What area of the game of basketball do most people (players & parents) focus on?

That’s easy. . . scoring.

It’s the first stat most players check. It’s the first thing most parents ask about.

And yet, you know there’s so much more to the game. That’s even more true at the youth level. Those players are still growing and developing physically. Many don’t have the strength to shoot the ball with any level of consistency. Shooting is a late developing skill.

If the focus is only on scoring, many players will end up discouraged. In most youth games, 1 or 2 players score the majority of the points. How do we keep the other players engaged and feeling valued? By changing the focus of our player development.

Instead of focusing on scoring first, what if we developed players who could do other parts of the game and then added the scoring piece when appropriate? 

To that end, here are 3 skills that every youth player can learn. Focusing on these areas of the game will allow your players to experience more success. That will result in them wanting to come back for more!

3 Skills Every Youth Player Should (& CAN) Develop

• Dribbling with both hands - at the youth level, the ability to handle the ball is paramount. The kids who can dribble control the game. And yet, too many kids only dribble with their dominant hand. Or, they dribble with their head down.

  Every player should be able to dribble with both hands. Every player should learn to dribble with their head up. The more players have a ball in their hands, the more comfortable they will become. Dribbling drills should be a focus of every youth practice. 

• Pivoting on both feet - this sounds simple. Trust me - it’s not! Does your team turn the ball over a lot? Do a lot of your drives turn into travels or jump balls? This is probably why.

  At the youth level, players will pick up their dribble in tough spots. To get out of those situations, they must be able to pivot and sweep the ball.

  Footwork needs to be taught daily. The great news is, dribbling and footwork can be taught together, allowing you to collapse timeframes.

• Basic defensive understanding - there are 2 parts to this - on the ball and off the ball defense.

  On the ball, players must know how to stay between their player and the ball. At the youth level, common mistakes I see are:

  • Closing out too hard (when very few kids can make a jumpshot)

  • Going for every fake

  • Reaching in

  Off the ball competency is even rarer. Most players blindly follow their matchup around the court with no regard for where the ball is. A couple key teaching points are:

  • Understanding the “ball-you-man” relationship and being between the ball and your player

  • Understanding that the farther you are from the ball, the farther you should be from your player

  Grasping those 2 concepts will put you way ahead of the competition!

Beyond The Scoreboard: Focusing On The Correct “Wins”

Feeling yourself improve is fun. If I am not strong enough to make a jump shot with good form, what’s the point of continuing to do so? I’m either going to develop bad habits or I’m going to get discouraged and give up.

Shooting and scoring will come. In the meantime, coach your players on skills that they can begin to master.

They’ll have more fun. . . you’ll feel more effective. . . and your team will experience more success!

Related Resources

• For those coaching true beginners, consider Jim Huber Beginner Basketball Ages 5-9. This is a great resource to help those new to the game. Coach Huber provides a number of games and age-appropriate drills that result in rapid improvement and a good experience for young players.

• The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huberprovides an entire blueprint for coaching a youth team. It’s a one stop shop for all youth coaching needs. If you’re looking for a proven system to get the most from your team, this is the resource for you!

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