FAQ

1. Tell me more about your Grade Pre-K through 3 program.
2. Tell me more about your Grade 4 program.
3. Tell me more about the All-Inclusive Team play for Grades 5-6.
4. Tell me more about the All-Inclusive Team play for Grades 7-8.
5. The 7th Grade Year – Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, homework, where does Motion fit in?
6. What is the new EXTREME program? (Boys/Girls Grades 7-8)
7. Tell me more about your fall/pre-season workouts for high school kids.
8. Are any of your programs co-ed?
9. Are there try-outs for your teams?
10. My young child has never played sports. What is the best grade Pre-K through 3 program for my child and how can we make it a positive experience?
11. What is your policy on playing time?
12. What league does Mo’ Motion play in?
13. What is your policy on parent attendance at workouts, practices and games?
14. What if my child just wants to practice with Motion but play on an outside team?
15. Who are your coaches and will my child have the same coach all year?
16. Do you offer scholarships?

1) Tell me more about your Grade Pre-K through 3 program.

A. Our Saturday and Sunday morning programs have become quite popular because we are inclusive in that we invite in beginners to more experienced players, yet we raise the bar for everyone in our structured teaching environment. The most important aspects of this program that Motion emphasizes are 1) providing a structured, firm environment where participants are expected to respect the coach, drills, rules and other players 2) instilling the FUN part of learning a new sport. (Go to Good Reads if you need to be reminded about the FRIENDS, FUN and TO LEARN formula that works for kids.) Parents who believe their children should be in a league or playing travel at this age are often misguided in our estimation. Almost all of our coaches played high school, college and some professional basketball. The consensus is that we all started playing on a team and in a league around grades 5-6, which is why we increase at our commitment to league play at that age. We are doing our best to promote our high values of heart, effort and discipline, which are the best early indicators of long-term success and happiness. We are also making every effort for sports and fitness to be a positive experience at a young age in hopes it leads to a healthy lifestyle short and long-term. If we reach this goal as coaches and parents, it far more valuable to your child and child’s friends than any championship trophy.

2) Tell me more about your Grade 4 program.

Most families believe there is a shortage of family time, something that becomes more scarce as kids get older. Our parents are pleased that the grade 4 programs are contained on weekends to only one day. Kids like it because they can play tennis or another sport on the other day, and work on developing other muscles and skills, which is very good for all athletes and prevents overuse injuries later in life. It’s important to mention here again that most of Motion’s coaching staff began organized team play in grades 5-6. We believe it’s important for kids at this age to be spending a much higher portion of their time learning and practicing than playing games, especially given the physical challenges that are required to shoot the ball on a regulation hoop properly. We receive many calls from parents who say, “My kid is so much better than the other 9 year olds his age” and “All he wants to do is play games.” We remind parents that 1) we do play games vs. each other and other teams during our regular time slot from January-March and 2) kids who are “the best” at 9 years old are not always the best players when they turn 13 or 14. Young players must learn to practice properly as their bodies grow and develop so that they learn to do things the right way. Breaking bad habits (bad form, two-handed shots, etc.) is far more challenging if the child (or parent) lets these bad habits go and hopes they fix themselves in junior high and high school when often kids without true skills and fundamentals will play behind those who learned the game properly.

3) Tell me more about the All-Inclusive Team play for Grades 5-6.

A. Yes, it’s confusing, so we’ll answer this question in two parts. Part I: What we try to do when we rent our gym spaces is open it up to as many of our kids as possible as early as possible because we know that during hoops season (November-March) it’s tough to get Manhattan kids into gyms for two
practices per week and one game (=3 total, mandatory events per week), which is typically the amount of time most teams this age spend practicing. We reserve the fall gym time for those who can make our weekend workouts (Saturday and/or Sunday—optional) but we do not hold anything against kids who cannot make fall workouts. The reason why we have to package the all-inclusive is because we fill the program early, and some winter-only participants sign up for program even though they cannot attend in the fall (due to baseball or soccer). Even though we don’t make an issue out of kids who start in November and miss out on our workouts in the fall, we do encourage the kids to use the time—time that their parents paid for—around their fall sports, especially if there’s a rainout.

Part II: Winter team play (all events are in Manhattan) consists of a heavy practice schedule November-end of December and then one practice, one game per weekend during GBA league play from January through March. Championships are held before the private school break. The All-Inclusive fall-winter program includes all fall weekend workouts (optional but encouraged) and all Saturday and Sunday events (practices and games are mandatory during November-early March). The Grade 5-6 all-inclusive team play for boys and girls also includes any Boost workout during the week (Tues, Wed and Thurs nights on the east and west side—see programs). Only Saturday and Sunday events are mandatory during the season, but any participant who has participated in the fall and in the Boost workouts during the winter as often as possible 1) are in better shape than those who do not and 2) show significant improvement.

