Have 10 players on our team, three 4th graders, six 5th graders and one 6th. I'd say we have maybe 5-6 players who "get it" and the rest are still in the learning curve with regards to concepts.

Question: I've read about the motion offenses and wondering if I could also incorporate off ball screens by assigning two players to that task? I'm thinking of having one specific person set a screen for another specific person. We'll switch up who sets/receives the screens when we sub, so hopefully every player gets to set/receive screens during the season. Everyone else's assignment will be to pass and cut. Really don't care if the other team figures it out, just want the kids to get used to those two concepts. Then we will build on that as the kids progress.

Am I making it too simple or on the right track here?

CRob

If you have 5-6 players who "get it" you are ahead of most of us, including NBA teams.

The beauty of a motion offense is that you can do basically whatever you want. The key is just having everyone understand what you are doing and the objectives. If they understand those things, it usually works out ok.

I don't think you should worry about being too simple. I think you should worry about being too technical. Talking about "sets" with 4th, 5th and 6th graders concerns me. Changing roles will become an issue as well. Those are things that even high level players have problems with.

You obviously have a picture of what you are tryijng to accomplish, which is a great first step in devloping a team, but your picture involves players with a certain level of knowledge and experience. I think you must adjust your picture to whom you are teaching. Kids of that age can't have any relevent or relatable experience. If you speak to child development experts they will tell you that kids of this age are still learning how to process information. Things that you might perceive as basketball issues will actually be child development issues that will frustrate you and your players. It will destroy your learning environment.

I really think you need to stick to really broad concepts, areas of the court, skills, "keep moving," etc. I even think spacing is too difficult for kids of that age. You can teach them screening and point out where they might use screens but I think you just have to let them get used to basketaball and what the game is about. To depend on them executing specific screening to accomplish objective during a game is just unrealistic, on the whole.

Show them, let them play, point things out and over time they will learn to do it themselves. As a team, I might concentrate on the very first value, play hard all the time.

Rob,

I would agree with Don here.. use the KISS method, Keep it Simple Stupid. The simpler it is the easier your kids will pick up on it, they will have more fun and learn the game easier.
Pass and cut is probably the easiest offense ... and yes, will they get out of balance, sure, high school kids do also... but they can look and see where the open spot is.. your kids might not be ready for that yet.
You might put some Xs on the floor with tape to give them a general idea as to where to go after they make the cut... they don't have to go to that exact spot.. but in the general area. Motion allows for a lot of freedom and that means decision making.... break down everything you want them to do with a drill.... keep them short and simple.
We talked to our players all the time about getting to the open area, NOT a spot on the floor.. so they have to have some leaway for running your offense. IF you want to use some screens, put that in after they get the general idea of passing and cutting.
Just some thoughts for you coach.
Ken

Good advice. After two games, I can see the need to keep it simple. It all looks good on paper, then you get in the game and well, you know the rest of the story. Thanks for the input.

Rob, you might want to try a numbering system to call out an initial screen. I had similar problems and a simple number system made a lot of the difference. Here is what I did:

1) each kid played a number position -1,2,3,4,&5. They all knew (for the most part) where to line up to start the offense.

2) I would call out a series of numbers. The first number was the screenor (player who set the screen) and the second number was the screenee (player who cut off the screen).

So a "24" would be the 2 screening for the 4. In our set that was a down screen with 4 cutting to the wing. A "53" was the 5 screening for the 3. In our case a back screen by 5, with a basket cut by 3.

After the first screen and pass, things would generally deteriorate. The advantage was I was able to change the action on the fly just by changing the number calls. By the end of the year, I had 5 of my players working by themselves with the point calling out different numbers and running offense. The other 5 -- well that's another story. :) Good luck.