Program Development Series – Youth (5th thru 9th Grade) Basketball Curriculum

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.



Basketball Coaching



0 Comments(s)



November 26, 2014

Program Development Series – Youth (5th thru 9th Grade) Basketball Curriculum

Program development starts at the youth level…no question about it. While it is important to develop skills at a young age, I believe that 5th grade is the earliest to start teaching true progression skills in a “curriculum-style” manner. The age groups below this level are too young to understand or worry about these types of skills. The K-4 curriculum is more geared towards understanding what basketball is, developing baseline skills in passing, catching, dribbling, shooting form and proper footwork for lay-ups.

The Youth Basketball Curriculum is the way we track what we are teaching in our program and the level of introduction and competency that they should be able to obtain. It is important that we teach things in a progression just as we would a subject in the classroom. It’s just that complicated…I mean..THAT SIMPLE!

Hopefully this Basketball Curriculum will make you look at how you are teaching your program the skills and intricacies of your system, when certain skills are introduced, and what level of mastery they should have for each skill/area within your basketball curriculum.

Basketball is our subject…the Gym is the classroom. Treat your program as you would your teaching job, because after all basketball coach IS TEACHING! Good luck to all of the coaches out there as the season begins in full swing. Thanks for reading!

Best Swishes!

Brian Rea

Follow Coach Brian Rea on Twitter!!!

Head Boys Basketball Coach
Payson-Seymour High School (IL) – 105-39 Record in 5 seasons @ Payson / Elite 8 Qualifiers in 2013
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Board Member (District 16)

Email: coachbrea3@gmail.com

Played College Basketball @ Quincy University (2 Years ’96-98) & Aquinas College (2 Years ’98-’00)
Head Basketball Coach for 10 Seasons and counting (All in the State of Illinois)
Have sent 7 players to play in College basketball programs
Personal Speed, Strength & Skill Trainer

Click on the pdf link to download the Youth (5th thru 9th Grade) Basketball Curriculum: