Youth Basketball: Stationary Ballhandling Drills

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

Pistol Pete Maravich was a wizard with the basketball and sometimes these drills are called Maravich Drills. The drills can be completed at a very young age and still have value as a player continues in his / her basketball journey. Steph Curry incorporates ballhandlging drills into every pre-game warm-up routine.

Ball Handling Drills

Developing good hand-eye coordination is very important to becoming a good basketball player. So many different aspects of the game require the use of the hands: shooting, passing, rebounding, dribbling, and defense all require the use of the hands.

The following drills were made famous by Pete Maravich and are often called “Maravich drills.” If you are unfamiliar with Pistol Pete or his drills, take a some time to watch the following video. 

The drills can be completed in a short amount of time. If players were interested, a coach could create a progress chart to have the player record their scores on their own. 

The following drills are designed to develop fundamental basketball skills. Improvement should be the ultimate goal. If players practice the fundamentals, they will improve. When they improve, they will succeed. The more they succeed the more they will practice…. and a cycle of success will follow. 

BALLHANDLING SKILLS

Developing good hand-eye coordination is very important to becoming a good basketball player. So many different aspects of the game require the use of the hands: shooting, passing, rebounding, dribbling, and defense all require the use of the hands.

BODY CIRCLES

AROUND THE HEAD

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then passes the ball behind his head to his left hand.  The player then takes the ball in front of his head and passes the ball to his right hand.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand.

AROUND THE WAIST

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then passes the ball behind his waist to his left hand.  The player then takes the ball in front of his waist and passes the ball to his right hand.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand.

AROUND THE KNEES

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then passes the ball behind his knees to his left hand.  The player then takes the ball in front of his knees and passes the ball to his right hand.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand.

HEAD, WAIST, KNEE (Corkscrew)

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then passes the ball behind his head to his left hand.  The player then takes the ball from his left hand and passes the ball to his right hand which is waiting for the ball at his waist.  The ball is then passed around the waist to his left hand which will then pass it to the right hand which is waiting for the ball at the knee.   He then passes the ball to his left hand which is waiting for the ball on the other side of the knee.  The player then works the ball up to his waist then to his head.  Each time the ball passes the players head he counts one, waist two, knees, three, waist four , head five, etc.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand.

FIGURE EIGHTS

FINGERTIP FIGURE EIGHT

The player begins the drill with legs spread shoulders width apart.  The ball begins in his right hand.  The player then rolls the ball behind his right leg to the front of his left leg to his awaiting left hand.  Once the ball is in the left hand, the player takes the ball around his left leg then rolls it from the back of his left leg to the front of his right leg where his right hand will be waiting.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand, front to back

FIGURE EIGHT

The player begins the drill with legs spread shoulders width apart.  The ball begins in his right hand.  The player then passes the ball behind his right leg to the front of his left leg to his awaiting left hand.  Once the ball is in the left hand, the player takes the ball around his left leg then passes it from the back of his left leg to the front of his right leg where his right hand will be waiting.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand, front to back.

ONE BOUNCE FIGURE EIGHT

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then bounces the ball from behind his right leg to the front of his left leg.  The player brings the ball from the front of his left leg to the back of his left leg.  He then bounces the ball from the back of his left leg to the front of his right leg.  Repeat the process.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand, going front to back.

TWO BOUNCE FIGURE EIGHT

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then bounces the ball from behind his right leg between his legs to the front of his left leg.  The player then bounces the ball to the side of his left leg.  He then bounces the ball from the back of his left leg between his legs to the front of his right leg.  He then bounces the ball to the side of his right leg, then bounces the ball between his legs to the front of his left leg.  Repeat the process.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand, going front to back.

SPEED FIGURE EIGHT

The player begins the drill with the ball in either hand.  The player then bounces the ball low to the ground in and out between his legs in the form of a figure eight, remembering to keep the ball as low as possible at all times.  After the player begins to learn the correct form, he can begin to work on developing his speed.  Each time the ball passes the right leg the player counts 1.  Repeat the process.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand,, going front to back.

FLIP

The player begins the drill with the ball held between his legs.  The right hand is placed on front of the ball, while the left hand is behind the legs.  The player then flips the ball in the air switching his hands so the right hand is now behind the ball while the left hand is in front of the ball.  From behind his right leg to the front of his left leg.  Repeat the process.  Each time the player switches the placement of his hands he counts 1, 2, etc.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

FLOP

The player begins the drill with the ball held between his legs with both hands placed in front of the ball.  The player then flips the ball in the air switching his hands so the both hands are now behind the ball.  Repeat the process.  Each time the player switches the placement of his hands he counts 1, 2, etc.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

SPIDER DRILL

The player begins the drill with the ball in his right hand.  The player then bounces the ball from behind his right leg to the front of his left leg.  The player brings the ball from the front of his left leg to the back of his left leg.  He then bounces the ball from the back of his left leg to the front of his right leg.  Repeat the process.  The drill should be executed continuously for 30 seconds for as fast as the player can complete the drill.

