OT: basketball drills help

[OrangeFoo]

I volunteered to coach my 10 year old daughter's YMCA team this season. Anyone have any pointers to good coaching videos/books/drill sites? Also any tip, pointers, lessons learned from coaching kids would be much appreciated. It's a developmental, coed league with players of all skill levels. I only get one hour a week of practice time and one game a week with the team. I'm a little overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get these kids playing even remotely functional basketball with such little prep time.

First practice is Tuesday and first game Saturday... I feel like my first goal is to figure out what positions each kid will play and then get them used to running up and down the court with each other and playing those positions.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Finwad32]

I volunteered to coach my 10 year old daughter's YMCA team this season. Anyone have any pointers to good coaching videos/books/drill sites? Also any tip, pointers, lessons learned from coaching kids would be much appreciated. It's a developmental, coed league with players of all skill levels. I only get one hour a week of practice time and one game a week with the team. I'm a little overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get these kids playing even remotely functional basketball with such little prep time.

First practice is Tuesday and first game Saturday... I feel like my first goal is to figure out what positions each kid will play and then get them used to running up and down the court with each other and playing those positions.

At that age it’s pretty much straight fundamentals.

Dribbling, passing, good defense, layups and short shots. 2 or 3 set plays and 2 or 3 in bounds plays.

The vast majority of your time will be spent teaching them how to function at a basic level. Offense/defense, good position, spacing is huge.

Not sure what the rules are for this specific league, but they’re usually pretty easy on the kids.

IMO - most importantly, make sure they’re having fun. Then they’ll want to learn and be around much more.

One of my absolute favorite ages to coach.

One other light recommendation… don’t be a D. No championships are won at 10 lol. Couple of tool coaches in my daughters’ league for sure.

 

[MikeSU02]

At that age it’s pretty much straight fundamentals.

Dribbling, passing, good defense, layups and short shots. 2 or 3 set plays and 2 or 3 in bounds plays.

The vast majority of your time will be spent teaching them how to function at a basic level. Offense/defense, good position, spacing is huge.

Not sure what the rules are for this specific league, but they’re usually pretty easy on the kids.

IMO - most importantly, make sure they’re having fun. Then they’ll want to learn and be around much more.

One of my absolute favorite ages to coach.

One other light recommendation… don’t be a D. No championships are won at 10 lol. Couple of tool coaches in my daughters’ league for sure.

This poster coaches kids ^^

 

[OrangeFoo]

At that age it’s pretty much straight fundamentals.

Dribbling, passing, good defense, layups and short shots. 2 or 3 set plays and 2 or 3 in bounds plays.

The vast majority of your time will be spent teaching them how to function at a basic level. Offense/defense, good position, spacing is huge.

Not sure what the rules are for this specific league, but they’re usually pretty easy on the kids.

IMO - most importantly, make sure they’re having fun. Then they’ll want to learn and be around much more.

One of my absolute favorite ages to coach.

One other light recommendation… don’t be a D. No championships are won at 10 lol. Couple of tool coaches in my daughters’ league for sure.

We had our coaches clinic yesterday and I got nervous when one of the refs was talking about teaching kids how to take charges, calling double dribbles, 3 second violations, etc... I'm like dude this ain't the NBA this is a developmental league and some of the kids barely know how to dribble.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Finwad32]

We had our coaches clinic yesterday and I got nervous when one of the refs was talking about teaching kids how to take charges, calling double dribbles, 3 second violations, etc... I'm like dude this ain't the NBA this is a developmental league and some of the kids barely know how to dribble.

Thanks for the advice.

lol. I feel that way sometimes. Yeah - it’s hard to get officials right now. Most of them are trying but to ref that age is painful lol. Some are tighter on travels/double dribbles, etc. and some are good and try to teach the kids a little bit.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I think skill sets have deteriorated considerably in younger kids compared to 20+ years ago. When I was 10, every boy pretty much had the fundamentals down.

 

[Bayside44]

You're going to need a lot of inbounds plays. I had 2, really 3 that are all simple.

I never once ever taught a kid to take a charge, be defenseless and get hurt.

Little girls are pretty literal. They will guard someone like glue 30 feet away from the basket.

We would also have an hour - spend half on basic drills, scrimmage the other half. ID two ballhandlers, those are gold at that age.

 

[OrangeFoo]

You're going to need a lot of inbounds plays. I had 2, really 3 that are all simple.

I never once ever taught a kid to take a charge, be defenseless and get hurt.

Little girls are pretty literal. They will guard someone like glue 30 feet away from the basket.

