365 Basketball Quotes: Basketball Quote of the Day

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February Quotes

  1. “My goal is to win the next game one possession at a time. That’s it. I don’t have any other goals.” Brad Stevens
  2. “Create unselfishness as the most important team attribute.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  3. “What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  4. “Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  5. “Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission. I truly believe in the saying “We work to become, not to acquire.”” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  6. “Friendship is a full-time job.” Bill Russell Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  7. “You can do anything you want to do if you want it bad enough.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

March Quotes

  1. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.“ Michael Jordan
  2. March 2nd Read Across America Day: “My most prized possession was my library card from the Oakland Public Library.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

April Quotes

  1. “Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

May Quotes

  1. “Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission. I truly believe in the saying “We work to become, not to acquire.”” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

June Quotes

  1. Father’s Day: My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” (Father’s Day Quotes)

July Quotes

  1. July 30th International Friendship Day: “Friendship is a full-time job.” Bill Russell Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

August Quotes

  1. “You can do anything you want to do if you want it bad enough.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

September Quotes

  1. “The magic to a great meeting is all of the work that’s done beforehand.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

October Quotes

  1. “If you want to be a great shooter from 25 feet, you better be a great shooter from 4 feet first.” Steve Kerr Post: How to Be a Great Basketball Shooter

November Quotes

  1. “Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” Bill Russell (Top 6 Bill Russell Quotes)
  2. “I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can’t trust em.” Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  3. “If you want to be a great shooter from 25 feet, you better be a great shooter from 4 feet first.” Steve Kerr Post: How to Be a Great Basketball Shooter
  4. “The key is not the ‘will to win’… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” Bob Knight
  5. “Shooting percentage is just as much about decision making as it is about technique” Jeff Van Gundy Post: How to Be a Great Basketball Shooter

December Quotes

  1. Jimmy V Week: “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  2. “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.” Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  3. “We win or the alumni bash in our teeth.” (explaining the dental plan at North Carolina State) Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  4. “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
  5. “Be a dreamer. If you don’t know how to dream, you’re dead.” Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  6. “There are 86,400 seconds in a day. It’s up to you to decide what to do with them.” Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  7. Larry Bird’s Birthday (1956) “I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” Larry Bird (Larry Bird Quotes)
  8. “I made a ridiculous statement when I first went to North Carolina State. I said I know basketball down there was like life or death. It was very wrong. It’s more important.” (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  9. “Why shouldn’t I milk it? We’re an agricultural institution.” (after all his endorsement offers after North Carolina State won the NCAA Tournament) Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  10. “Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. There is nothing miraculous about the process. There is no luck involved.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  11. “Create unselfishness as the most important team attribute.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  12. “What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)

January Quotes

  1. “The key is not the ‘will to win’… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” – Bob Knight (Bob Knight Quotes)
  2. “What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.” John Wooden (John Wooden Quotes)
  3. “I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody – somewhere – was practicing more than me.” Larry Bird (Larry Bird Quotes)
  4. “Winners are not people who do not fail, but people who never quit.“ Anonymous
  5. “If all I’m remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I’ve done a bad job with the rest of my life.” Isiah Thomas
  6. “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.“ Michael Jordan
  7. “Teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one.” Mike Krzyzewski
  8. “When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort–it is ready to climb.“ Pat Riley
  9. “All the successful teams I’ve ever seen have three characteristics: They play unselfish, they play together, and they play hard.“ Larry Brown
  10. “Everyone is born with a certain potential. You may never achieve your full potential, but how close you come depends on how much you want to pay the price.“ Red Auerbach
  11. January 11th National Milk Day: “Why shouldn’t I milk it? We’re an agricultural institution.” (after all his endorsement offers after North Carolina State won the NCAA Tournament) Jim Valvano (Top 25 Jim Valvano Quotes)
  12. “Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. There is nothing miraculous about the process. There is no luck involved.” Bill Russell (Top 6 Bill Russell Quotes)
  13. “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.“ Magic Johnson
  14. “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — are all an opportunity for me to rise.“ Kobe Bryant
  15. “Winning teams at the NBA level, the college level, and the high school level all play team basketball. Championship teams have five players on the same page at all times.“ Hubie Brown
  16. “The magic to a great meeting is all of the work that’s done beforehand.” Bill Russell (Bill Russell Quotes)
  17. “I’m still waiting for perfection. In the meantime, I’ll settle for persistence.” Bo Ryan
  18. “If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!“ Charles Barkley
  19. “Preparation will be my separation.” Kevin Eastman
  20. “I’m still waiting for perfection. In the meantime, I’ll settle for persistence.” Bo Ryan
  21. “Shooting percentage is just as much about decision making as it is about technique” Jeff Van Gundy
  22. “Young men need more models, not critics.” John Wooden (John Wooden Quotes)
  23. “If all I’m remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I’ve done a bad job with the rest of my life.” Isiah Thomas
  24. “Teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one.”  Mike Krzyzewski
  25. “The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we’ve had is that I’m physically capable of doing this and dominating the game, but the mental part was not there. I don’t know if it comes with age, but I had to learn to be mentally tough.” Lisa Leslie
  26. “Be led by your dreams not by your problems.” Roy Williams
  27. “You don’t play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball.” Bobby Knight (Bob Knight Quotes)
  28. “Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.” Scottie Pippen
  29. “If you’re not talking, you’re not playing defense.” Doc Rivers
  30. “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” Ann Landers
  31. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.“ Tim “The Big Fundamental” Duncan