RICOCHET/WINDMILL

With legs shoulder width apart, bounce the ball as hard as you can between you legs from the front to the back.  After catching the ball behind your back, bounce the ball over your head and catch it in the front.  The completion[ of this is one repetition.  Repeat the drill.

Opposite direction:  Start with the ball behind you legs bounce it between your legs to the front.  After you catch the ball in front, throw it over your head and catch it behind your back.  This is one repetition.

DOUBLE RICOCHET

With legs shoulder width apart repeat the drill as mentioned above, only instead of throwing the ball over you head, ricochet the ball from front to back, then back top front.

ONE HAND / ONE LEG / ONE BOUNCE

With the legs shoulder width apart, bounce the ball, using only one hand from behind the right leg  to the front of the right leg.  Catch it with one hand, bring it around from the front of the right leg to the back of the right leg, then bounce the ball from the back of the right leg to the front of the right leg.  Try to use only one hand. 

After you have completed the drill start with the ball in front of your right leg and bounce it to the back.  Catch it behind your right leg bring around the right leg to the front then bounce it from in front of the right leg to the back.

Repeat the drill using the left hand and left leg, going from back to front, then front to back.

DOUBLE LEG SINGLE LEG

Start with legs together.  Take the ball clockwise around both legs.  After the ball has been taken around both legs, continue in a clockwise rotation around the right leg.  After once around the right leg, take the ball around both legs.  Now go around your left leg once.  Then bring your feet together and repeat the process.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand.

FINGER TIP SPINS

Start by spinning the ball on your index finger.  As you become more advanced, work in all the fingers as well as the thumb.  Try finger pushups, as the ball is on your finger be creative.

Repeat drill on weak hand.

KNEELING BETWEEN LEGS BOUNCE

Start with your left foot on the ground and right knee on the ground.  Bounce the ball once to the side with your right hand, then bounce the ball between your legs, then bounce it once on the other side, with your left hand.  Bounce the ball between the legs then repeat the drill adding one more bounce to the outside each time.  For example the second time, a player will bounce the ball 2 times with the right hand, bounce the ball between the legs, then bounce it two times with the left hand.  The next time there will be 3 dribbles before the ball is bounced between the legs.

Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with the ball in your left hand.

DRIBBLE SCISSORS

Start with your feet staggered shoulder width apart. Dribble the ball between your legs and switch your legs so your front leg is your back leg and your back leg is your front leg. Try to dribble as many times as you can without losing control.

MOVING BALLHANDLING DRILLS

DRIBBLE WALK

The player walks down the court, street, driveway, bouncing the ball between his legs with each step.  Remember to bounce the ball from the front of the back.  The player then walks backward to the starting point, still dribbling the ball between his legs with each step.

RUNNING FIGURE EIGHTS NO DRIBBLE

The player runs as fast as he can passing the ball between his legs just like a figure eight drill.  The player should move as fast as he can without losing control of the ball.

RUNNING FIGURE EIGHTS

The player runs as fast as he can while dribbling the ball between his legs just like a figure eight speed dribble drill.  The player should move as fast as he can without losing control of the ball.

DRIBBLE MOVES

The following moves are ones which a player should feel comfortable executing in games and should practice during the off-season.  Each of these moves should be executes and the player should finish the drill by finishing with a power layup, or a jump shot.  The player should alternate days.  One day should be for layups, while the next should be for jump shots.

Crossover – The player dribbles up to the defender with the ball in his right hand.  The player should plant his right foot, then quickly dribble the ball BACK to his left hand then proceed to the basket.  A common error many players have when executing the crossover move is that they do not bring the ball back, exposing the ball to the defender.  Be sure to dribble the ball BACK to the awaiting hand. 

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Double crossover –  The move is executed the same as the crossover, only now when the defender over-reacts to the first crossover dribble, he quickly executes the second crossover dribble and goes by the defender.

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Stutter step – Dribble up to the defender, use a hesitation dribble, moving your feet in a stuttering foot fire motion.  This is done to have the defender relax.  Once the defender relaxes, explode by him to the basket.

Stutter step crossover – execute a stutter step as mentioned above.  After your stutter step move, execute a quick crossover dribble.  Remember to bring the ball back, do not expose the ball to the defender.  After the crossover is executed, drive hard to the basket.  Do not round your cut.

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Spin dribble – A player dribbles with the ball in his right hand, he plants his left foot directly in the middle of the defender.  Keeping the ball in his right hand, he pivots off his lead foot (left), and throws the ball and his right shoulder to the left making a 180 degree turn.  After the spin is complete he switches the dribble to his left hand and continues past the defender.

Common errors when executing this drill are switching to the opposite hand to soon, and not pushing the ball in front on the spin move.

