Helena Frye
Planning a high school basketball practice is a challenging task that requires careful consideration of various factors. The success of a basketball team heavily relies on the structure of its practices, encompassing aspects such as drills, skills, and team strategies. To effectively organize a high school basketball practice, coaches need to establish a clear plan that covers essential elements such as warm-up routines, fundamental skills, team drills, and fun team-building activities. Additionally, coaches should be prepared to make real-time adjustments based on the players' progress and understanding. Let's delve into the specifics of what it takes to orchestrate a productive and engaging high school basketball practice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Practice Time | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Warm-up | 10-15 minutes of dynamic warm-up and athletic work |
| Drills | Ball-handling, dribbling, shooting, team defense, breaking a full-court press |
| Fundamentals | Spend half the time on individual fundamentals |
| Team Skills | Spend half the time on team skills |
| Teaching | Chunk the end goal day-by-day, make real-time adjustments, quiz players with competitions and 5v5 |
| Team Spirit | End practices with something fun that builds team spirit |
| Planning | Plan each practice, use a notebook to keep track of each practice |
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What You'll Learn
Warm-up and athletic work
Another warm-up drill involves players pairing up and standing a short distance apart, facing each other. One partner will be the leader and will perform a crossover dribble, with the other partner mirroring the movement. The leader will try to "lose" the other partner by changing the level of the dribble. Partners will then switch roles. As players improve, you can add in 1, 2, or 3 dribbles before each crossover.
You can also incorporate movements from other sports, such as swimming arms, a skating action, a long jump, or a cricket or baseball swing. Additionally, strengthening exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, planks, squats, and lunges promote blood flow and stability. It is important to ensure proper form during these exercises to prevent injury and promote flexibility.
Athletic work can include various drills to improve individual skills and interactive abilities. For example, speed dribbling and jump shots can help develop individual skills, while strategies like zone offense, motion offense, and man-to-man defense help players interact and work as a team.
It is important to vary your drills depending on your schedule, practice time, and the specific needs of your team. For high school teams, a rough rule of thumb is to spend half the time on individual fundamentals and half on team skills.
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Drills and skills
Firstly, it's important to warm up. This can include walking around the court and identifying spaces, with players repeating the names of each area. This helps players get to know the court and improves their spatial awareness. Coaches can then call out movements for players to perform, such as forward/backward/lateral marches or skips, high knees, quick feet, and swimming arms. Players can also partner up and move in different ways while forming a chain and holding hands.
Next, you can move on to dribbling drills. One drill involves players standing on the sideline with a basketball (or sharing) and bending their knees. They begin dribbling back and forth, swinging the ball from right to left below the knees for 20 seconds. This is followed by dribbling at knee level for 20 seconds, and then dribbling higher and swinging the ball from side to side for the final 20 seconds. Another dribbling drill involves players pairing up and facing each other. One partner will be the leader and perform a crossover dribble, changing the level of the dribble to try and "lose" the other partner. The other partner should mirror the dribble.
Shooting drills are also important. One drill involves players pairing up and standing a few feet from the basket with a basketball. They should put the ball in their dominant hand with their elbow underneath and palm facing up. They then extend their knees and arm simultaneously to shoot for the basket. They should hold their follow-through until the shot goes through or misses.
Defense drills are also crucial. One drill involves creating teams of four players. Player 1 starts on one baseline, Player 2 (the "chaser") starts at the free-throw line, Player 3 starts at mid-court, and Player 4 starts on the opposite baseline. When the coach says go, Player 2 tries to tag Player 3 before they reach the opposite baseline. If Player 3 makes it, Player 4 becomes the new chaser. If Player 2 tags Player 3, their roles switch.
It's a good idea to end practices with something fun that builds team spirit. One idea is to have each player shoot a shot from half-court. If no one makes it, everyone runs. If one player makes it, no one runs and the team celebrates.
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Team skills and defense
Drills for Team Defense:
- Shell Downscreen Drill: This drill helps players improve their defensive coordination against downscreens. It teaches players to use the dog step to stay in front of ball handlers, improving their footwork, agility, and positioning in game-like situations.
- Diamond Shell Drill: This is a variation of the basic shell drill where the offense is in a 1-2-1 set instead of the traditional "4 out" look. It helps work on the positioning of the post defender and how the perimeter players can shade the post to discourage post feeds.
- Deny and Recover Drill: This drill enhances off-ball defense and helps players develop an understanding of help-side defense. One player acts as the offensive player and attempts to create space to receive a pass, while the other player, acting as the defender, denies the pass.
- Box-Out and Rebound Drill: This drill focuses on improving players' rebounding skills, physicality, and timing. It teaches them the importance of boxing out, securing rebounds, and battling for positioning.
- Zig Zag Drill: This drill teaches players to improve their defensive pressure and recovery skills.
- Defend the Dribble Drill: Players work on improving their defensive skills by preventing offensive players from driving into the paint.
- "Kick the Can" Drill: This drill is designed to improve a defender's ability to stay in front of their matchup.
- 4v3 Continuous: This drill enhances communication, positioning, and quick decision-making, making it ideal for players of all ages and skill levels.
- Toughness Drills: These drills, such as the one described by Kyle Gilreath, help players develop physicality and toughness. In this drill, the defense must block out offensive players and secure the rebound.
General Tips for Team Skills and Defense:
- Spend about half of your practice time on team skills: A rough rule of thumb for high school teams is to dedicate equal time to individual fundamentals and team skills.
- End practices with team-building activities: For example, have each player shoot a shot from half-court. If no one makes it, everyone runs, but if someone makes it, the team celebrates.
- Use small-sided games: Utilize small-sided games to enhance skill development, team defense, and team offense sessions. For example, start with a partner pass and pivot drill, followed by a 3v2 passing game.