We would also have an hour - spend half on basic drills, scrimmage the other half. ID two ballhandlers, those are gold at that age.

Good call on the id’ing ball handlers. The first half of the first practice is going to be all dribbling so I can see what’s what. I need to rotate every 4 minutes to make sure everyone gets equal time so I need to spilt up the ball handlers.

 

[PeteCalvin]

lol. I feel that way sometimes. Yeah - it’s hard to get officials right now. Most of them are trying but to ref that age is painful lol. Some are tighter on travels/double dribbles, etc. and some are good and try to teach the kids a little bit.

When my kids started out in Saturday rec league ball they didn’t bring real refs in until the 5th grade age group. Coaches reffed the games until then, which sucked.

I agree on the Keep It Simple principle. If it’s a third grade level, stick to fundamentals (dribbling, passing, defense, lay-ups, rebounding, and definitely spacing!). It helps if you have at least one ball for every two players so you can run passing drills (chest and bounce), and dribbling drills and not have kids standing around. Ease them into using their weak hands when dribbling.

As for plays, at third grade / co-ed, teach them the 1 - 5 positions on the floor and where they should set up on the floor (1 up top, 2 and 3 on the wings foul line extended, and 4 and 5 just off the blocks). Plays can be as simple as “51”, when the 5 comes to screen for the 1, etc. When they start to get the concept of setting screens, you can teach the “pass and pick away” to encourage movement with the three guards. You can do the same with the 4-5 as they can screen away when the ball comes to their side. Teach the wings to move their defender down and then pop out to the wing for a pass (v-cuts), but always coming to the ball. These are all simple concepts that you can build on.

With this age group, most plays are going to be dribbling off a screen, as passing is a tougher concept, unless the league builds rules in to encourage passing (first pass is free, not allowing double teaming, staying with your own player on D, etc.)

Just get the kids comfortable with the ball in their hands and have fun dribbling and passing. A great game to run at the end of practice is Knockout. Team lines up single file at the FT line, first two in line get balls, first player shoots, then the second. They have to chase down their misses and if the second player scores before the first, the first is out, and so on. Once a player scores, the ball goes to the next in line and they shoot. If the third player scores before the second shooter scores, the second shooter is out. The kids love it, and it teaches them to go after the ball even if they don’t know it. No one wants to get knocked out LOL.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

lol. I feel that way sometimes. Yeah - it’s hard to get officials right now. Most of them are trying but to ref that age is painful lol. Some are tighter on travels/double dribbles, etc. and some are good and try to teach the kids a little bit.

My son officiates kids in this age group. I think it depends on the league.

For example, my son was instructed not to call travels, double dribbles etc. unless it gets absurd (kid takes 5 steps). He was also instructed to differentiate between kids who clearly know what they are doing and kids who are clearly playing for the first time. A little common sense goes a long way.

Now if only the parents and some of the coaches had that same level of common sense...

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I volunteered to coach my 10 year old daughter's YMCA team this season. Anyone have any pointers to good coaching videos/books/drill sites? Also any tip, pointers, lessons learned from coaching kids would be much appreciated. It's a developmental, coed league with players of all skill levels. I only get one hour a week of practice time and one game a week with the team. I'm a little overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get these kids playing even remotely functional basketball with such little prep time.

First practice is Tuesday and first game Saturday... I feel like my first goal is to figure out what positions each kid will play and then get them used to running up and down the court with each other and playing those positions.

Awesome of you to volunteer.

All that matters for them is: Are they having fun? Did they maybe learn something?

All that matters for you is: relentless positivity and encouragement and maybe teach them something.

That is it.

Whether you win or lose games will depend solely on whether, or not, you have the best kid on the court, so don't worry about it. If you win, it ain't your coaching and, if you lose, it ain't your coaching.

Just enjoy it and cherish every minute with your kid cause it goes by way too fast.

 

[OrangeTown]

At that age it’s pretty much straight fundamentals.

Dribbling, passing, good defense, layups and short shots. 2 or 3 set plays and 2 or 3 in bounds plays.

The vast majority of your time will be spent teaching them how to function at a basic level. Offense/defense, good position, spacing is huge.

Not sure what the rules are for this specific league, but they’re usually pretty easy on the kids.

IMO - most importantly, make sure they’re having fun. Then they’ll want to learn and be around much more.

One of my absolute favorite ages to coach.

One other light recommendation… don’t be a D. No championships are won at 10 lol. Couple of tool coaches in my daughters’ league for sure.

