November 24, 2014
Grades 4-6: Winter Week 3 Practice Suggestions
Coaches of Grades 4-6,
Kids are too right-sided or strong sided in general with passing, vision, and dribbling. Plus they get nervous and often cower and collapse when they catch the ball.
OFFENSIVE DRILL OF WEEK 3 – RR-TREE-MONKEY … into 6 Spot Passing (to build functional passing)
• Teach kids ready hands, ready, seated position – an aggressive thinker, catcher, doer who is creating personal space and placing 10 toes toward the basket.
• This weekend try RR passing drills to work on cross step, side steps, use of both hands and changing weight and side of body without traveling.
• Put a “dummy” tree (hands up/out) in the middle of RR track passing. Then form a square of players and put two dummy trees or even three (they are passive). Then turn them into maybe dummy monkeys looking to steal, then live monkeys.
• Make the drill a game where one person must always be applying ball pressure so offense must read the defense and make a quick decision left or right or bust middle with pass or emergency dribble then pass. Maybe if the offense makes 10 passes without a deflection or steal by the defense, the D has to do push-ups.
• You can have offense players pass and move by putting 4 dots in box and only 3 players vs. 2 defenders – and if you have a lot of kids DO NOT use the hoops – just use concepts – even 4 boxes around the gym to focus on passing and angles and reading before pressure is too muc.
• You can move entire tree, monkey, dots into 6-spot scoring TOP TOP WING WING CORNER CORNER and get functional ball reversals in so they start getting off right.
PUT IN DRIBBLE RESTRICTIONS WHEN YOU PLAY – CUT out the DRIBBLING ENTIRELY and get kids on SIX SPOTS then allow for emergency dribbling only. Even if the kids have to pass to coaches – stop with the catch, look down and dribble. You can loosen up restrictions if they’ve earned it and by then they (most) will forget about excessive dribbling.
DEFENSIVE DRILL OF WEEK 3 – JUMP TO THE BALL
Move on the pass – no naps – within the shell drill.
DRESS CODE
Attached is photo of what Grade 5 and up should be wearing to day 1 of mandatory team practice. Run the team for every dress code violation and they will show up matching next week. Remind the kids that on day two of mandatory team events, they are to wear full uniform.
Knee pads and mouth guards – I mandate them because I want my team to be tough and if they get smacked or dive, I feel responsible so I penalize team for not wearing them so it doesn’t hurt as much in practice or games. Your call.
If any kid/parents are upset about uniform size, on Sunday when all kids are wearing, try to make a trade.
Thank you for your time and support. Enjoy week 3 of winter hoops.