Google Search “Coaching Kindergarten Basketball”

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

A google search is typically where a coach would start looking for information on “Coaching Kindergarten Basketball“ or “Kindergarten Basketball“.

Here is an analysis of each search.

Our goal is our Kindergarten Youth Basketball can be identified as a top resource for coaches, players, and parents.

“Coaching Kindergarten Basketball“

December 2021

  1. Skill Development Coach: COACHING KINDERGARTEN BASKETBALL
  2. Youth Basketball 123: Coaching Kindergarten Youth Basketball
  3. YMCA OF THE PRAIRIE: YOUTH BASKETBALL COACHES MANUAL Kindergarten-1st Grade
  4. Mom’s Team: Coaching Youth Basketball: Keep It Fun for Younger Players
  5. Breakthrough Basketball: Coaching Youth Basketball: Tips, Drills & Philosophy
  6. ABCdee Learning:
  7. Kids Sports: 1 and 2 Grade Basketball Coaching Manual
  8. Coaches Clipboard: Tips on Coaching Youth Basketball
  9. 247 Sports.: Coaching Advice – 6 Year Old Basketball
  10. CoachTube: The Definitive Guide to Coaching Youth Basketball
  11. Youth Hoops 101: Beginner’s Guide to Coaching Youth Basketball

Youth Basketball By Grade

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Youth Basketball: Kindergarten Basketball Pre-Season Meeting

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A pre-season coaches meeting is typically is held at least two weeks prior to the start of the season. It is a great opportunity to share expectations, outline the format of the season, share game schedules, and answer any questions.

Some people question the best age to start youth basketball. Once the age is determined the bigger question is: What should we teach the youngest players?

The following is just one example of a preseason kindergarten youth basketball coaches meeting:

Meeting length: This meeting was held in person for approximately 45 minutes. This seemed to be an appropriate length. The coaches had a chance to put a face to a name, share a little of their personal coaching background, and get comfortable with the other adults they will be working with for the next few months.

Attendees: The coaches there were for boys and girls K-2.  There were about 15 altogether. The coaches had various backgrounds including youth experience, playing in high school and college, having older children who have participated, and several parents who had no experience with basketball whatsoever. It is a great opportunity meet some other coaches and share phone numbers.

League Logistics: Each league is unique and prepares coaches differently. Many youth basketball associations have a website that shares important information and documents. Often coaches are provided with equipment and medical kits in the event of an injury. The 1st session is shared and in many cases the entire season scheduled is shared at the 1st meeting. Locations of games and practices is also shared. In some cased the time and location will be the same each week, for others there could be a variety of times and gyms.

For this particular league, the first “game” would be held the 2nd Saturday in December. The directors shared some basic thoughts and instructions about the facility but not much more. 

Equipment: This will fall into two categories, player equipment and coaches equipment.

  • Coach’s equipment might include: cones, basketballs, jump ropes, whistles, game clocks, white boards / clipboards and pinnies or uniforms.
  • Player’s equipment might include: basketballs, jump ropes, dribble googles, and uniforms.

For this league, the plan is for everybody to have a ball. They’re going to have about 40 balls for the age group. For kindergarten the best is size 6 or 27.5” balls. (Youth Basketball Size Chart)

At this age it is ideal to have one ball for each player. In our experience, we feel the Spaulding F-250 is the best because it is durable, has wide seams, is great quality, and can be used outside, where most of the players will practice.

Here are our favorite recommendations for kindergarten basketball players:

#1 Youth Basketball Website: Twitter Milestones

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200 followers

March 3rd, 2022 175 followers in 87 days!

January 25th, 2022 150 followers in 56 days!

