In girls basketball, coaches must stress the game’s fundamentals such as dribbling and ball-handling. If a player can’t dribble, she can’t play. Dribbling, or bouncing, the ball is the most elemental aspect of basketball. Once mastered, dribbling allows players to expand their offensive games and execute more complex plays. The following drills provide girls with easy, effective ways to improve their dribbling skills.
Circles
To gain a better feel for the ball, players can practice dribbling circles around their bodies. The player begins dribbling with her right hand and dribbles around her right leg. Then she switches to the left hand and dribbles around her left leg. Next, she uses both hands, switching from right to left, to dribble around both legs. The player then kneels on her right knee while continuing to dribble around her body and under her leg. Finally, she kneels on the other knee while dribbling around her body and under her leg. She can then stand up and repeat the entire circuit.
Head Up
Many players will fall into the habit of looking down at the ball while dribbling. Good players never look at the ball; their heads are always up surveying the defense and searching for teammates or scoring opportunities. To teach girls to keep their heads up while dribbling, break the team into two lines. The first girl in each line dribbles up court toward a coach, who flashes a number with his hands. If a girl is unable to tell the coach the number, it means she had her head down while dribbling.
Snake
In the snake drill, each player dribbles a basketball in a single line. The player at the front of the line begins dribbling up court at whatever pace she likes, dribbling the ball with either hand and in any manner she wants. Everyone else in line must copy her movements. The last person in line then races up and takes over the lead. Players must keep their heads up to know which hand to use and how to dribble, further enhancing court awareness.
Tight Chairs
Position three chairs on each side of the lane, with the chairs an equal distance apart. Players must dribble through the chairs, executing a dribbling move at each chair. The coach calls out which specific move to use, with possibilities including the crossover dribble, in-and-out move, behind the back move, through the legs dribble, and the spin move. Players perform the drill first with their left hand and then go through the course again using only their right hand. Coaches should keep things at a game tempo and make sure the players hold their heads up throughout the drill.
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