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Message: [QUOTE="gmacfor3, post: 4945134, member: 4703"] 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! [MEDIA=youtube]SIq8KC_FH34[/MEDIA] [/QUOTE]

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