Amanda Knapp
Teaching basketball to middle school kids can be challenging but rewarding. It is important to focus on the fundamentals of the game, such as footwork, shooting form, and dribbling skills. Keeping practices fun and fast-paced is essential to maintaining the kids' engagement, and allowing them to experience success through a variety of drills and exercises will help them improve their skills and understanding of the game. This library of drills and exercises will help develop their passing, shooting, and dribbling skills, as well as their overall speed, quickness, and awareness on the court.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Drills | Drills should be fun and fast-paced, with minimal standing in lines. Drills should also incorporate the fundamentals of basketball, such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and footwork. |
| Fundamentals | Basic skills and fundamentals should be taught so that players can use them regardless of future coaches. This includes shooting form, footwork, and ball-handling skills. |
| Competition | Competition is not always a motivator for young kids. Allow players to succeed and improve through drills, rather than focusing solely on winning. |
| Variety | Offer a variety of drills to cater to different skill levels, from beginners to advanced players. |
| Court Usage | Utilize both ends of the court to maximize the number of shots taken by players. |
| Passing Technique | Ensure all coaches teach the same passing technique to avoid confusion. Focus on teaching the basics of spacing between players and decision-making. |
| Shooting | Teach shooting with enough arc to get the swish, and have players practice shooting from different locations on the court. |
| Footwork | Footwork is essential, especially when combined with shooting. |
| Defense to Offense Transition | Practice transitioning from defense to offense through drills and games. |
| Rebounding | Teach rebounding skills, such as closing down a shooter and boxing out the rebound. |
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What You'll Learn
Passing, shooting and dribbling drills
When teaching middle school kids basketball, it is important to focus on the fundamentals and ensure that the kids are having fun. Passing, shooting, and dribbling drills are essential to building a solid foundation for young players to build on. Here are some detailed instructions for drills that target these specific skills:
Passing Drills:
- Bull in the Ring: This is a great team passing drill that works on reading the defense and making good passes away from defenders. Players must communicate and make accurate passes without traveling.
- Argentina Passing: Another passing and conditioning drill. Players must make good passes without traveling while also working on their conditioning.
- No Dribble Advancement: This drill is excellent for young kids to improve their passing and pivoting skills, decision-making, and ability to handle pressure. It helps them learn to pass on a moment's notice.
- Keep Away Passing / 10 in a Row Passing: A fun variation to improve decision-making, passing accuracy, and ball security. It's a great way to keep things lighthearted while still working on important skills.
- Partner Passing: A simple drill where partners practice different types of passes, such as chest passes, bounce passes, push passes, and overhead passes. This introduces new skills and terminology in a controlled setting.
- Game-Based Drills: Instead of traditional block-style passing drills, create game-based scenarios that mimic in-game situations. This could involve passing around defenders, judging distances, creating angles, and making quick decisions.
Shooting Drills:
- Quick Draw Shooting Drill: This drill challenges players to practice their clutch shots while also working on their reaction time and decision-making. It's a great way to get their brains and bodies working together.
- Footwork and Post Player Development: While not a traditional shooting drill, working on footwork is crucial for developing a great shooting stroke. This includes practicing proper shooting form and footwork techniques to improve accuracy and consistency.
- Fix Shooting Form: If players have poor shooting form, it's important to correct it early on. Have them practice shooting away from the basket, such as shooting to a spot on the floor or the wall, to focus on technique without the pressure of making shots.
- Shooting Games: One game involves splitting the class into a shooting team and a dribbling team. The dribbling team runs around the half-court while the shooters try to get them out. This improves shooting accuracy and adds an element of competition.
- Pressure: This end-of-practice game works on shooting free throws while under pressure. Players form a line at the free throw line and take turns shooting. If a player makes a shot, the next person is put under pressure – if they miss, they're out.
Dribbling Drills:
- Dribble Tag: This game helps players improve their dribbling skills while also working on their head-up ball handling and court awareness. It's a fun way to add an element of competition while focusing on dribbling.
- Pirate Dribbling: A fun variation to improve dribbling skills and general ball handling. It's a great way to inject some excitement into the practice while still working on fundamental skills.