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Half spin dribble – Execute this move as if completing a spin dribble, only do not switch the ball to the opposite hand, and only pivot half way around, or only 90 degrees.  After the half spin is completed continue on with dribble.

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Between the legs – this dribble should be utilized to make a move to the basket, as all dribble moves should be.  It is not supposed to be used to show off.  With the ball in the right hand dribble directly at the defender, planting your left foot directly in the middle of the defender’s defensive stance.  Then dribble the ball between your legs to your left hand.  After the transfer has been made, cross your right foot over your left foot, so that your right foot is now past the defenders foot, push off your left foot, and rub your right shoulder against the defenders hip as you go passed him.

Be sure to explode straight to the basket, a common mistake is a player will execute and excellent between the legs dribble, but will round his cut, and give the defender enough time to react to the move.

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Between the legs crossover –  Execute a between the legs dribble, now pretend the defender has over reacted to the crossover move, now, execute a quick crossover dribble back to your right hand.  Remember to bring the ball back, do not expose the ball to the defender.  After the crossover is executed, drive hard to the basket.  Do not round your cut.

Repeat the drill using the left hand.

Behind the back

1. Ballhandling drills

2. Dribble series

I. DRIBBLE MOVES

The following moves are ones which a player should feel comfortable executing in games and should practice during the off-season. 

1. Crossover (front to back always)

2. Double crossover

3. Stutter step, Stop and Go

4. Stutter step crossover

5. Spin dribble

6. Half spin dribble

7. Between the legs

8. Between the legs – crossover

9. Behind the back

II. BALLHANDLING DRILLS

1. AROUND THE HEAD

2. AROUND THE WAIST

3. AROUND THE KNEES

4. HEAD, WAIST, KNEE

5. FIGURE EIGHT

6. ONE BOUNCE FIGURE EIGHT

7. TWO BOUNCE FIGURE EIGHT

8. SPEED FIGURE EIGHT

9. FLIP

10. FLOP

11. SPIDER DRILL

12. RICOCHET/WINDMILL

13. DOUBLE RICOCHET

14. ONE HAND / ONE LEG / ONE BOUNCE

15. DOUBLE LEG SINGLE LEG

16. FINGER TIP SPINS

17. KNEELING BETWEEN LEGS BOUNCE (from 1 to 10)

DRIBBLE SCISSORS

Start with your feet staggered shoulder width apart. Dribble the ball between your legs and switch your legs so your front leg is your back leg and your back leg is your front leg. Try to dribble as many times as you can without losing control.

MOVING BALLHANDLING DRILLS

DRIBBLE WALK

The player walks down the court, street, driveway, bouncing the ball between his legs with each step.  Remember to bounce the ball from the front of the back.  The player then walks backward to the starting point, still dribbling the ball between his legs with each step.

RUNNING FIGURE EIGHTS NO DRIBBLE

The player runs as fast as he can passing the ball between his legs just like a figure eight drill.  The player should move as fast as he can without losing control of the ball.

RUNNING FIGURE EIGHTS

The player runs as fast as he can while dribbling the ball between his legs just like a figure eight speed dribble drill.  The player should move as fast as he can without losing control of the ball.

Youth Basketball: Dribble Laps Are Great for ALL Grades

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

It seems at the early grades, it is best to have some drills that are completed each week. It is easy to add variations to drills to increase time, difficulty or both. A great way to start a skills sessions / practice is with Dribble Laps.

Some reasons this is a great way to start practice is :

  1. It gets ALL the players moving.
  2. The drills are easy to execute.
  3. It allows any players who arrive late to join the drill without any confusion.

The head coach should lead the drills. In some cases up to 4 teams may share a court. In this case, one coach can lead. (It can be alternated each week too.) The other coaches can walk around and provide guidance, direction, and encouragement.

The 1st week might require a little explanation, but as the season progresses, players should transition to the drill very easily.

ORGANIZATION: Players line up around the sidelines and baseline of the court. If the practice space is 1/2 court use this as one of the locations for the players to line up. Be sure the players have good separation between each other. On the coach’s command, players will start dribbling in the same direction using the right hand. There will be three different speeds for the players.

“WALK”: Simply have the players walk while dribbling. This speed allows players to gain confidence. Depending on the age and skill level, determine how long players dribble while walking. This is best for younger and less skilled players.

“JOG”: This increase in speed will lead to an increase in balls rolling around the gym. (Coaches can help round up the balls for the players) This is perfectly fine. There will be fewer and fewer lost balls as the season goes on.

“FULL SPEED” under control: It is important that the coach stresses the “under control” aspect of speed because players of all ages and skills levels like to go 100 M.P.H. whenever the can.

This is where the fun starts. Players will pick up the ball and run as fast as they can without dribbling. Others will dribble the ball once, pick up the ball run 5 steps, then repeat the process. A coach at this level must remember it is less about teaching skills and more about getting kids to exert some energy and interact with peers. Hopefully as the season progresses the chaos will be a little less and the skills will be a little more.

