While playing basketball is a fun and rewarding experience for children in kindergarten, it can be challenging for the coaches that are given responsibility to oversee the team. One of the main challenges that coaches see is the children losing their focus and wanting to move on to a different game or activity. The coach has the responsibility of teaching the kids the fundamentals of the game while maintaining their attention by making practice fun.
Red Light, Green Light
Line up all of your players at the baseline and give each one a ball. When you yell "green light," have the players dribble the ball as they walk toward you. When you yell "red light," the players freeze where they are. Make it clear to the players that the drill should be treated as a way to practice dribbling while on the move and not as a race. As the skills of each player increases, incorporate additional movements, such as using the opposite hand and walking backward.
King of the Court
The king of the court drill is used to encourage players to play with their heads up and pay attention to their surroundings while dribbling. Spread your players out across one half of the court and break them up into two teams. One team will be offense while the other plays defense. The offensive players will dribble the ball and pass to other offensive players while the defensive players attempt to steal the ball or knock it away. When a defensive players gains control of the ball, she joins the offense while the eliminated player goes to the other half of the court to work on her ball handling skills. The last player with the ball is named king of the court.
Ball Scramble
The ball scramble practices the players' reaction to a loose ball. Give each player a ball and spread them out across the court. On the whistle, each player must drop their ball where they stand, run to the bleachers, wait for the next whistle and run for a ball other than the one they dropped. As the players are running, remove one or two balls from the court. The player or players who do not recover a ball are eliminated. Allow the final player with a ball to sit out of the next round or to skip sprints.
Form Shooting
Shooting with the proper form is one of the most important skills a player can have. Position a player on one side of the hoop and about 3 feet from the backboard. Instruct him to shoot a bank shot using only his shooting arm. Ensure that he is using perfect form. Rebound each shot and repeat with at least 15 shots from both sides of the net. As the skill levels improve, move the players back a few feet when performing the drill.
References
- "101 Youth Basketball Drills and Games"; Brice Brown; 2000
- "Nabc's Youth Basketball Coaching Handbook: Beyond the Backboard"; Jerry Krause; 2006
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