Crunch Time For Developmental Team
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USA Developmental National Team head coach Don Showalter knows the routine when it comes to selecting and training USA team in a short amount of time.
Photo: Steven Maikoski
June 20 , 2010 • San Antonio, Texas
It crunch time for members of USA Basketball's Men's Developmental National Team and for USA Developmental National Team and Mid-Prairie High School (Iowa) head coach Don Showalter this is familiar waters.
Showalter is directing his fourth USA team, his second in as many years after his selection as the 2009-10 USA Developmental National Team head coach on April 22, 2009.
Following the USA Men’s Developmental National Team’s inaugural training camp June 6-9 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Showalter and staff led the 2009 USA Men’s U16 National Team to a perfect 5-0 record and gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mendoza, Argentina.
Showalter, who has extensive experience coaching elite athletes, was selected by USA Basketball in 1998 as the head coach of the USA Junior National Select Team that competed against the World Select Team in the 1998 Hoop Summit. He also coached the ‘98 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival North Team and was the coordinator for a youth clinic hosted by USA Basketball in New York in 2004.
One of the nation’s most accomplished high school coaches, Showalter recently completed his 36th year (1974-present) as a teacher and high school head coach, and has posted an overall record of 540-268 (.668) and won 16 district titles during that span. He has taken Mid-Prairie to the Iowa State Tournament five times, highlighted by a second place finish in 2007 and a fourth place finish in 1996.
With three practices behind then and only Sunday's two sessions remaining before USA Basketball's Developmental National Team Committee selects the 12 players who will represent the USA at the FIBA U17 World Championship in Germany, USABasketball.com caught up with the U.S. head mentor and got his thoughts on how the first sessions had gone.
With three sessions behind you at this training camp, how do you think it has been going?
It’s been very positive with all the kids. All 19 of them are working hard, they all have great attitudes. As you look to see who could fill our team you’re always looking for attitudes and energy levels and so far they all have that.
Do you see a different group than a year ago?
They’re more mature physically and probably mentally. They’ve grown a little bit. Skill wise, obviously you can see some differences in skill. Part of that is because they’re getting a little bigger and stronger.
With last year’s experiences behind them, do they seem to better understand what is expected? Are they better prepared?
Yeah, I think so. Especially the kids who traveled with us last year understand the international competition now and I think that helped them coming into the training camp. Of course 18 of them have been with us previously so they knew what to expect coming in, how our practice sessions go and I think that helps them and our coaching staff to know what to expect.
You don’t have a lot of time to prepare the team, what do you try and do on the front end of the training?
First off you want to give the kids an opportunity to show what they can do. You do that through drills, through our practice sessions and also our scrimmage sessions. You hope each one feels they have a chance and opportunity to show the coaching staff and committee what they can do basketball wise.
It crunch time for members of USA Basketball's Men's Developmental National Team and for USA Developmental National Team and Mid-Prairie High School (Iowa) head coach Don Showalter this is familiar waters.
Showalter is directing his fourth USA team, his second in as many years after his selection as the 2009-10 USA Developmental National Team head coach on April 22, 2009.
Following the USA Men’s Developmental National Team’s inaugural training camp June 6-9 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Showalter and staff led the 2009 USA Men’s U16 National Team to a perfect 5-0 record and gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mendoza, Argentina.
Showalter, who has extensive experience coaching elite athletes, was selected by USA Basketball in 1998 as the head coach of the USA Junior National Select Team that competed against the World Select Team in the 1998 Hoop Summit. He also coached the ‘98 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival North Team and was the coordinator for a youth clinic hosted by USA Basketball in New York in 2004.
One of the nation’s most accomplished high school coaches, Showalter recently completed his 36th year (1974-present) as a teacher and high school head coach, and has posted an overall record of 540-268 (.668) and won 16 district titles during that span. He has taken Mid-Prairie to the Iowa State Tournament five times, highlighted by a second place finish in 2007 and a fourth place finish in 1996.
With three practices behind then and only Sunday's two sessions remaining before USA Basketball's Developmental National Team Committee selects the 12 players who will represent the USA at the FIBA U17 World Championship in Germany, USABasketball.com caught up with the U.S. head mentor and got his thoughts on how the first sessions had gone.
With three sessions behind you at this training camp, how do you think it has been going?
It’s been very positive with all the kids. All 19 of them are working hard, they all have great attitudes. As you look to see who could fill our team you’re always looking for attitudes and energy levels and so far they all have that.
Do you see a different group than a year ago?
They’re more mature physically and probably mentally. They’ve grown a little bit. Skill wise, obviously you can see some differences in skill. Part of that is because they’re getting a little bigger and stronger.
With last year’s experiences behind them, do they seem to better understand what is expected? Are they better prepared?
Yeah, I think so. Especially the kids who traveled with us last year understand the international competition now and I think that helped them coming into the training camp. Of course 18 of them have been with us previously so they knew what to expect coming in, how our practice sessions go and I think that helps them and our coaching staff to know what to expect.
You don’t have a lot of time to prepare the team, what do you try and do on the front end of the training?
First off you want to give the kids an opportunity to show what they can do. You do that through drills, through our practice sessions and also our scrimmage sessions. You hope each one feels they have a chance and opportunity to show the coaching staff and committee what they can do basketball wise.
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