Once players have completed these speeds, the coach needs to move on to the next coaching point.

“Balls at Your Feet” This is youth coaches best command. The benefit of each player have a ball is there can be so many more repetitions for each player. The drawback is the players will bounce the balls every chance they can get, especially when a coach is speaking. Sharing this command will make it easier to make coaching points and transition the players to the next drill.

Explain Triple Threat: For each grade level of player, there will be modifications for expectations of triple threat. For 1st grade triple threat position, do very little correcting. It is simply one more introduction of a skill that will be refined each year. Simply introducing the term is big plus for this age group.

Once the explanation is complete, have the players pick up the ball at their feet. The directing coach can yell “TRIPLE THREAT.”

1. “Triple Threat” (starting position) Ball on “shooting hip.”

2. “Shot Fake” Jab and lift “Ball above eyes” at the same time. FREEZE to check ball position

3. QUICK return to the starting triple threat position.

Once this is complete, the coach can direct the players to go in the OPPOSITE direction. This time the players will dribble with the left hand. Follow the same order of instruction. Lastly, have the players complete the dribble laps using alternating dribbles.

Notes: Triple threat position is a fairly simple idea to introduce, though most players will not be able to execute it during games. Coaches can use the following verbal commands to the players to help them understand the movement of the ball fake. “HIP (starting point), “JAB (step) & LIFT (The basketball above the eyes), (return the ball to the) HIP!”

Stationary Ballhandling Drills: Stationary ball handling drills are a must for players of all ages. After the players have completed the 1st set of dribble laps and triple threat fakes, it great to have them complete some stationary drills. This allows the players a little rest after a good amount of running. Select a few drills to complete, then have the players repeat the drills with left hand dribble laps. (It is fun for the players if you switch directions.) Complete the triple threat fakes along with a few more different ball drills.

Triple Threat Position: 3 – 4 times blow the whistle (single for players to STOP and YELL “TRIPLE THREAT”).

1st Grade Basketball: Week #1 Practice Plan

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Whenever running a basketball practice, I found it very helpful to have a practice plan that outlined the specific drill and the amount of time spent on each drill. This was a simple outline that I would share with assistant coaches.

I also wrote a detailed account of the drills, tips for organization, and any particular coaching points that should be emphasized. This particular session was designed for boys in grades 1 & 2.

Group Skills

1st grade / 2nd grade on different ends

  1. Dribble laps with stationary ballhandling drills – right, left, alternating, dribble march (5 minutes)
  1. Full Court Dribbling (right, left, alternating, figure 8 roll, Dribble March)
  1. Cone dribbling – straight crossover, zig-zag
  1. 2 balls (stationary and full court) 
  1. Lay-up progression (no dribble, one dribble, FT line extended) 
  1. Around the world lay-ups
  1. Spot shooting (1:30 each spot) 
  1. Half-court games
  1. Numbers game 

DETAILED PRACTICE PLAN WEEK #1

1. Dribble laps: Players line up around the sidelines and baseline. If the practice space is 1/2 court use this as one of the locations for the players to line up. Have good separation between players. Players will start dribbling in the same direction using the right hand. The coach will yell out 3 different speeds:

“WALK”: Simply have the players walk while dribbling. This speed allows players to gain confidence. Depending on the skill level, determine how long players dribble while walking. This is best for younger and less skilled players.

“JOG”: This increase in speed will lead to an increase in balls rolling around the gym. This is perfectly fine. There will be fewer and fewer lost balls as the season goes on.

“FULL SPEED” under control: This is where the fun starts. Players will pick up the ball and run as fast as they can. Others will dribble the ball once, pick up the ball run 5 steps, then repeat the process. A coach at this level must remember it is less about teaching skills and more about getting kids out to exert some energy and interact with peers. Hopefully as the season progresses the chaos will be a little less.

“Balls at Your Feet” This is youth coaches best command. The benefit of each player have a ball is so many more repetitions for each player. The drawback is the players will bounce the balls at every chance, especially when a coach is speaking. Sharing this command will make it easier to make coaching points and transition the players to the next drill.

Explain Triple Threat: For each grade level of player, there will be modifications for expectations of triple threat. For 1st grade triple threat position, do very little correcting. It is simply one more introduction of a skill that will be refined each year. Simply introducing the term is big plus for this age group.

Once the explanation is complete, have the players pick up the ball at their feet. The directing coach can yell “TRIPLE THREAT.”

Triple Threat Position: 3 – 4 times blow the whistle (single for players to STOP and YELL “TRIPLE THREAT”).

1. “Triple Threat” (starting position) Ball on “shooting hip.”

2. “Shot Fake” Jab and lift “Ball above eyes” at the same time. FREEZE to check ball position

3. QUICK return to the starting triple threat position.

Once this is complete, the coach can direct the players to go in the OPPOSITE direction. This time the players will dribble with the left hand. Follow the same order of instruction. Lastly, have the players complete the dribble laps using alternating dribbles.

