Teaching basketball to second-graders means setting aside your love for zone defense, and the full-court press and focusing on the fundamentals. Many second graders may not even be able to dribble the ball, let alone learn complex offensive schemes. Simple basketball drills will help instill proper skills and techniques in your young players.
Full-Court Relay Drill
This simple drill helps players master the art of being able to dribble the ball down the court without staring at their shoelaces. Players must be able to dribble while at the same time see where they're going. Have players line up behind the baseline, the first player with a ball. At the whistle, have the first player dribble as fast as he can down the length of the court. Pay attention to the player looking down at the ball rather than looking forward. When the player reaches the far baseline, have him turn around and run back to the other player. Once the player returns, have him hand off the ball to the next player, who repeats the drill. Set a time goal for the entire team to complete the drill.
Pairs Passing Drill
This drill helps teach players the three basic basketball passes: the chest pass, bounce pass and overhand, or baseball, pass. Have players divide up into groups of two and stand about 6 to 8 feet away from their partner with one ball for each pair. Call out a type of pass and have players execute that pass back and forth. Walk around and make sure players are making crisp, accurate passes and catching those passes with both hands. The chest pass involves a player throwing the ball from a chest-high position so it reaches the other player at the same position. A bounce pass involves bouncing the ball halfway between you and the opponent so that the ball arrives to the other player around the midsection. The overhand pass is thrown similar to a baseball, overhead with one hand.
Layup Drill
Once players have mastered the art of dribbling, it's time to teach them one of the most basic shots in all of basketball: the layup. To help them practice this skill, have them run through a standard layup drill. Divide the team in half and have one group stand outside the three-point line on one side of the basket, and one team on the other side of the basket. Give two balls to the first two players in the line on the right. At the whistle, have the first player from each line run toward the basket. The player with the ball should dribble toward the basket and perform a layup, being sure to jump off the left leg and shoot with the right arm. The player from the other line retrieves the ball and passes it to the next player in the shooting line without a ball. Repeat this process until all players have rotated through both lines, then have the left-hand line shoot.
Member Comments