One of the best things that a basketball coach does is establishing youth basketball drills that are fun and keep the young minds engaged. Not only is basketball fun, but it also gives lessons on being a team player and other life lessons such as the importance of sharing. The amazing thing about being a coach is that you get to influence the life of young kids who look up to you and listen to everything you say. Apart from the money or fame that is your immediate motivators, establishing successful youth basketball drills is a great experience in itself.

So what are some of the best youth basketball drills?

Lesson 1 on Youth basketball drills: Direction change and focus

One of the first best youth basketball drills involves direction change and making your players develop a keen eye. Line up the players along the center court ensuring that they are all facing you. Position yourself at the centre court. Give instructions to your players to follow your movements as they continue dribbling the ball in the same direction you move. This could either be forward, backward or left to right. The important thing while carrying out this exercise is that you move without uttering a word to ensure that the player’s eyes remain glued to you. Always remember that the more you continue to include youth basketball drills in your training program, the better your player’s attention will be and their speed at the court will also increase.

Lesson 2 on Youth basketball drills: Speed

This exercise aims at increasing the speed of your players. It usually starts at the baseline or half court. Every player should have a ball. Tell your players to begin dribbling and dribble to the finish line ensuring that they count each dribble. Make them repeat the exercise covering the same distance but try to reduce the number of their dribbles by one. This exercise is good for increasing the speed of your players.

Lesson 3 on youth basketball drills: Dribbling exercise

This exercise makes your players better dribblers by focusing attention, not just to the ball but the environment around them. Make your players form a line that makes them have some distance from each other but are also able to reach out and touch the other players ball. You can have more than one line depending on the number of players. Make them dribble the ball as they try to tap the other player’s ball in one attempt. When a player’s ball is touched by another player, their ball becomes out of bounce. When a player’s ball is out of bounce, they should engage in an alternate physical activity such as five pushups and join the other players again.

It is important to remember that youth basketball drills always have one focus: to keep your players on their toes and alert. Younger players youth basketball drills need to have motivation and skill sharpening. They should be motivated in order to not only boost their confidence but also improve on their basketball skills. A coach also has the responsibility of creating an environment where every child feels that they are winners and ensures that they find the experience enjoyable.

Read more on basketball drills for beginners and youth players…