Notes: Triple threat position is a fairly simple idea to introduce, though most players will not be able to execute it during games. Coaches can use the following verbal commands to the players to help them understand the movement of the ball fake. “HIP (starting point), “JAB (step) & LIFT (The basketball above the eyes), (return the ball to the) HIP!”

2. Stationary partner passing, shuffle passes, dribble partner passing

Stationary partner passing: The teams will be lined up in the court area (use cones if necessary). Initial drill we be stationary passing with chest and bounce passes.

Coaching points: Fingertips pointing to target. “TIPS TO TARGET!” and thumbs pointing down. Players may need help with aiming point for the bounce pass, 3/4ths the way to partner. Some coaches use pennies and place them on the floor as the target.

Shuffle passes: Have the players line up on the baseline. One line will start at one block. The other line will start on the other block. On the coaches command, the players shuffle full court and make passes to the partner as they shuffle. This will be a drill where the players start slowly.

Dribble Partner Passing: Players can work with a partner (or more). 1st player dribbles to half court. The player turns around and dribbles to the free throw line. When he reaches the free throw line, the players should come to a jump stop (at the cone) and make a bounce pass to the partner standing on the baseline. The player on the baseline receives the pass, then dribbles to half court and repeats the drill.

3. AROUND THE WORLD Shooting spots (1:30 each)

Shooting spots: This will be  weekly event. Coaches should keep track of progress. The goal is improvement, but team competition can be good.  Shoot from 3 spots for 1:30. Record the scores. Check progress each week.

Dribble Lay-ups, right wing, center, left wing. Players rotate the baskets (they like this)

4. Dribble Tag (5 minutes) Use a different ball as the tag ball. One player is it. Other players dribble avoiding being tagged. If a player is tag, the “tag ball” is given to him. The person who WAS it has the other ball and player continues. There can be multiple tag balls if appropriate.


Half court games: Discuss how to run these on the 1st day. Numbers game by grade. Have 2 teams vs. 2 teams. Explain to the group.

Youth Basketball Playing Time Guidelines by Grade

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The most trusted resource in basketball in America is USA Basketball. it develops players, coaches, national teams, and olympic teams. It has great basketball minds and a great tradition.

It also has many great ideas for coaching youth basketball. An extremely valuable one is how to allocate playing time based on age. We support these guidelines 100% and feel leagues should adopt these so all teams and players are on a level playing field.

Ages 7-8: Equal playing time.

Ages 9-11: Equal playing time in periods 1-3. Coaches discretion in the fourth period and each extra period

Ages 12-14: Coaches discretion throughout the competition.

Grades 9-12: Coaches discretion throughout the competition.

Fall River Dreams: The Friday Night Lights of High School Basketball

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Fall River Dreams is a MUST read for any committed high school basketball player or coach, especially if you live in Massachusetts. Below are some 5 reasons this books is a great resource.

  1. Varsity Time Commitment: The book takes you through an entire high school basketball season. It is a great way for a younger player to understand what a high school basketball season is truly like. It is a roller coaster from the 1st practice to the final game and all that happens in between. A great read for a sub-varsity player hoping to earn a varsity uniform.
  2. Individual Players and Individual Roles: The book introduces several of the players in detail. Each has a different team role and personal history. Readers can see the variety of players in a varsity program and probably can identify with at least one of the players if not more. The players include: a Division I recruit and future NBA player, a JV center who contemplates quitting, a 4-year varsity player who is a role player as a senior, an all-scholastic shooting guard, and many more.
  3. A Coach’s Life: Hall of Fame coach “Skippy” Karam is a central figure in the story. His background, Fall River roots, and legendary coaching career illustrates the life of a high school coach. Like a player there are ups and downs, highs and lows. It is a challenge to try to coach and motivate players for decades. It also looks at the role of a JV coach looking at relationships with players and the varsity coach.
  4. Highs and Lows of a Season: Like any basketball teams there are highs and lows throughout the season: heartbreaking defeats a missed free throw to end a game, vacation tournaments, injuries, technical fouls, rivalry games, and hopefully state tournament wins.
  5. High School Life: The books touches on the high school culture, dating, underage drinking, tobacco use, teen pregnancy and other challenges of being a high school student.
  6. Chris Herren: The main character of the book has become one of the top motivational speakers in America, especially for high school students. He has published a book, Basketball Junkie about the highs and more importantly the lows of his career. There also is a fabulous documentary by ESPN films called Unguarded.

Below is a summary of each chapter.

Preface (page vi – xii): The preface explains the genesis of the book. It talks about head coach Skippy Karam, the demographics of Durfee, the great basketball tradition and in the infamous Lizzie Borden.           

