Preaching vs Teaching

I remember quite well an experience that I had as a rookie PE teacher. I had just delivered what I thought was a great introductory lecture on the material that the class would be covering. Then, I asked a series of questions to gauge how well the class had listened. Not one student had any real understanding of what I had just said. I was stunned and disappointed. Then, I saw a hand shoot up. Great, I thought, someone with some insight. The student's question: "Mr. Saylor, why is that light in the corner brighter than the other lights?" OK, maybe I had better start this class over.
I had to find a better way to communicate the information to my students. The usual reaction is to blame the students: they aren't listening, they are not focused, etc. The reality is, if you aren't presenting the information in an interesting and memorable manner, at the correct level, using the appropriate language, the students aren't going to "get it" and this is not their fault.
I was at a basketball clinic once, and after one of the coaches gave a spirited talk about the next drill/activity that would be conducted, I asked the group of young players a series of questions to assess their understanding. Not one player knew what the word "scrimmage" meant. They didn't know understand the phrase "flash to the post." I covered most of the key basketball terms used and they didn't know what most of them meant. They basically didn't comprehend the majority of the coaches' talk, but, they didn't want to appear to be "dumb" so they didn't ask any questions for clarification.
The point is, be very aware of your players' level of understanding and knowledge of the game of basketball. Ask questions. Don't assume that they know what you are talking about. Basketball has its own language and many young players haven't established their hoops vocabulary yet. The next time that you notice that they aren't following your directions, make certain that you "taught what you thought." Take a look in the mirror and assess your teaching skills.