Imagine! This guy telling others to not be a D. The nerve!

 

[Finwad32]

Imagine! This guy telling others to not be a D. The nerve!

lol - did I become a board bunghole along the way?!?!

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

At that age it’s pretty much straight fundamentals.

Dribbling, passing, good defense, layups and short shots. 2 or 3 set plays and 2 or 3 in bounds plays.

The vast majority of your time will be spent teaching them how to function at a basic level. Offense/defense, good position, spacing is huge.

Not sure what the rules are for this specific league, but they’re usually pretty easy on the kids.

IMO - most importantly, make sure they’re having fun. Then they’ll want to learn and be around much more.

One of my absolute favorite ages to coach.

One other light recommendation… don’t be a D. No championships are won at 10 lol. Couple of tool coaches in my daughters’ league for sure.

All of this … and keep them moving. Less explaining and more doing. That whole “idle hands” thing applies to kids and sports too.

 

[jordoo]

I volunteered to coach my 10 year old daughter's YMCA team this season. Anyone have any pointers to good coaching videos/books/drill sites? Also any tip, pointers, lessons learned from coaching kids would be much appreciated. It's a developmental, coed league with players of all skill levels. I only get one hour a week of practice time and one game a week with the team. I'm a little overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get these kids playing even remotely functional basketball with such little prep time.

First practice is Tuesday and first game Saturday... I feel like my first goal is to figure out what positions each kid will play and then get them used to running up and down the court with each other and playing those positions.

God bless you good Sir! I have wanted to coach in the past, but I simply don’t have the temperament/patience for it. I have opted for being a supporter working on keeping my mouth shut other than cheering when the team has success.

 

[OrangeTown]

lol - did I become a board bunghole along the way?!?!

Hahaha never! You’re just a D on the golf course.

 

[cuseincincy]

No matter the skill level at that age you need to keep them interested. Anything that involves dribbling passing and shooting obviously will develop skills. Keep it simple for you and them. Try when possible to break into at least 2 groups to work on different things to avoid stand around time.
My favorite "drill" by far is Knockout. I've had other coaches laugh at me because its a playground game. But the fact is it involves shooting a free throw, rebounding a miss if necessary, driving to the rim or taking a quick jump shot. But most importantly it adds the element of "game pressure" that no other drill does. For younger kids make the first shot shorter obviously. I've always tried to trick my players into learning something or practicing something by having fun. That's the real key.

Forgot my favorite defense drill...make them play defense without using their hands. Defense is all about footwork and the funny thing is the kids will find it funny to have to stop people from dribbling by moving their feet. One dribbler, one defender, up and back.

 

[Red Holzman]

Coached in same scenario -girls team, 1 game/1hr prac each week, and only 2 pracs B4 first game.
Hard to do, but have to remember focus is development/fun, NOT winning.
For example (our league): all kids get to bring the ball up, don't let best players dominate/freeze out weak players, equal minutes for all players, etc.
Very fun and rewarding , and they do learn fast (well most of them LOL).

Tips:
Need an assistant coach -or even 2. With the short practice time, you need to accomplish as much as possible -having an assistant allows multiple drills/smaller groups for more engagement. The assistant can also coach the kids on the bench on what to watch do to keep them engaged while you coach the kids on the floor.
Help players get to know each other ASAP, and to have fun. An initial team talk where all the players give their name/grade/school is a good way to start, and helps you determine who knows who and who needs help becoming a teammate. A circle drill passing and calling out the player's name helps w/that.
KISS applies! VERY basic stuff to start. Our 3rd/4th grade teams have kids who know NOTHING.
Game: We line teams up before the tip, stressing to remember the girl across that they will cover on D. THEN ask them if they know which is their basket. 4 games in, you may still see a kid race for a layup toward the wrong basket LOL.
Regardless, every time other team gets possession, have to yell GET BACK, MATCH UP!
First few games, their heads are spinning therefore I make a point of constantly yelling out all the basic stuff they should be thinking to help get them programmed until they learn the flow of the game.
Example, on D: "Match up" ,"stay between your player and the basket", "see the ball" "move your feet, don't try to hug them" -LOL a lot of that!
On O: D is easier than O, which is absolute CHAOS in early games!. They get great exercise racing up/down the court after the TO's that happen one after the other. Need to stress spacing (ball is like a magnet), setting screens, pivot, proper form on shots (which has to vary based on strength of player), etc. None are ambidextrous dribblers, some MAY look up once in awhile to see the court when dribbling LOL. Dribbling skills are the challenge, and you won't be able to develop them in the time you have -therefore remind kids/parents to work on dribbling outside of practice if they can.