4) Tell me more about the All-Inclusive Team play for Grades 7-8.

As stated in the Grade 5-6 description, we open our gyms after Labor Day in hopes that most of the kids can join our optional pre-season workouts and work on their individual skills around fall sports. The BOYS Grade 7-8 fall-winter All-Inclusive program is on weekends only. We have gym spaces on Friday, Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Most Boys Grade 7-8 will play Friday and Sunday around the bar/bat schedule. Boys (mostly grade 8) who want to participate in the EXTREME program (see below) will play mostly Sat-Sun. We assume that players are on their school teams in the winter and that they’re overloaded with homework during the week.

GIRLS Grade 7-8: We will also have a Friday night gym for girls to participate in workouts if they have a conflict November-March, but ideally the more serious girls play Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The girls program may only have 1-2 teams this year. We will play against each other, GBA teams, club teams and against boys’ teams to improve our quality of play. We are going to call the girls’ program EXTREME like the boys because we are asking that the coaches push our girls harder each season in preparation for high school try-outs and participation. See next questions for boys and girls grade 7 year and EXTREME program for Boys 7-8.

5) The 7th Grade Year – Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, homework, family time – where does Motion fit in?

We rented gym space on Friday nights in hopes of avoiding the Saturday conflicts. Ideally most grade 7 boys and girls can participate in workouts on Friday nights and Sundays (not the Extreme Program, which will run mostly Saturday-Sunday for boys; Extreme will run Fri or Sat and Sun for girls.) We know how important and stressful the grade 7 year can be for most kids given the social and religious commitments and the homework load. However, we do believe that they can do their best to maintain their commitment to our program, their teammates and to themselves. During in-season play (mostly Dec-March), the plan for the grade 7-8 boys is to practice on Friday nights on the upper west side and play games vs. Motion teams and GBA teams on Sundays either on the upper west, upper east or in Harlem. Ideally the girls 7-8 can practice either Friday or Saturday afternoons because we have rented a Friday night gym and a Saturday afternoon gym to allow more flexibility and practice time during the hoops season from November-March only.

6) What is the new MO’ MOTION EXTREME program? (Boys/Girls Grades 7-8)

The coaching staff feels strongly that we are in a great position to teach, push, motivate and challenge our long-time participants who are serious about wanting to be the best they can be at this age and in high school. The EXTREME workouts will be exactly as named – rigorous, challenging and not for everyone. Motion Alum have said that their skill work didn’t matter until they fully understood what it meant to play at full speed while in great shape. The goal for EXTREME, which we believe will be mostly for grade 8 boys (two teams) and a combination of girls grades 7-8 (maybe one team), is to combine outstanding teaching and rigorous workouts. We feel that this is the age where they become more resistant to general rules and too lax in their work ethic if they aren’t properly motivated. Returning Mo’ Motion participants who were in the grade 7 program last year are allowed to sign up without prior approval as long as the kids and their parents know that this will be more intense. No seventh grade boys are allowed to sign up for EXTREME until they receive the prior approval via email from Mo. Only a limited number of grade 7 boys will be allowed to play, depending mostly on the number of grade 8 boys who sign up. Again please take into consideration that EXTREME will practice mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. GIRLS EXTREME will practice in Fri or Sat and Sunday. Be realistic about attendance. If your child misses practices frequently or cannot make Saturday afternoon workouts, it will not bode well with the coaching staff and Mo. The Fri-Sun program may be a better fit.

7) Tell me more about your fall/pre-season workouts for high school kids.

Motion coaches enjoy coaching Motion players and friends who are now preparing for high school tryouts. We don’t have a high school division at this time because we assume that most kids will be committed to their high school teams and need their weekends for homework and rest. We open our gyms to the high school players in the fall and winter, knowing that the difference in a player’s ability is not determined during the season when all play is equal, but in the off-season when serious players build a routine consisting of proper practice, discipline, skill work, conditioning and competitive play.

8) Are any of your programs co-ed?

In some programs, yes. Yes for younger kids and Boost and occasionally for games we’ll do boys against girls (the boys have lost a few). Gender is not an issue that we are aware of (amongst the coaches and kids) in these settings, but we do believe it makes sense to separate by gender during the winter hoops season. The only exception is if there’s an exceptional girl who wants play with the boys, which is tough from a social standpoint. Usually if a child has a few friends in a workout, gender does not matter as long as the overall playing level is the same. It also doesn’t hurt to have some stronger kids in workouts with weaker kids and vice-versa so that kids learn how to play with players of all abilities and so that some of the stronger kids can learn how to lead the new kids in the program. Mo’ Motion’s staff and board of directors consists of a nearly equal amount of male as female coaches and
role models.

