Hello All,

I have been given the awesome privilege of coaching my first 14U (Jr High - Homeschool) team and I am very excited. I have wanted to coach basketball for a long time and the opportunity has finally presented itself. As a new coach of 13 and 14 year old boys I am looking for the best advice on how to go into this new opportunity?

This is a team of about 10 boys with 4 who played together last year and the remaining 6 moving up from a younger team. I am looking for the best pointers on how to get this team started off on the right foot as we get ready to start playing some pick-up games this summer.

I know there is a lot of great products on this site and write-ups and would like to know where to get started? I really want to drive home the fundamentals of basketball and teach these boys how to play as a strong team and not individuals. I'm looking for recommendations on the best drills, offense and defense to teach these boys from the get go. Are there dvds or other materials from this site that you would recommend I start out with?

Any pointers, feedback or guidance you can give me as I start out would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your input in advance.

Tyy

Learn as mush as you can about fundamentals and skill development -- shooting, dribbling, passing, footwork, using screening, getting open, cutting, etc.

Get them working hard and reward effort. This should be on day 1 and then every day following.

Only rule: "Don't do anything detrimental to the team!"
This allows you to discipline every situation appropriately.

Set a good example. Come up with some core values you want to emphasize throughout the season.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/core-coaching-values.html

Teach them man to man defense so they learn "fundamental defense" and develop athleticism.

I would teach motion offense.

For drills, almost every single one should incorporate skills and have more than one purpose. Here are a few examples...

- You can work on passing, basket cuts, and defensive positioning by running 4on4 type of shell drill. Have one coach watch offense getting players to catch in triple threat, make good passes, make good basket cuts, maintain good spacing. Have the other coach watch for good ball pressure, players staying in stance, good positioning, etc.
- For shooting drills take a piece of motion offense, use chairs, and have them practice the movement and shooting. For example on down screens, have a passer and a shooter. Shooter sets up the screen by cutting to the basket, then uses the screen (chair), curls off the chair, steps, front pivots, and shoots.
- For warm up and passing, just run your offense either 4on0 or 5on0. Have players at each basket running through the offense. 15 passes and then a shot on last pass. Make sure spacing is good, crisp passes, catch in triple threat, the set up their cuts, and passes, etc.

If you are looking for skill drills you can check out Bob Bigelows DVD:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/bigelow-coaching-ms.html

If you can get to an Attack & Counter skill camp, I would very high recommend observing one of those. You'll learn more about skill development at this camp than any where else I think.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/camps/

For instruction on man to man defense, here's an ebook showing you everything you need.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/mandefense.html

For motion offense, this ebook explains how to develop a motion offense.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/motionoffense.html

Hope this helps.