- Chaos Simulation: This drill involves players dribbling and moving around the court, simulating the chaos of a real game. It helps improve ball handling, hand-eye coordination, catching, ambidexterity, and passing.
- Cone Drills: Set up a simple course with cones to create a path for players to dribble through. This helps improve their speed and agility while also working on their dribbling skills.
- Golden Child: Players are split into two teams, with one team dribbling and the other trying to intercept. The dribbling team must run around the half-court while the intercepting team tries to knock the ball out of bounds.
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Footwork and post-player development
Footwork is an important aspect of basketball, and arguably the most important skill for coaches to teach and players to learn. It is beneficial for all players, regardless of their age or position. For instance, guards need to learn how to use their footwork, rebound, and defend in the post. Footwork fundamentals can be simplified by teaching footwork/rotate instead of moves. This way, players can learn the same footwork no matter what position they play.
When teaching footwork, it is important to focus on the basics and ensure that players have a solid foundation to build on. This includes teaching them the proper shooting form and having them practice away from the basket. For example, players can shoot to a spot on the floor or wall, or to themselves. This helps to avoid discouragement, as players may get frustrated if they don't see the ball going through the hoop and think that their new form is not working.
Post-player development is also crucial in basketball. All players should be given the opportunity to play in the post, regardless of their size or position. This is because you never know how a player will develop physically. The tallest player on a middle school team might become the smallest player on their high school team, and vice versa. Therefore, coaches should focus on teaching the fundamentals of post play, such as footwork, positioning, and mentality, rather than focusing solely on size.
To develop post players, coaches can use resources such as Don Kelbick's Attack & Counter Skill Development System, which includes a DVD and PDF. This system simplifies the process of teaching footwork and has been praised by coaches for its effectiveness. Additionally, coaches can incorporate drills that focus on post moves, such as the Rajon Rondo finishing moves or spin moves, to help players improve their scoring abilities. These moves can be practiced close to the basket to increase the number of repetitions and improve their success rate.
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Fast-break and transition drills
Fast Break and Transition Drill #1: Competitive 1v1 Attack
This drill improves a player's ability to finish at the basket in a break situation. It involves a competitive 1-on-1 situation where players work on attacking the basket and finishing with a layup or jump shot.
Fast Break and Transition Drill #2: 5 on 3 + 2 Transition Offense Drill
This drill improves the team's ability to score out of the break or transition seamlessly into their offense. It involves a 5-on-3 advantage for the offensive team, with two additional defenders waiting to join the drill after a certain number of passes or shots.
Fast Break and Transition Drill #3: 1v1 Attack With Narrow Cones
This drill focuses on breaking down a defender with dribble moves before attacking the basket in transition. Players work on their dribbling skills and agility to beat a defender and create scoring opportunities.
Fast Break and Transition Drill #4: 4 Spot Fastbreak Shooting Drill
This drill is designed to improve shooting skills off the fast break. Players practice shooting from different spots on the court, developing their ability to score quickly in transition.
Fast Break and Transition Drill #5: Full Court Chair Series
This drill is a good warm-up that works on full-court ball handling, change of directions, and layups or jumpshots off the dribble. Chairs are set up on the court to create obstacles for players to navigate while working on their ball-handling skills.
In addition to these structured drills, it is also beneficial to incorporate fun and engaging activities that focus on the fundamentals of fast breaks and transitions. For example, a simple game or a fast-paced game where students try to knock each other's basketballs out of a designated area helps with transitioning from defense to offense and teaches basic basketball strategy.
When designing fast-break and transition drills, it is important to keep the activities fun, active, and engaging for middle school kids. These drills should focus on improving their speed, quickness, and understanding of transitioning from defense to offense, ultimately helping them create easy scoring opportunities in a game.
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Shooting form and technique
Shooting is one of the most important skills in basketball, and it is the coach's responsibility to teach their players the correct shooting form and technique. It is important to start teaching the fundamentals of shooting early, as players can fall into bad habits.
To begin with, players should focus on their stance. Their feet should be about shoulder-width apart, with their knees slightly bent to provide power for the shot. If shooting right-handed, the right foot should be slightly forward, and weight should be on the balls of the feet. There are differing opinions on the position of the shoulders and body. Some coaches believe they should be square to the hoop, while others, like shooting instructor Tom Nordland, advocate for an "open stance", with the body and ball turned sideways towards the basket. It is important for players to find what works best for them and then work on making the shot repeatable.