Our fall grades Pre-K-3 program is likely to be co-ed, but it’s important to clarify the gender issue and how it may break down this season and the reasons why. Last season our boys grades K-3 played on Saturday mornings. Our girls grades K-3 played on Sunday mornings. Some parents and kids were disappointed because they had a conflict on one day and could not do our program. We decided this year to open up the Sunday workout from 10:30-12 to boys as well as the girls, and the Saturday workout to boys and advanced girls because some of our girls are skilled and need to be pushed in a more aggressive environment (not all the boys are aggressive, but typically the group as a whole is far less apologetic when it comes to a loose ball). Boys who cannot make the Saturday workout are free to join the Sunday a.m. class (workouts are much smaller in the fall than in the winter). Just know that Sundays have typically been for girls-only except for the early 9:15-10:30 a.m., which is a fun mix of grades Pre-K-grade 1 girls and boys. Fall—there’s a lot of room. Winter usually sells out early. In short, sign your child up for what works in the family schedule and know that as long is there is some gender balance in the workouts (your child is not the only boy or only girl), it works out.

9) Are there try-outs for your teams?

No, except for the Extreme team (see below). Please note that in all programs even after you sign up, there is a screening process that involves our needing to know you and your child’s attitude, work ethic, attendance. If you and your child believe in attending 80-100 percent of practices, if you and your child believe in showing the utmost respect for coaches who are former, experienced players, if you and your child are old-school in that you believe in nodding your head and working as hard as you can because you know that’s how one learns, grows and feels great, then congrats, you are the perfect fit for Mo’ Motion. Parents must sign the parent pledge and abide by our clear rules. We do not tolerate difficult parents or parents who manage teams, pick up bills for teams and lean on coaches. We do not recruit kids for our program (otherwise known in the hoops worlds as “ringing.”) This approach makes the experience far more enjoyable for all parties involved and support our PURE, SIMPLE, FUN approach.

EXTREME TEAM: If your 8th grade boy or 7th or 8th grade girl has participated in the program and you have not received any email saying your child can no longer participate (which is rare, but it does happen when attendance or attitudes are poor), then we are happy to accept returning players into the Extreme program as long as they are ready for the challenge. The Extreme Team is not for everyone. If we don’t feel as though a player is putting in enough heart and effort, we will tell him or her directly. If they don’t respond and improve their effort, we will ask them to join our Grade 7-8 Friday night-Sunday league, which will play other Motion teams and other GBA teams. If you aren’t sure whether or not your child is the right fit for EXTREME, feel free to call or email Mo (mo@momotion.org).

10) My young child has never played sports. What is the best grade PreK-3 program for my child? How can we make it a positive experience?

Our program has a great reputation for taking reluctant or new participants and creating an environment where they can learn, grow, improve and gain a tremendous amount of confidence. Start in the appropriate age/grade group. Try to get a friend to participate along with your child. Know that there will be days when your child (usually girls) wake up and do not want to go to the workout even though they had the best workout of their life the week before. They are resisting because they know the workouts are not easy, in the same way you dread getting on that treadmill even though you know how great you feel after pushing yourself through it. Many families do a family event after our workout – go out for lunch, go to a playground, etc. Also note that coaches insist that you drop your child off and get out of the gym as quickly as possible. Young kids are moody; they often blame parents when they’re cranky; if a child trips and mom is there, they cry instantly. We know as coaches that we always lose vs. the moms, so often times if your child is clinging to you, the coaches will not attempt to lure your child back out on the court because they have been instructed to focus on what they can control, which is the kids who are on the floor ready to go. Lastly, the BEST WORDS YOU CAN SAY TO YOUR CHILD, are not “You are awesome” or “You are the best child ever” or “Did you win?” The best praise you can give your child on or off the court is simply, “You worked really hard out there.” And if they didn’t work hard, don’t tell them they did. Maybe ask, “How do you think you did?” and let them tell you. Then maybe say, “What do you think you can do to improve next time?” And try to get in the words about hard work—that you love to see your child working as hard as she can—and see if your child sets that goal going into the next week. When they push themselves, they will finally earn the “I’m proud of you because you worked hard” praise, from you, the most important person in your child’s life. We hope that parents hear believe that praise is very well received when its associated with heart, effort, discipline—not when attached to winning or being the best at a sport, subject or activity.

11) What is your policy on playing time?

