Over many years of coaching, one of the most common mistakes I see youth coaches make is pigeonholing kids.

At 12 years old, the tallest player on the team is usually made the center.

He rebounds.

He posts up.

And after he gets the ball, he is often told to pass it to a guard.

Three years later, several teammates may have passed him in height.

Unfortunately, they may have also passed him in ball handling, perimeter footwork, and decision-making.

Today’s Center Might Be Tomorrow’s Guard

Young players grow and mature at very different rates.

A 2025 study of 189 national-level U14 and U15 basketball players found that biological maturation was significantly associated with body size and several measures of physical performance. The relationships were especially noticeable among the boys.

The study was observational, so it does not prove that early position assignments cause poor development. But it reinforces something youth coaches see every year:

A player’s current size and athletic ability may be a temporary advantage, not a permanent basketball identity.

If we teach young players only the skills required by their present position, we may be preparing them for a role they will not have in two or three years.

Teach Every Player a Common Footwork Foundation

This does not mean every player needs the same game.

It means every player should have a foundation that allows his or her game to grow.

One of the things I like most about the approach of NBA trainer Don Kelbick and his Attack & Counter System is that he teaches the same foundational footwork to posts, wings, and guards.

The location changes.

The distance changes.

The defensive pressure changes.

But the footwork can remain the same.

Consider a few examples:

Front pivot: A post player can use it to turn and face after a catch. A wing can use the same pivot to square to the basket after receiving a pass.

Inside pivot: A player can use it in the high post, on the perimeter, or after a cut to protect the ball and organize the body for the next action.

Drop step: A post can use it to seal and score. A perimeter player can use it when a defender overplays the passing lane. It can also help create space against pressure or become part of a finish around the basket.

Step-through: A player can use it as a post counter or to beat an aggressive perimeter defender after showing the shot.

The player does not need to learn a completely different language each time he moves to another part of the floor.

He applies familiar footwork to a new situation.

Same Skill, Different Challenge

This approach also makes team workouts more efficient.

Instead of sending the posts to one end and the guards to the other, the whole team can work on the same footwork family.

And regardless of the player’s level, the progression should eventually include defense:

1. Rehearse the Footwork Without Defense

Give players enough repetitions to understand the movement, establish balance, and become comfortable with the pivot and counter.

2. Add a Defender

Sometimes the defender allows the initial attack. Other times, the defender takes it away and forces the counter.

The offensive player does not know which look is coming.

You can have the defender play at about 50% to start with as the player gains confidence.

3. Finish Against Live Defense

Let players apply the footwork in one-on-one, screening, cutting, and advantage situations where they have to create a scoring opportunity against a defender who is trying to stop them.

The distance, speed, and complexity can change based on the player’s age and ability.

But beginners, intermediate players, and advanced players all need opportunities to use their footwork against defenders.

Develop Players for Where They Are Going

Coaches still have to assign positions.

Someone has to bring the ball up the floor.

Someone has to defend the opposing post.

Players also need to understand their roles if the team is going to function.

But a game role does not have to become a developmental limitation.

Let the tall 12-year-old rebound and post up, but also teach him to pivot, handle the ball, attack from the perimeter, and make decisions.

Let the smaller guard learn how to seal, finish through contact, and score with his back to the basket.

That is why Don Kelbick’s Attack & Counter Skill Development System begins with a common foundation and then applies it to post play, perimeter play, shooting, screens, getting open, and finishing.

Positions can change.

Good footwork travels with the player.

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