My Kid Loves to Hoop

Early in his coaching career, Justin Downer spent his summers at Vanguard University opening and closing the gym every single day for Kobe Bryant and his middle school girls' team—four hours a day, five days a week (8–10 AM skill and concepts, 5–7 PM live play). He watched that group go from losing by 40 to beating those same teams by the end of the summer.In Episode 2 of My Kid Loves to Hoop, I sit down with my longtime friend Justin Downer, head men's basketball coach at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. I've known Justin since he was a high schooler at Mount Si High School in North Bend, Washington—back when he used to come do yard work at my house just to earn money to attend basketball camp. Today, he's one of the premier Division II head coaches in the country, having led Point Loma to three straight PacWest titles, top-10 national rankings, and the #1 ranking in the 2026–27 PacWest preseason poll.We jump right into the heart of our conversation: if college coaches aren't evaluating kids until 17U (going into senior year), what actually matters for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders right now? Justin shares what he learned watching Kobe coach youth basketball, why a weekend travel tournament can turn into "8 shots for a whole weekend," why basketball is turning into a "recital instead of a competition," how to structure a 90-minute youth practice, and the exact custom scoring system Point Loma uses in every live scrimmage to teach players how to win.ABOUT OUR GUESTJustin Downer is the head men's basketball coach at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) in San Diego, California. A native of North Bend, Washington (Mount Si High School), Justin has led the Sea Lions to three consecutive PacWest championships, multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, top-10 national rankings, and the #1 spot in the 2026–27 PacWest Preseason Poll.CHAPTERS(00:00) Intro & Welcome: How Justin Earned Camp Money Doing Yard Work at My House(02:08) If Coaches Don't Evaluate Until 17U, What Matters in Middle School?(03:00) 4 Hours a Day with Kobe Bryant: What Watching Kobe Coach Middle Schoolers Taught Justin(05:26) Catching the Vision in Vegas vs. the "8 Shots for a Weekend" AAU Trap(07:06) The 30-Second Evaluation Reality: Why Chasing Exposure Backfires(09:26) Choosing the Right AAU Team, a 5-to-7 Player Core & Playing Against Older Kids(12:21) "A Recital, Not a Competition": Why Skills & Drills Are Only 20% of Development(15:50) Favorite Practice Constraints & Why PLNU Replaced "Roles" with "Responsibilities"(18:48) The "Power of Three" Reads: Teaching Decision-Making Without Frying Kids' Brains(20:01) The 13-to-15 Blueprint: Why Shooting Is the Ultimate Separator(23:21) The 40-Minute Daily Routine & Why Comfortable "Growth Systems" Are Broken(27:43) How to Split Up a 90-Minute Youth Practice (20 Min Skill, 25 Min Teach, 45 Min Play)(32:16) Learning How to Win & PLNU's Practice Scoring System (-1 Missed Layup, -2 Turnover, +2 O-Board)(36:47) Rapid-Fire "This or That": AAU, Trainers vs. Team Coach, Multi-Sport & Exposure(41:42) From Mount Si & the NWAC to #1 in the PacWest: Protect Their Love of the Game(42:36) Thanks for ListeningIf this episode helped, share it with another parent or coach from your kid's team, and follow the show for more conversations with college coaches about raising kids who love to hoop.My Kid Loves to Hoop... and I want to keep it that way.Music: "Funky Hip-Hop" by BerryDeep (Pixabay)

What actually matters for a kid who loves basketball? In our first episode, I sit down with my old friend Aubrey Shelton, head men's basketball coach at the University of Puget Sound, to talk through what most of us basketball parents are trying to figure out: sideline behavior, AAU and travel ball, private trainers, rankings, and how much is too much. Aubrey shares what college coaches really look for (spoiler: it isn't your 6th grader's highlight page) and why the best thing we can do is protect our kids' love of the game.I'm Jacob Washburn, a dad of three. I coach my son's 7th-grade team and help out with my daughter's 5th-grade team, and like a lot of you, I'm trying to figure out what actually helps my kids grow in this game and what's just noise. Aubrey and I have known each other since high school and coached together at NBC Camps. Full disclosure: I'm guilty of some of the sideline coaching we talk about.ABOUT OUR GUESTAubrey Shelton is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Puget Sound, a Division III program in Tacoma, Washington, where he's starting his 9th season. Before Puget Sound, he was head coach at Lincoln High School in Tacoma.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro1:22 Welcome and meet Aubrey4:22 How youth basketball has changed: losing pickup ball8:27 Sideline advice: get out of the way and wait 30 to 40 minutes10:40 Why mistakes and losses teach the best lessons12:30 Middle school rankings and highlight pages16:02 Protect the love of the game16:52 Skill training vs. games: what most training is missing21:02 Do you need out-of-state AAU travel?23:54 What actually helps kids get recruited: academics and character27:32 Social media and college character reports31:02 Rapid-fire: this or that32:07 Wrap-up36:01 Thanks for listeningKEY TAKEAWAYS FOR PARENTS1. Give them space after the game. Skip the instructions from the sideline and wait 30 to 40 minutes after the game before offering feedback. When a parent is yelling, the kid ends up listening to the parent instead of reading the game and playing free.2. Mistakes and losses are part of the plan. "We love mistakes because that's where the learning goes." And as Aubrey puts it, nobody is winning a college scholarship by winning a 6th-grade championship.3. Rankings and highlight pages don't matter yet. College coaches aren't at middle school games, and a ranking at that age doesn't mean anything. What lasts is a kid who still loves to play, so protect that.4. Training should look like the game. Kids need both training and games, but if training never includes defense or decision-making, it's missing a big piece. And too many AAU games can make each game mean less.5. Grades and character open doors. D3 schools don't give athletic scholarships, so a strong GPA can unlock academic money. Colleges also look at what kids post, like, and repost online.BONUS FROM THE RAPID-FIREMore playing time over the best AAU team. A great team coach over a private trainer. Multiple sports over year-round basketball. And "development all day" over winning.If this episode helped, share it with another parent from your kid's team, and follow the show for more conversations with coaches about raising kids who love to hoop.My Kid Loves to Hoop... and I want to keep it that way.Music: "Funky Hip-Hop" by BerryDeep (Pixabay)