- Incorporate game-like situations: In addition to fun and fundamental drills, incorporate drills where players can use their skills in game-like situations against defenders.
- Teach zone defense: For newer coaches or mid-level teams, teaching zone defense is often easier and can lead to significant improvement.
- Focus on defensive fundamentals: Defensive skills are crucial for success on the court. Developing strong defensive skills not only helps players become more effective, but it also instills discipline, teamwork, and a strong work ethic.
- Adapt drills to your team's needs: As legendary Coach Don Meyer said, "Be a skill coach, not a drill coach." Adapt the basketball drills to fit the specific needs of your team.
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Shooting practice
Shooting is an essential skill in basketball, and there are many ways to structure shooting practice for a high school team.
Warm-up
Begin with a warm-up to get players' muscles loose and their body temperature up. This can include walking players around the court and identifying spaces, such as the half-court, 3-point line, and sideline. Incorporate movements like forward/backward/lateral marches, skips, high knees, and quick feet. You can also have players partner up and move in different ways while forming a chain and holding hands.
Ball Handling and Dribbling
Before moving on to shooting drills, players should practice their ball handling and dribbling skills. Each player should have a basketball (or share with a partner) and stand on the sideline. They should bend their knees and begin dribbling the ball back and forth, swinging it low and quick below the knees for 20 seconds. Then, they should dribble at knee level for another 20 seconds, and finally, they should dribble the ball higher, swinging it from side to side for the last 20 seconds.
Shooting Drills
Now, players can move on to shooting drills. Start with basic shooting form: players should stand a few feet from the basket with the ball in their dominant hand, palm facing the sky. They should then extend their knees and arm simultaneously to shoot for the basket.
Next, you can introduce more complex shooting drills, such as the 3-2-1 shooting drill or shooting off hand-offs. In the 3-2-1 shooting drill, players are divided into groups of 3 or 4. Each player passes the ball to a shooter, sprints, receives a pass, and then rebounds their shot to pass to the next person. This drill helps players practice shooting while fatigued and improves their conditioning.
Another drill is the "shooting off hand-offs" drill, where players dribble down and perform a handoff with a wing player, who then takes the shot or drives for a layup. This drill is tricky for players to master, so it's important to practice it often.
Competitive Drills
To make practice more engaging, incorporate competitive drills with winners and losers. For example, in free-throw shooting drills, you can have missed shots followed by running a lap to simulate the running and fatigue of game situations. You can also make the losers do 5-10 push-ups.
Ending Practice
End practice with something fun that builds team spirit. For example, you can have each player shoot a shot from half-court. If no one makes it, everyone runs, but if just one player makes the shot, no one runs, and the team celebrates.
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Games and competitions
Dribble KO
A fun game that helps players work on their ball-handling, coordination, and change of pace. Players must maintain a constant dribble and try to knock their opponent's ball outside the boundary line. If a player travels, double dribbles, picks up the basketball, or loses the ball out of bounds, they are eliminated.
Army/Navy
A game that requires players to be attentive, control their bodies, and be quick. All players start with their own basketball in a "safe zone". The goal is to get to the opposite side of the safe zone without being called out by the coach. Players can only move towards the safe zones when they hear them being called out. If they are the last player to cross, they are out.
Protect the Basketball
Players must try to keep a guard arm up at all times to keep opponents away and also use it to tap other players' balls out of bounds. This game helps with awareness and protecting the ball.
Eyes Up
A game to encourage players to keep their eyes up, not just on the ball, but also on their opponents and the boundary lines. Players must master a change of pace or speed to attack or get away from opponents.
Shooting Drills
A competitive shooting drill where players line up at the free-throw line and take turns shooting. If the first player makes their shot, they rebound the ball and pass it to the next player. This drill can be adapted to work on different shots, such as jump shots or layups.
3-on-3 or 5-on-5 Games
Organize small-sided games to work on team tactics and game management. These can be played on a full or half court, depending on the number of players available.
Awards and Recognition
Awards, such as medals, ribbons, and trophies, are a great way to recognize winners and increase players' self-esteem. They also give families a reason to celebrate and take photographs.
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Frequently asked questions
Some drills that can be included in a high school basketball practice are ball-handling, dribbling, and shooting drills. It is recommended to spend about half the time on individual fundamentals and the other half on team skills. Some specific examples of drills include:
- Dribbling back and forth, swinging the ball from right to left below the knees.
- Players pair up and stand a short distance apart, facing each other. One partner will be the leader and will do a crossover dribble, and the other partner will try to mirror the leader.
- Players partner up with a basketball at a basket. They stand within a few feet of the basket and shoot with their dominant hand.
- Create teams of four players each. Player 1 starts on the baseline, Player 2 (the "chaser") starts at the free-throw line, Player 3 starts at mid-court, and Player 4 starts on the opposite baseline from Player 1. When the coach says go, Player 2 tries to tag Player 3 before they make it to the baseline.
It is recommended to start with a dynamic warm-up and athletic work to prevent injuries and improve performance. This can include walking around the court with the players and identifying different areas, and then calling out movements for them to perform. After the warm-up, you can move on to teaching and reinforcing skills and fundamentals. End practices with something fun that builds team spirit.
It is important to have an end goal in mind and work backward from it, breaking it down day by day. Be prepared to make adjustments based on the players' pace and understanding. It is also a good idea to plan each practice in advance and keep a notebook of your practices that you can refer back to.
One mistake to avoid is neglecting team defense practice. It is often overlooked, but it can give teams confidence and lead to significant improvement. Another mistake to avoid is not having clear expectations for the players. It is important to set high expectations and work on building their confidence.
