Stampede teams continue to grasp schemes
MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls Stampede basketball team is showing signs of understanding the offense, according to director Stephanie Gamble.
Gamble, who serves as the Marble Falls High School girls athletic coordinator and head basketball coach, said the Marble Falls team of incoming third-, fourth- and fifth-graders recently split into two teams when it played a squad from Hays.
"One team scored 30 points in a game," she said. "Both teams walked out with a win. We hadn’t done that yet."
The goal now is to be more consistent, she said.
"We’re getting shots; we just can’t finish," Gamble said. "I think they’re understanding some things better, our decision making and our passing. We still have to spend a little more time working on ballhandling. We’re still understanding how to take care of the ball, how to get it in front of you."
The team of incoming seventh-graders recently played in a tournament at Liberty Hill, finishing 0-5.
"They’re seeing other teams and how competitive they are," Gamble said. "Those are not the usual teams we play … at the middle-school level."
Still, the director praised the players for their effort and desire to improve.
"They have done a better job of executing the things we want," she said. "We’re telling the coaching staff to get as close as they can to running the things we run. (When they become) eighth-graders, it’ll make them better."
The team of incoming sixth-graders is dealing with full-court presses, which means opponents are recording steals and getting quick points, Gamble said.
When these players become seventh-graders, they will be better after getting a taste of what’s to come in a few months, she said.
The overall goal, no matter the age, is to compete, Gamble said.
"If we can get every one of them to be more aggressive, good things will happen," she said. "With the seventh-graders, the A teams, B teams, C-teamers are all on one team. They’re undertstanding this is competition, not everybody makes the team. That’s a really valuable lesson we haven’t been able to teach any other way. This is about learning how to compete."
Gamble will conduct the Lady Mustang basketball camp June 20-24 for incoming second- through ninth-graders at Max Copeland Gym, 2101 Mustang Drive. Cost is $60.
For more, call Gamble at (830) 285-7742 or (830) 798-3610.