December 17th, 2021 125 followers in 22 days

December 1st, 2021 100 followers

5th Grade Basketball: 75 Minute Practice

January 3, 2016

75 minutes

Focus: Offensive Skills Evaluation

Dribbling 15 minutes

  1. Ball drills (5 minutes) Evaluation: Dribble Walk 1:00
  2. 2 ball partner dribbling (5 minutes) (Together, alternating, wipers, crossover, between legs) 
  3. 2-ball full court (together, alternating, crossover, between legs, behind back) 

Shooting 16 minutes (1 rebounder & 1 shooter)

  1. 1 hand shooting (4 minutes each) Evaluation: range in feet
  2. 2 hand shooting (4 minutes each) Evaluation: range in feet

Individual Lay-ups 4 minutes (1X for each drill to get starting point 0:30 each drill) 

  1. Mini-mikans
  2. Mikan lay-ups
  3. Mikan drill
  4. X-out
  5. Star drill

Weak hand lay-ups (4 minutes / 0:30 each drill)

  1. Just shoot (feet planted)
  2. Elbow and knee Keep plant foot
  3. 2 feet, 1 step, & no dribble
  4. 2 dribble GREAT footwork

TEAM lay-ups (5 minutes) 

  1. 20 weak hand lay-ups
  2. V-cut series

Triple Threat Scoring Series 10 minutes (1 minute per move)

  1. Left baseline 
    1. shot fake, rip to hip, front lay-up & reverse lay-up
    2. shot fake, rip to hip, reverse lay-up
  2. Left wing 
    1. shot fake & go, right reverse hand lay-up 
    2. shot fake, rip to hip, left hand lay-up 
  3. Top of key
    1. shot fake & go, right hand lay-up 
    2. shot fake, rip to hip, left hand lay-up 
  4. Right wing
    1. shot fake & go, right hand lay-up 
    2. shot fake, rip to hip, left hand reverse lay-up
  5. Right baseline
    1. shot fake & go, power lay-up
    2. shot fake, rip to hip, right hand under the rim reverse lay-up

Scrimmage 1 vs. 1, 3 vs. 3. Full court

High School Basketball Tryout Tips: Elite Eight Tips

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Google Search “High School Basketball Tryout Tips”

Here it is. The day you have been waiting ALL year for… The 1st day of high school basketball. The is no greater day in the school year for a passionate basketball player. The wait is finally over and the journey of the basketball season is underway. 

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Chinese proverb

Here are a few tryout tips for Day #1:

#1 Be Rested: Conditioning will be a big part of many high school basketball tryouts. 17s, defensive slides, up and backs, and I am not sure if this term can be used in all schools… suicides. To put yourself in the best position be rested for the 1st day of tryouts. As hard as it may be, try to get a good night’s sleep the night before the 1st tryout. Being rested will be the best way for you to show the coaching staff your skills.

#2 Be Ready: Speak with players who have been here before. Talk to the players older than you to have an understanding of how the tryouts will be structured. What are the specific drills? Do you understand how to execute the drills? Once you are mentally prepared for the drills, it might be a good idea to complete the drills in the days and weeks leading up to the tryouts. 

#3 Be in GREAT shape: It does not take one ounce of talent to be in great shape. So do it! It would be a shame for a player to not make a team because of being out of shape. It is something that you cannot accomplish the week before the season. So have a plan to be in great shape on the 1st day of tryouts. It very well could be the deciding factor on whether or not you make the team. 

#4 Know What the Coach Values: It is always beneficial to be on a coach’s radar BEFORE tryouts (attend camps, pre-season workouts, have a ball in your hands all the time). Many times youth players will attend high school games and basketball camps and clinics. Pay attention to what the coach values. Once you understand the values, do your best to be a player that exemplifies those values. 

#5 Be Fundamental: At every level the fundamentals matter. Many players try to be flashy and make the amazing pass. Be fundamental. Make the easy, simple play. Don’t try to make the team with one play. Focus on the fundamentals in every aspect of the game. This will get you noticed. 

#6 Do the Little Things That Other Players Won’t Do: This is a pretty extensive list. 

  • Talk on defense
  • Point to a teammate that makes a good pass 
  • Get on the floor
  • Take a change
  • Be in a stance ALL THE TIME on defense
  • Close out AND box out
  • Be the 1st to help a teammate up
  • Have great body language
  • Listen with your eyes and ears
  • Be early, stay late
  • Make the extra pass
  • Do not worry about scoring
  • Have great shot selection 
  • Go 100%, 100% of the time

#7 Say “Thank You”: At the end of the tryout, make it a point to find EACH coach and say thank you. A little thank you can make a big difference. 

#8 Reflect on Day #1: This is the 1st day in a 100+ day season. Reflect on your play. Identify what you did well and areas of improvement. Think about the feedback you received. If a player can come back and show improvement based on a coach’s feedback, that player is a desirable member of a team. 

Good Luck!