Setting Up Practice For Basic Skills

I am coaching a 5th grade and 6th grade girls basketball team. I will begin practices after the first of the year. This is an organized grade school league that is the same conference as the 7th and 8th graders. I want to keep things simple, fun and teach them the basic fundamentals of the game. That being said there are some very competitive teams that press at least 50% of the game, which I do not agree with at the 5th and 6th grade level. That is what we have to deal with, any suggestions on how to set up a practice for this age group of girls to give them the basics.

When I coached girls at that level (I coach 8th grade girls now so my practice format has not really changed that much) I go with a 50-25-25 format.

50% of practice is dedicated to skills and drills reinforcing fundamentals
25% is dedicated to structure- plays, defense
25% is left for conditioning and scrimmaging at game speed

example of a basic practice plan
5 min Team Talk
ballhandling warm-ups
dribbling drills
form shooting
shooting drills
passing drills w/ weighted ball ( 3 man weave, etc)

go over OOB plays under hoop
plays vs zone
plays vs M2M
side OOB plays
pressbreaker
defensive shell drill

Scrimmage
11 man fastbreak drill
Free throws

Post Practice 5 min team talk

Unfortunately you will have to spend valuable practice time setting up and going over your pressbreaker vs. a zone press and M2M.

There was another post last week on tips for breaking a press. I'll try to find it and send it later.

Hope this helps

Coach A

Search this forum for a posting titled, Full Court Press Break on 12/17/09

Inside is loaded with pressbreaker tips from some very knowledgible
coaches.

Out,

Coach A

Here is the press break forum post that Coach A is talking about: viewtopic.php?f=56&t=237

You can also find more tips on coaching that age leve in our youth section: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/youthbasketball.html

Here are some sample practices that may help:

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/samplepractice1.html

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/samplepractice2.html

Here's a new resource that will help you with breaking pressure:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/offense/press-breaker.html

I learned very early that the fastest way to lose a game and have your kids lose confidence is them NOT knowing how to handle pressure.

As a varsity coach we worked on our press offense every day for at least 10 minutes..... our kids were very comfortable vs pressure - man or zone.
Find a way to get that into your practice plan or everyone will press you.

Wow! allowing pressure at the 5th and 6th grade level, what are those league administrators thinking. Heck! lets stick in a few zones as well, may as well take all the fun out of the game. We gotta prepare these kids for the real things in life down the road 10 or 12 years. Right?

Amen to that Mac!