Chapter 1: (page 1 – 29): The chapter starts with the 1st game of the season at Duxbury. The dynamics of high school basketball that includes, bud rides, cheerleaders and long-time assistant coaches. It explaints the great high school tradition of basketball, and the enormous pressure to win a state championship after losing in the sectional finals in overtime the previous season. Future NBA player and current motivational speaker Chris Herren are introduced, as well as his legendary two-time state champion brother Michael. The role and important of an assistant coach is highlighted by the introduction of Bob Dempsey. The members of the team are introduced in detail. 

The 1st game is an early season test against Duxbury and the Curley brothers (Matt and Mickey). It explains the nervousness in the locker and goes over the pre-game scouting report. It details the events of the 1st game of the season. 

Chapter 2: (page 31 – 41) The chapter starts with a history of the town of Fall River that transitions to the tradition and success of Durfee basketball dating back to the the 1947 team. It mentions Luke Urban the previous coach. It also explains the friction of the player – coach relationship.

Chapter 3: (page 43 – 41) The start of the chapter gives a history to Karnam’s family and youth. It also discusses Luke Urban’s coaching style and the start of Skippy’s career. Karam’s explains his philosophy of Sunday morning practices. The culture of high school drinking is presented. The teams plays St. John’s, injuries happen, a match-up with B.C. High, and a player possibly quitting the team.   

Chapter 4: (page 81- 118) The Lizzie Borden’s history is explained in detail. “Born in Fall River, die in Fall River.” The high schol and college career of Michael Herren is shared as well as the histories of the parents Al and Cynthia. It talks about Chris playing with the BABC AAU basketball team and the college recruiting connections that have been made. 

Chapter 5: (page 119 – 152) The player-coach dynamic continues. It also explains the post game ritual of the coaches following a win or loss. The team plays in a 3-day Christmas vacation tournament in Lowell. The 2nd game is against perennial power Cambridge Rindge & Latin. It also summarizes the career of a 4-year varsity player who showed great promise in youth as well as another player who had a career game. It also mentions some off-court issues with the team and individual players. Durfee advances to the championship of the tournament to face a top team from Connecticut. The closing sections talks about some of the challenges and obstacles currently facing the towns and schools. 

Chapter 6: (page 153 – 184) The league schedule it under way and Durfee faces it’s main rivals, Brockton (January 8th) and New Bedford. It explains how rivalry games are so much more important than a typical opponents. It looks into the coaching rivalry with New Bedford coach, Ed Rodrigues. It talks about how alumni will be calling in to the paper all night to get the score of the game (my how things have changed with social media). It talks about the experience of players being in the zone.   

The recruiting process and Leo Papile are discussed and the Duxbury re-match is analyzed closely. 

Chapter 7: (page 185 – 212) School culture is so much a part of the high school experience. The chapter opens up with the 450s. A section of the school where some of the basketball have their lockers. It also describes a typical class for Herren. It discusses the construction of the school in 1978 and some of the racial tensions in the community. A USA Today article identified Durfee as the most violent high school in the country.

In terms of basketball, it reviews the teams of 50s and 60s. 

Caron describes the school culture and the various groups within the school as well as the academic expectations of the students. It talks about the high dropout rate. The spotlight of being a basketball and the pressure of having the eyes of the town on you all the time. 

Chapter 8: (page 213 – 229) Locker room language is a part of sports, the chapter starts of with colorful language by Skippy at practice. The game against Somerset is the biggest game of the season for them. Durfee, like most successful sports teams has a big X on their back. The 1st half had 2 unsuccessful alley-oop attempts from Caron to Herren. Herren scores 32 points to move into the 3rd spot in scoring as a JUNIOR! It mentions the fact that Herren’s girlfriend is a Somerset cheerleader. 

The recruiting of a Herren is discussed in detail. There are visits from college assistants during a 10 day window allowing recruiting. Coach Karam received recruiting letters daily from all the top colleges in the country. In all the years of coaching, Skippy had only one other intense recruiting experience with Ernie Fleming. Herren discusses the impact of recruiting on him. 

Chapter 9: (page 213 – 250) The chapter starts with a game against Bishop Feehan. The focus is on the importance for developing JV players for varsity and the need to play a six-foot-six sophomore as much as possible. It also discusses how line-ups change, players lose starting positions, and how players need to understand the importance of being part of a team. It talks about school records, such as 25 consecutive free throws and how Herren is at twenty. It also discusses the impact of drinking on a player’s development.  

The recruiting process continues and the tension of the season escalates to the point where Skippy throws Herren out of practice. It continues to discuss the home game environment and how it is a throw back to the old days. Durfee wins big and Herren signs autographs for the kids after the game. Some girls from Duxbury came to watch the game. Next up Bishop Stang.

A death of a close reveals that there are things in the world other than basketball. 

Chapter 10: (page 251 – 284) Betty Karam, Skippy’s wife is introduced. It discusses that longevity of Karam’s career. For basketball, it is the last regular season home game of the season against rival Brockton – senior night. The senior cheerleaders and players are announced and celebrated at the start of the game. It is a very emotional game and night. 

