fact that your coaching staff and team has trusted you to take the wheel and keep the ball rolling! Dont be upset, be proud that you have been selected to take on such an important role inn this beautiful game of basketball. Remember, Everyone on the team is important, not just the scorers. Everyone!

Mone't Sykes Introduction | The Baller In Me

Welcome to Basketball Advice  for Young Girls! 

This blog was created for you young girls out there who are dying to either get on the team, get in the game, or even advance your game to the next level, PRO BALL. 

I understand first hand what many of you young girls are going through, whether you are in elementary, junior high, high school or even playing college ball. I've been through it all. Although I Started pretty Late, I still went on to traveling around the world playing the game that I loved. It wasn't always pretty or "fun" but that's life! I wish I had someone to look up to who has been in my shoes but unfortunately I didn't. I mean I did have my coaches, and my teammates to help me out, but to have someone who has been through the trials and tribulations of basketball as I have would probably have made the difference between me quitting due to my confidence dwindling down, or remaining on one of the WNBA's top teams. 

I will tell ya though that no matter what anyone can tell you, your final decision is all up to you and  you alone. NO ONE can take the steps that are needed to succeed but you. All I , or anyone else can do is provide good advice and pray that you learn it one way or another. 

I will briefly introducing myself now, but my story will continue through out my blog. 

My name is Mone't Sykes, I currently live in Los Angeles California. I am 5'11, 6'0 with shoes and I've played every position available from 8Th grade until I completed my basketball career 11 years later. I grew up in a household where my parents allowed me to experiment with different activities like ballet, tap, soft ball , drill team, modeling and acting. Although I enjoyed each activity, basketball was the only activity that I focused on for a very long time. To this day, many people are shocked to know that I started playing basketball very late ( according to most people). Like I said I was involved in ballet and tap around the age of 6-7, then I played softball around age 10-12. I was apart of the Compton Sounders Drill team between the ages of 12-13 and also did a little bit of modeling and acting throughout those time periods as well. 

During my 8Th grade year, I attended Hosler Junior High School in Lynwood California and I decided to play on the basketball team with some of my friends. Back then the WNBA didn't exist and for some basketball for girls was not an option after high school unless you went over seas. Well I didn't know about any of those options, it just never crossed my mind that basketball could be a career for me. I just wanted to find out how to play , have a little fun and that was that. 

My time on the Hosler team in my mind now, is very vague but I do remember tripping and falling on the basketball court, shooting up air balls and double dribbling all over the place. I also cried and I believe I quit at one point in time. I just didn't get it and the P.E teacher being the coach wasn't helping much either. 

I didn't get into the basic groove of basketball until I played for one of the most elite teams ( still to this day) Lynwood High School's Traveling team. This was the summer before I entered the 9Th grade. The girls on the team were awesome. The team record was amazing and the coaching staff was extremely tough on us, but they were nice off the courts of course! Although I was still learning the game, I had the opportunity to travel to different cities and play against other really good teams. I was on the JV team but we traveled and practiced most of the time with the Varsity team. This discouraged me a little bit, well actually a lot of bit because the girls on the Varsity team were HUUUUUGEE and extremely good players. I didn't my best to try and keep up but they seemed like grown women in grown men bodies passing me up as i try to figure out how to get as good as they were. 

I was excited to try out for the team once my freshman year started but my family had to move so we packed up and headed to Cerritos California. This is when I really gained alot of interest in basketball. A new city, new home, new school, and a new opportunity to play for another great school. I was scared and I was nervous so I asked my father to take me to the park around the corner and just play ball all throughout the night. My dad would dribble around me, i would foul him and it would just get frustrating, until the day I beat my dad in basketball. On this day, my father said, okay I think you might be ready to play in high school and the rest is history... Ill tell you more of the story tomorrow in the next section... 

Feel free to ask me any questions , leave comments, and definitely subscribe to this blog. 

As I said before I'm here to give you my story, my advice and my love for basketball as you girls have. 

I'm excited and cant wait till the next time... keep ballin' girl, the games not over yet! 

Mone't ( but you can call me Moe)