I'm having a very hard time getting my players to understand basic offense.
We have tried simple motion offense.
We have tried some simple pick and rolls
Even getting them to perform back door cuts in games as been a challenge.

They are 9 years old, but many of them have never played before.
So, even though they sometimes can understand the cencepts, they do not execute them in the games.

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Mike

Hang in there - I've seen older kids and even high school varsity kids NOT transfer things they are taught in practice.... it gets very disgouraging I am sure.

Your goal for these kids should be to teach them A LOT of fundamentals and let them have fun. As for your offense, my suggestion would be an open post / pass and cut offense. You might even put down markers in practice to give them an idea as to where to go, and tell them if they get confused, look for an open spot and go there.

Back door cuts can be difficult at that age... they all want to run to the ball instead of making a basket cut. This will take a lof of repititions - just like all the other things in the game.

Be patient, keep teaching them the skills they need and hopefully get them ready to play at the next level and aobe all, YOU and the KIDS have FUN.

I am coaching 3-4 grade boys right now. The offenses that seem to be most effective at this age group generally take advantage of the best player on the team, and involve the lesser players setting picks for him when he has the ball, thus opening up a pretty nice lane for him to drive for an easy layup. I will not hide my feelings on this: I HATE IT.

Keep working on the fundamentals of basketball with these boys and help develop ALL of them into good players. Eventually a few of them will get the motion concept, and then a few more and so on. Just work to make sure they stay spread out and make v-cuts and basket cuts to get open. In practice we run a lot of two man drills to stress the beginning of our motion offense. Wing player makes a V-cut, receives the pass and the PG basket cuts. We do this from both sides and eventuall add a 3rd player into this, either the other Wing, or the same side Post player. Our motion offense consists of the PG passing and cutting, then if he does not get the ball on his cut, the post player on that side comes out to the wing to set a ball screen. It's simple and keeps all 5 players involved.

My players also like to run towards the ball and crowd the ballhandler when he has picked up his dribble. One thing I taught them is that if they are going to do this, then they need to run full speed to him, and the ballhandler can give him a handoff like in football. The receiving player then finished his loops around the passing player and typically has a nice path the the basket.

We also play a lot of 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 in practice with varying rules. Sometimes they aren't allowed to dribble. Sometimes is playing 4 on 4, the first team to 5 baskets wins, but all 4 players have to score once, before any of them can score a second time. These drills really get them moving and cutting and sharing the ball.

These are young kids, be patient.... get them all involved... I wouldn't worry about the score.... teach them as much as you can regarding fundamentals. Teach them about spacing ( If you can ) put markers on the floor in practice if you have to.... but right now your goal should be to teach them fundamentals, something about how to play the game and then let them have fun.

The way I have found to score at that level is to score with defense. Kids that young have a very hard time remembering a play especially if they have the ball in their hands. I coached a 7-8 team playing 8 minute quarters and we averaged about 45 points a game with one play and it was a wheel play. We scored most of our points of steals and offensive rebounds.

Great comments, ADBrown.

Your advice is the very reason I believe in 3v3 for this age group. We shouldn't be worrying about offense. We should worry about teaching skills and how to play the game. With 3v3, it makes everything easier for the players and the coaches. You pass, now you have 3 options: cut, ball screen, screen away. For advanced players, you could certainly add more, but any high school and college coach

Also the coaches don't feel the pressure from the parents to do the things that will stunt development such as zones, presses, junk defenses, play only the best players, etc.

pick and roles at that age wow!

It takes time, 3v0 3v3 all season every session for 15 minutes, in 1 season it will show, 2 or 3 concepts...its possible.

I worked with Spanish internationals all year, age 14 and it took us all season to put it in, think about the future, not the now...patience!

http://joebloggsmadrid.wordpress.com/

Sorry, put what in...

Pass and cut, the first filler would back cut, next filler would fill, receive and reverse. thats pretty much all we taught this season...at 14! Cant argue with spanish internationals!

9 year olds??? for me??? 1v1/ fast break/ defend 1v1 and shooting form only...my blog has a programme used for a season of work at one of spains most famous youth programmes. Club Estudiantes.

http://joebloggsmadrid.wordpress.com/