Questions From Subscribers...
Topic: Basic Youth Basketball Drills for 7, 8, 9 Year Old Boys
Question:I like a lot of the drills but my team is a group of 7,8,9 year old little boys.I have used a couple of the drills but most of them are to hard. If you ever make a youth book please let me know.
Answer:
First of all, you can check out these drills for very young players. The drills are now organized so you can easily find them by skill topic.
Next, we released a video called Jim Huber's The Youth Coaching System. You should definitely check that out. It has a lot of great youth drills and coaching tips.
In addition, here are a few drills that are very important for young basketball players...
- Form Shooting - Good shooting habits are the most important thing for young players to learn because so many kids have bad shooting form and it's the most difficult thing to fix when they get older.
- Jump Stops - This is a critical drill for all youth players. It improves balance, footwork, reduces travels, and improves confidence.
- Basic lay up drill (with left and right hand) - For the standard lay up drill, simply form two lines on each side of the basket about 20 feet back. One line rebounds, the other drives in with the ball and shoots. The rebounder passes to the next person in the shooting line and goes to the end of the shooting line. The shooter goes to the end of the rebounding line. After a few minutes, stop the drill and put the ball on the other side for left hand lay ups. Left hand lay ups will be nearly impossible for youngsters who have not tried them. But this is a critical skill to learn. It will take time and is a must by middle school. Be sure to show your players the correct form -- they should jump off the left leg when shooting a right hand lay up. And shoot off their right leg when shooting a left hand lay up. It will be difficult but work on it. They should also dribble with their left hand when shooting left hand lay ups.
- Cone or Chair Dribbling - Simply set up some cones or chairs about 10 feet apart. Instruct your players to weave in and out of the cones, changing directions each time they reach a cone. They can start with a basic cross over, switching hands when they reach each cone. Then you can progress to spin moves and behind the back. This is a really simple yet fun drill that helps young players improve their dribbling skills.
- Basic partner passing - Have your players partner up, each group should have a ball. Have them pass back and forth, starting with chest passes, progressing to bounce and over head passes. Make sure they are making accurate passes and using proper form. As a variation, you can have them run up and down the court passing back and forth.
- Triple threat drills - Simply form two lines around the 3 point arc. One line is for passing line and the other is for catching, pivoting, and driving to the basket. Once the receiver catches the pass, they should pivot with their knees bent facing the basket. Require them to pause in a triple threat position. They should be ready to pass, shoot, or drive. Knees should be bent and feet square to the basket. Once you say go, they should drive to the basket.
- Basic defensive slides - This is the first defensive concept youngsters should learn. They are a variety of sliding drills you can use. You can try the zig zag drill or some of the sliding drills listed below. Just be sure to focus on proper form (wide base, butt down, knees bent, arms extended to he side, etc).
Very basic drills you can probably use now:
- Partner Shooting - Page 18
- King of the Court (dribbling) - Page 72
- Four Corners Passing - Page 83
- Machine Gun Passing - Page 88
- Musical Slide (defense) - Page 95
- Defensive Slide - Page 96
- Lane Slides - page 98
- Half Moon Shooting - Page 6
- Knock out (fun drill) - Page 16
- Above ground - Page 26
- 1-on-1 Rebounding - Page 33
- The Rebound Game - Page 37
- Post Moves - Page 50
- Drop Step - Page 60
- Jump Hook - Page 61
- Round the Block - Page 62
- Pass and Zigzag - Page 68
- Dribble Relays - Page 70
- Dribble Mania - Page 77
- Partner Passing with 1 Defender - Page 86
- Close Out - Page 105
- Dribble with their left and right hands equally well.
- Make lay ups with their left and right hands equally well -- and jump off the proper foot (left foot when shooting with right hand, and vice-versa)
- Perform a jump stop without traveling.
- Pivot on their left and right foot without traveling.
- Perform accurate chest, bounce, and overhead passes.
- Perform a defensive slide (feet wide, good balance, staying between the offensive player and the basket).
These simple skills should be your number priority and your goal should be to help your players master these skills.
Also, here are a couple resource we think are good.
Coaching Basketball Successfully by Morgan Wooten - One of the best basketball coaching books ever written. We highly recommend it for all coaching levels.
Coaching Youth Basketball: A Baffled Parent's Guide - A great book for youth basketball coaches.
We don't have any affiliation with these products, we just think they are good.
Hope this helps.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions then please leave your comments below.
Joe Haefner
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