Can add lots more but prob too much now so will stop here LOL.
Keep your expectations reasonable, and keep it loose with a good dose of humor. You will want to drill, drill, drill but young kids need to have fun mixed in. The developmental league is challenging for a coach, b/c you have kids that aren't athletes, there for fun, and won't keep playing hoops, and others who are real tigers who want to excel and win. Your assignment is to make it fun for all of them. They will all play hard with a lot of effort.
At some point, all of the sudden you'll realize that they are making progress, then at the end of your season you'll be amazed at how much they improved. And it will all be very fun and gratifying. Good luck.

 

[gmacfor3]

I have experience coaching basketball from 5 years old all the way up to varsity. I'm currently coaching my daughter's teams who are 8 and 10 so I'm right there with you. At this age, IMO, the most important things are teaching skills and making sure the kids are having fun, as some posters have already stated. Some 10 year olds are years away from puberty, and so you have no idea who is going to be really athletic when they get older, who's going to be really tall, etc. Teach them the proper technique and footwork to shoot, pass, dribble, pivot, and left/right handed layups. Look for drills/games that reinforce these skills but are fun and engaging.

I'm a big believer in teaching kids how to play basketball at a young age, not how to run a play. I can teach a varsity player to run a play in 10-15 minutes, but it takes years to teach them how to play basketball. So when we play games we focus on teaching spacing, keeping the middle of the floor open to dribble penetrate, and when they pass to cut to the basket then relocate to space if they don't get the ball. Around 10 years old you can try to put in a few B.O.B. plays and maybe a real simple action or two to initiate a half court offense. This all depends on the experience level of your players. Defensively, especially for girls who tend to be timid at this age, we focus on being AGGRESSIVE for the ball, staying with your person, and helping if your teammate gets beat off the dribble. And please, for the love of God and basketball, don't have your 10 year olds playing zone defense I've played against youth coaches who do this, and although it helps their team win because most 10 year old girls can't throw the ball over or around a zone defender nor shoot well from outside of 12 or so feet, it does nothing to teach their players defensive concepts. Wait til middle school to introduce zone.

Check out this video below by Dags basketball, who IMO is the best bball trainer out there. I started teaching layups to youth kids with this method and it has been revolutionary!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I say get a five foot hoop and a nerf ball and teach them how to line up windmills.

Your record will be trash but you'll look like FRIGGIN' ballers warming up.

 

[Millhouse]

I can't believe how bad their hands are. So little unorganized play that whoever can just catch the ball is a star. I think maximizing the number of passes and catches in practice helps with their coordination

There is never enough practice time to run plays well and running a simple pass and cut motion takes the ball away from the few kids who can play and gets the wrong kids turning it over and not getting back. Not that it's all about winning but kids will stop cutting and unravel after a while

It's not easy

My daughter is nine and she's having success with simple ball fakes. She fakes left so she can dribble right and it works all the time even though it shouldn't

 

[Millhouse]

lol. I feel that way sometimes. Yeah - it’s hard to get officials right now. Most of them are trying but to ref that age is painful lol. Some are tighter on travels/double dribbles, etc. and some are good and try to teach the kids a little bit.

They are more important than the coaches in the games. Calling double dribbles on the kids who will never score twenty five feet from the basket just legend the whole ordeal

 

[Cheriehoop]

At that age it’s pretty much straight fundamentals.

Dribbling, passing, good defense, layups and short shots. 2 or 3 set plays and 2 or 3 in bounds plays.

The vast majority of your time will be spent teaching them how to function at a basic level. Offense/defense, good position, spacing is huge.

Not sure what the rules are for this specific league, but they’re usually pretty easy on the kids.

IMO - most importantly, make sure they’re having fun. Then they’ll want to learn and be around much more.

One of my absolute favorite ages to coach.

One other light recommendation… don’t be a D. No championships are won at 10 lol. Couple of tool coaches in my daughters’ league for sure.

One of the best fundamentals ( and difficult ones) after learning the very basics - is learning to dribble, then eventually to shoot with either hand. The younger the better - tough to break once a dominant hand is established over time to change what has worked best for a player too long.

 

[Shoym]

lol. I feel that way sometimes. Yeah - it’s hard to get officials right now. Most of them are trying but to ref that age is painful lol. Some are tighter on travels/double dribbles, etc. and some are good and try to teach the kids a little bit.

Just a lose-lose proposition, IMO. Always gonna be a pissed off parent.