Even though this practice plan is for 3rd graders (8 and 9 year olds), you can get ideas and use these drills for other age levels.
I use many of these same drills below in our 5th grade and high school practices. I’ll post some of those plans too once we start practices for the older kids. You’ll see there are many similarities.
In any case, this was another really good practice for our 3rd graders… good group of kids. I was surprised how well they ran the motion offense during the scrimmage.
Practice Emphasis
Listening Skills, Helping Others, Effort, Resilience (playing through mistakes and being positive)
Block 1 (6:30) – Layups
1 step lay ups – 3 min
Hash lay ups – 4 min
Block 2 – Dribbling (6:37)
Stationary dribbling – continuous cross, in/out over line, control dribble – 4 min
Zig zag dribbling – cross, retreat, behind back, spin – 6 min
Beatem to the left (just race to the gate… no shots) – 6 min
Drink – 2 min
Block 3 – Footwork & passing (6:55)
Partner Pass and Pivot – reverse pivot – 2 min
Partner Pass and Pivot – front / step-thru / front – 3 min
Block 4 – Defense (7:00)
Shell drill – 6 min
Block 5 – Offense (7:06)
Dribble at and back door – 4 min
3v0 (top/wing/post) back screens – 3 min
3v0 (top/wing/wing) away screen (3 screens & rotate) – 3 min
Fill and read (pop, back cut, or screen away) – 6 min
5v0 pass and cut – space on 3 pt line. fill spots to the ball. – 5 min
5v0 with pass, cut, fill and read (get open one pass away) – coach denies – 4 min
Block 6 (7:40) – Scrimmage
Defense – No lay ups!
Show how we transition into offense
Start a few possessions from BLOB (run box)
Thanks so much Jeff, read the first post, loved the 15 min blocks. Was about to post to see about how this will progress throughout the season. Thanks so much for the update. Look forward to seeing how you are progressing and using some of your ideas for our team.
Question: We still have girls that have not mastered the footwork for a layup. How do you provide the opportunity for these athletes to master a skill without holding back the entire team (and without discouraging these athletes) Do some of your players stay and work at the one step layups while others move on? One parent believes we should be teaching power layups first? Your thoughts on that.
Thanks so much, you have a been a great resource for us.
Coach – Regarding players being at different abilities for lay ups, you have two options…
Option 1) Just keep drilling for the allotted time and not change anything. Some will get it right away and others will take the entire year to get it down. That’s partly why I do those two drills above. All players benefit from them. With the One Step Lay Ups, players are right next to the basket. Knees bent, left foot ahead (if on right side of hoop), then drive the knee up to your chin and finish high off the glass. Even experienced players benefit from this. Just refining your accuracy and shot off the glass with both left and right hand. Then on the next drill… Hash Lay Ups… again everyone benefits because you’re improving finishing accuracy. It’s a short and quick drill… go for a minute or two and move on… even if only a couple kids are getting it. We move on. Eventually as the year progresses they will all get it.
As 5th graders (some are very advanced), we still do the one step lay ups. It might seem basic but the left and right hand can always get better.
Option 2) You can split them up into groups and slow things down for the group that is struggling with the footwork. Coach A works with a group and Coach B with the other group.
I have tried both methods and they both can work. It’s six, one half dozen, or the other.
When doing the footwork on the hash layups, it helps to go half speed. Start with the left foot, the right, then left with a jump. Our coaches say “left, right, left” over and over. So players get that rhythm…. it’s just three steps and one dribble.
Regarding a power lay up, it just depends who you ask. There are so many different ways to teach the game. I think some coaches rely too much on that power lay up. How many college or advanced high school guards use a power lay up? At higher levels you usually don’t have time and you have to get the shot up before the shot blocker gets there. But ideally I think players become proficient in both. I start with lay ups off one foot. In other countries they teach the underhand lay up before the overhand lay up. I think the US is one of the few that teaches overhand first. Food for thought.
Thanks so much for the detail. We are completely on the same page. Canada also teaches overhand layup. Basketball Canada has done a great job with developing skills for each age group, while looking at the long term athlete development. Keep up the great work. Thanks again for being so available to growing the game.