The team travels to New Bedford for another challenging match-up. The history of New Bedford is shared as well as the amount of a high school coach’s salary. The team finishes the regular season with a February Vacation Tournament. The team prepares for the state tournament. There is an 11 day break between games. How can a team unify for the state tournament? Very interesting choice. 

Chapter 11: (page 285 – 302) The stress of the state tournament and the clash between teammates. Heroes are made in state tournament games, legends created, and there is so much emotion.

Chapter 12: (page 303 – 318) How does the season end? 

Chapter 13: (page 319 – 350) The senior banquet, summer league, AAU, recruiting, and the final decision about college. 

Epilogue: (page 351 – 354)

Why Should I Use A Basketball Shot Chart?

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What is a Basketball Shot Chart?

A basketball shot chart is a great way to analyze a team’s and player’s game shots. A shot chart does a few important things:

  • Identifies where shots are taken
  • Identifies who is taking the most shots
  • Identifies who is making and missing shots
  • Identifies high percentage and low percentage shots

A basketball shot chart is a very helpful tool for all ages. College and NBA  televised games often use this graph when analyzing the game at halftime.

Offensively, it will help a team identify the quality of overall shot selection as well as the individuals who are taking the shots.

Defensively, a shot chart is very helpful. Often teams have defensive goals and defensive principles such as limiting 3 point shots, taking away points in the paint or limiting transition points. A shot chart will identify where opponents are taking and making shots. Analysis of the will help a team determine how effective they are reaching defensive goals.

It is really very simple to fill out a shot chart. There are a few different options. 

Team Shot Chart: A team shot chart is the most basic and easiest to complete. Remember our early post of Keep It Simple Stupid. The team chart will not be concerned with individual players. This is probably the most useful type of chart for youth coaches and players.

How To Fill Out A Team Shot Chart. The team shot will only use two symbols. Xs are for missed shots and will be recorded a circle from the location of the shot and for each miss. (no players) X’s and Os.

When a player is fouled it DOES NOT count as a shot attempt.

Team Shot Chart with Individual Players: For high school can college coaches and players this is a much more useful tool. This will keep track of both team and individual shots.

How To Fill Out A Team Shot Chart with Individual Players. Instead of using Xs and Os, the number of the player who shoots the ball will be recorded. When a player takes a shot, his number is written from the location the shot is taken. For a missed shot, do nothing, just leave the number. For a made shot, circle the number. Once the game is complete a coach can tally the field goal attempts (FGA) and Made Field Goals.

There are plenty of templates for a shot chart. The one that we use is by breakthrough basketball. Click here to download the Breakthrough Basketball Shot chart. They have a great post titled: Hubie Brown and Using Shot Charts To Improve Shooting Percentagese. The post analyzes Hall of Fame Coach Hubie Brown’s thoughts on how to use a shot effectively.. Breakthrough Basketball also has a shot chart app that might be worth investing in. 

Youth Basketball: Enter the Elks Hoop Shoot Contest

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

Being able to CONSISTENTLY make free throws is such a critical skill for players of all ages. How many times have you seen a youth, high school, college or NBA game decided on the free throw line? Too many to count.

The Elks Hoop Shoot contest is a great basketball experience for boys & girls ages 8 – 13. There are 6 divisions:

  1. Boys, ages 8-9
  2. Girls, ages 8-9
  3. Boys, ages 10-11
  4. Girls, ages 10-11
  5. Boys, ages 12-13
  6. Girls, ages 12-13

Contest Rules: The contest rules are simple. The players pick the shooting order. A player gets to warm up. The player then shoots 10 free throws. After shooting the free throws the player sits at the end of the line and waits for the other players to shoot 10 free throws each. After all the players have shot 10 free throws, the 1st player shoots an additional 15 free throws. After all the players have finished shooting the top scorer is announced the winner.

In the event of a tie, the remaining players will shot 5 shot sets until a winner is determined.

Contest Schedules: Each state has a different schedule. Click on your state to see these important dates!

High School Basketball Culture in 3 Words

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

We love Massachusetts high school basketball. We appreciate all the hard work and commitment of the players, coaches, and athletic directors. We are using twitter to make connections to some of top accounts in the state. Follow us on twitter to see our interactions – @basketballk123.

As a fan, when you watch a game you observe the culture of team and after attending several games you can see a team and program identity. We have asked some programs to share three words that describe their program.

Get out and support your local boys and girls high school teams.

  1. WHS Boys Basketball @WhsBball21: Heart, Intensity, Togetherness.
  2. Dracut Lady Middies @LadyMiddies @JuliaJSanborn: Determined, committed, & proud.

Basketball Shooting Fundamentals: Where’s the BEEF?

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

If you were watching TV in the 1980’s you remember the old ladies wonder “Where’s the Beef?” in the classic Wendy’s commercial. There was actually very little beef with Wendy’s competition.