If children come to practice, they will play in games. We don’t promise they’ll play exactly the same minutes as all other players because it ruins the flow of the game, but they will play respectable minutes – usually half to 2/3 of the game at a minimum. We keep our teams small – seven to nine players. If only five or six show up, life is much easier for the coach and the players enjoy the minutes and getting in better shape than teams with 10-12 players. Some coaches who coach throughout the day on game days are going to need some help with minutes, meaning a parent will be asked to keep minutes and report the minutes around the 10 minute mark, half time and with 10 minutes left to go in the game, by indicating which child deserves more time. If your child has missed practices and doesn’t know what he or she is doing when it comes to plays, don’t be surprised if players who fit this billing are on the bench more than others who attend practice regularly. We tell the kids that typically you stay on the floor if you do these things 1) show up at practice regularly 2) take care of the basketball (reduce turnovers, no traveling) and 3) contain your player on defense. If a player hasn’t been to practice, throws the ball away and lets his or her player score, then it’s only fair to the team to let other more responsible players be on the floor. Coaches are told to NOT remove a player from a game if he or she misses a shot nor are they allowed to tell players, “We don’t want you shooting the ball.” Players who do not move the ball around – if they dribble too much, causing others to stand and watch – they are subbed out so that the entire team can function better by distributing the ball, which keeps everyone involved and loose during intense game action.

12) What league does Mo’ Motion play in?

Mo’ Motion plays in the Manhattan-based Gotham Basketball Association from January through early March. Sometimes we arrange for scrimmages vs. outside teams in December. We strongly believe in using November-December like most high school and college teams do – heavy practice time, pre-season games, non-league games.

13) What is your policy on player attendance as well as parent attendance at workouts, practices and games?

We have seen overwhelmingly positive results in improvement (our biggest emphasis) when players are at practice between 80-100 percent of the time. Our strongest players are the ones who set the attendance records because they know we will not play them if they miss practice—they are treated like everyone else.

Although we allow parents to observe our workouts and coaches in the fall so that they can see what they signed up for, parents are not welcome at practice during the team portion of the season except for the last 15-20 minutes. Why? Kids are stressed out enough with all the new material, the pressure of the season, pleasing the coach, their friends and themselves. Adding parents or observers to this environment is too much of a distraction. What I say to ALL parents (those in helicopters and those who drop and run out) is vary your routines. Don’t attend all the time, don’t miss all the events, follow our closed practice rules, cheer for all kids when the team is playing and even kids on the other team. Be a positive force in the gym. Give kids space and time to learn with their coach and team in the same way you want time and space to play with our buddies in your weekly hoops run. Would you want your kid or wife there in the gym staring at you or taking your attention away from the fun? Coaches are told that it’s always best to make sure at least two adults are in the gym—so if a coach is coaching alone, he or she is encouraged to ask a parent to stay—and the parent is asked to read/do work—in the case of emergency. If there is a parent problem for a team, all parents are given one warning in a meeting; an individual parent who continues to break Motion rules and coach from sideline is told one more time and you’re not welcome at any events. If kids look over to their parents during game action and away from their coach and team, they are taken out of the game. Children do have ears – they are free to listen – but if they look, they’re out. Individual and team play improves significantly when we enforce these rules.

14) What if my child wants to practice with Motion but play on an outside team?

During the fall and spring, we have no problem coaching kids who participate on non-Motion teams. During the winter season, however, we do close practices and focus on the kids and coaches who have committed to our team programs.

15) Who are your coaches and will my child have the same coach all year?

Our coaches are former high school, college and pro players who are expected to adhere to Mo’ Motion’s philosophy and teaching curriculum. In the fall and spring, we often coach in pairs. Pre-season is a great time to work on individual skills and conditioning, and it’s helpful to hear tips on these areas from our experienced staff. During the fall, as a coaching staff, we are basically collaborating and planning so that during the busy winter portion of the season, we are all on the same page literally and figuratively, given that all the drills will be spelled out in a Motion coaching manual and formal coaching reviews will be done over the course of the season.

16) Do you offer scholarships?

Yes, we offer a limited number of scholarships each season (see Mo’ Motion Scholarships). This year’s application process will be executed by a third party. As a 501(c)3 organization, most of our charitable contributions and fundraising efforts take place without great fanfare. We quietly put our funds, time and effort toward public school gym renovations, equipment and middle school teams that now have very little or no funding for coaches and uniforms. All donations and scholarships are documented and reviewed by our Board of Directors each year. In addition, we donate time and coaching services to underprivileged schools, homeless shelters as well as to local, national and international causes that support rights for girls and women.