Next, players should learn the correct way to hold the ball. Use both hands to hold the ball, but only the shooting hand will propel it forward. The shooting hand should be underneath the ball, with the wrist cocked back, and the elbow bent at about 90 degrees. The other hand, or "guide hand", supports the ball but does not enter the shooting action. The non-shooting hand should come off the ball just before releasing it. Use your fingertips, not the palms, to hold and release the ball.
When shooting, players should start low and finish high, using their wrist to get proper rotation on the basketball. They should also focus on keeping their balance when jumping to shoot, not falling or drifting sideways or backwards. After shooting, players should hold their form until the ball goes through the net.
To practice shooting form, players can start by standing directly in front of the rim. Make five shots without dribbling, then take one step back and make another five shots. Repeat this process until you reach the free-throw line. This drill helps to improve shooting touch and encourages players to focus on their shooting form.
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Games and competitions
4-on-4 Round Robin
This game is a favourite among kids as it takes the place of an end-of-practice scrimmage or can be played on a free day. The 4v4 format gives players more space on the court, allowing them to be more creative and attacking in their offensive play. It also encourages better 1v1 defence as there is less defensive help available.
Basketball Star Shooter
This game works on improving passing, shooting, and communication between players. It can be played with a team or just two people in a gym.
Fast Break Drill
This quick-play drill involves creating a 3-on-2 situation, where the team of three players must score as many shots as they can as quickly as possible. After each failed shot, players must rotate roles. This drill focuses on improving speed and encouraging teamwork.
Triangle Passing Drill
This drill starts with three students standing in a triangle formation. The two students in the corners must pass a basketball back and forth, while the third student in the middle tries to intercept the ball. After 3-5 minutes, rotate positions and select a new student to be the interceptor. This drill improves passing accuracy and the ability to intercept passes.
Dribble Tag
A fun game that works on dribbling skills, speed, quickness, and awareness.
60-Point Shooter
A game that helps develop and practice shooting from different ranges. Each round includes a three-point shot, a shorter-range jumper, and a free throw. This drill also helps improve hand-eye coordination and movement before and after the pass.
Knock-Out
Students try to knock another student's basketball out of the boundary or cause them to lose their dribble without making contact. If a student gets knocked out, they must perform a fitness activity, answer a question, or demonstrate a ball-handling skill to get back into the game.
Remember to keep practices fun and fast-paced, minimising time spent standing in lines. Allow your players to experience success and improvement, even if it's not in the form of winning.
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Frequently asked questions
Here are some fun basketball drills for middle school kids:
- Team Dribble Tag: a drill that works on dribbling skills, speed, quickness and awareness.
- 4v4 Round Robin: a scrimmage that encourages creativity and attacking in offense, and 1v1 defense.
- Basketball Weave: a drill that improves passing, dribbling and communication between teammates.
- 60 Point Shooter: a game that develops shooting from different ranges, including three-point shots, shorter-range jumpers, and free throws.
- Line-Press Breaker: a drill that works well against teams that pressure the inbounds pass.
It is important to keep practices fun and fast-paced, and to minimise standing in lines. Allow your players to be successful and focus on player development rather than getting caught up in the pressure of winning. Teach them the basic fundamentals and skills that they can use no matter who coaches them in the future.
Here are some good drills for beginners:
- Partner Passing: teaches the basics of passing and allows players to practice different types of passes and the correct technique.
- Passing Drill: teaches the basics of spacing between players and decision-making. Players must spread out and pass the ball around to keep it away from defenders.
- Dribbling Drill: teaches the basics of dribbling to new players without overwhelming them. Each player dribbles up to either the half-court line or full court.
- Shooting Drill: players take turns shooting, aiming to swish each shot through the net, teaching them to shoot with enough arc.
Footwork is an important aspect of shooting. Here are some drills to improve footwork:
- Agility Drill: use cones to create a set path for players to practice.
- Fast Break: players create a 3-on-2 situation and the 3-person team tries to score as many shots as they can as quickly as possible.