When it comes to shooting a basketball it is very important to understand the fundamentals of a shot. The mnemonic device BEEF is a simple and effective way for coaches and players to understand the keys of a good shot. A great starting point is purchasing the #1 Book for Teaching Players How to Shoot a Basketball by Dave Hopla.


Remember, a coach does not have to be a great shooter or even a fair shooter to be a great teacher of shooting. The coach simply must understand BEEF and be able to explain the fundamentals to the players. The coach also needs to have knowledge of a teaching progression and age-appropriate drills that will help players develop the proper shooting fundamentals.

We recommend 1-hand form shooting EVERY TIME a player picks up a ball.

What exactly is BEEF?

BEEF is a simple easy way to remember the most important fundamentals of a good shot. Start by having the players repeat the word. At the end of a youth practice, tell the players to go home and explain the shooting fundamentals to a parent. This will help make the fundamentals a part of the player’s vocabulary and IQ.

BEEF. Below is an explanation of each letter in the word BEEF as it applies to shooting.
B = BALANCE – start by teaching the footwork for the shot.

BODY BALANCE

  1. Have the players stand with their “shooting / lead foot” forward.
  2. Instruct the players to place their non-shooting foot into the arch of the sneaker (the insert) of the shooting foot.
  3. Tell the players to move their non-shooting foot (back foot) to the side so that the feet are shoulder width apart.
  4. Bend the knees to be in triple threat position.
  5. Have the shoulders in front of the feet.
  6. Feet, hips, and shoulders should be square.

“TOE TO THE TARGET” – the lead foot or shooting foot should point to the target or the basket. This is important for the players to understand the toe should be pointing directly to the basket.

HAND BALANCE

  1. The shooting hand should be placed in the middle of the basketball. The palm should not touch the ball. There should be “little daylight” that can be seen as the player holds the ball on his fingertip pads and fingertips. The ball should not be on the palm.
  2. LINE UP THE SEAMS – It is a very fundamental step that may not always be able to be completed during a game but the player should ALWAYS try to line up the fingertips with the seams to get a good feel for the ball. This will also help a developing shooter to identify whether his shot has the proper rotation.
  3. READ THE BALL – The player should place the ball in his hand with the palm facing the sky. The hand should be between waist and shoulder level. The player should then READ THE BALL (i.e. Spaulding). Once this is done, the player can bring the ball to the shooting pocket.
  4. THUMBS FORM A “T” – when a player starts to shoot the ball with two hands, the shooting thumb and the guide hand thumb should form the letter “T”. The guide hand is placed on the side of the ball. If the player turns the ball so the guide hand is on the top, it should form a T. The thumbs should not be touching, but if there was a line drawn connecting the space between the two thumbs it would form the letter “T’

E = ELBOW: It is essential to have proper elbow position to develop a good shot. Although ALL the fundamentals are important, it is CRITICAL that the elbow is under the ball and straight.

  1. ELBOW FORMS AN “L” (in line with the lead foot and knee) Make sure the elbow is straight. There are four ways to miss a shot. Right, left, short, or long. If a player can shoot the ball straight, this will eliminate any misses to the right or left. The misses will only be short or long. Increasing accuracy (and range) should always be the focus when developing a fundamental shot.
  2. “WRIST WRINKLES” The ball should rest on the shooting hand far enough back so that the shooting hand’s wrist has wrinkles. A coach should point this out to a player and physically push the ball down to the point where the wrist wrinkles.

E = EYES: The eyes should always be focused on the target

  1. The eyes should be focused on the target at all times. The eyes should never follow the flight of the ball.
  2. The eyes should focus on the target, the center of the basket.

F = FOLLOW THROUGH: The last part of the shot.

  1. BEND – Even when a player shoots very close to the basket, it is important to bend the knees. The further away from the basket the player moves, the more important it is to bend the knees and use the legs.
  2. AND EXTEND (extend the elbow above the eyebrow) – After releasing the ball, the elbow should end above the player’s eyebrow. A good reminder for players is the phrase – “ELBOW ABOVE THE EYEBROW.” Coaches can use this phrase to help remind the players of the proper fundamental.
  3. PUT YOUR HAND IN THE BASKET (or HAND IN THE HOOP) – Players should try to finish their follow through by snapping (maybe not the best term) the hand in the basket. Sometimes it might be helpful to tell the player to try touch their fingertips to their wrist, even though this is impossible.
  4. FREEZE THE FOLLOW THROUGH – It is also important to hold the follow through until the ball goes through the hoop. A player should not only freeze his shooting hand, but his guide hand as well. If a player drops his guide hand and only freezes his shooting hand, the body has a tendency to turn to the side of the guide hand. This will negatively impact the release of the shot and will result in the ball being short or wide to the side of the guide hand.
  5. FISH HOOK – after completing the follow through, the shooting hand should resemble a “fish hook.”