Eight Great Benefits of Playing a Fall Sport

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USA Basketball recommends that an athlete should not specialize in basketball until the age of 14 at the EARLIEST. High School Fall sports include golf, soccer, football, field hockey,  cross-country, and volleyball  Below are some of the benefits of playing a fall sport:

  1. Having A Regular Schedule Is Helpful at the Start of the School Year: One of the most critical requirements of having a successful start to the school year is having a good routine and effectively managing time. Playing a fall sport will require attending practices and games. Many student-athletes find that having a set sports schedule helps them start the year on the right foot.
  2. Learning to Compete Is a GREAT Life Skill: No matter what sport a player chooses to play, there will always be competition. Competition for playing time. The need to improve each week. The competition of getting a personal best. The need to compete against many athletes you will see during the basketball season. Any time an athlete can compete at a high level will be excellent preparation for being on the free throw line down one in the final minutes of a basketball game. 
  3. Opportunities to Developing Leadership Skills: Real leadership opportunities are presented in all high school sports. Being elected captain, being a leader as an underclassman, leading the team in conditioning, being the most improved player, and being the 1st to practice are examples of skills that can be transferred to basketball.
  4. College Coaches Like Multi-Sport Athletes: College coaches often prefer to have athletes who competed in multi-sports. The athletes develop multiple skills and are more likely to be able to learn new positions and systems. The experiences of being in many different athletic situations are also viewed positively. 
  5. Athletes who Play Multi-Sports Are Less Likely to Be Injured: Studies have shown that playing multiple sports makes an athlete less likely to be injured. Being healthy is the priority and playing more than one sport reduces the chance of injury. 
  6. Extended Time Away from the Primary Sport is Strongly Encouraged: Doctors recommend that players take one rest day a week and at least one extended break from a sport. There are physical and mental benefits. Players will also be less likely to burnout and loss their passion for a sport. 
  7. Playing for Different Coaches Makes a Player More Coachable: There are so many great coaches in so many different sports. Being around a passionate individual who is prepared and willing to help young athletes grow is priceless. A player will be exposed to different philosophies, training, drills, and forms of motivation. A player might also make a special connection with a coach that will have a positive impact on personal development. 
  8. Athletes Can Learn to Be A Better Teammate: Athletes who play multiple sports will most likely have different roles on each team. Being a starter and all-star in one sport, while being a role player on another team will give a player a better understanding of what is required of being a good teammate. New perspectives will hopefully help a player understand the importance of team chemistry, the need to make sacrifices for the team, and how a season can be filled with highs and lows. 

Hopefully, if a player is on the fence, this information has been helpful 

What is the Time Commitment for AAU Basketball?

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When playing AAU it is important to understand the amount of time, travel, and money associated with a program. Once a family has the information and has had time to analyze and discuss how much of an impact playing AAU basketball will have, a family decide if AAU is the best fit for a child and a family.

Practices (3 hours): For practice time, we are going to add 15 before practice to get ready and 15 minutes after practice for a cool down, time to change and walk to the car. So for the 90 minute practices, we will be adding 30 minutes. We will also be adding 60 minutes of travel time to and from the gym, 30 minutes each way.

Local Tournaments (9.5 hours 3 games / 2 days): Weekend tournaments typically are Saturday (2 games) and Sunday (1 game). Bracket winners will play the championship game later in the afternoon on Sunday. For the weekend tournaments, we are going to allow 45 minutes for travel to the game and 15 minutes for getting to the gym and warm-up time. For a total time of an hour before the game. After the game we will also add an hour for travel. (Obviously different venues will result in different travel time. We will use two hours of travel time for each game.)

Example: One weekend 9.5 hours

  • Saturday (6.5 hours 11:00 – 5:30) 1st Game 12:00 game (end time 1:00) 2nd game 3:30 (end time 4:30) 4.5 hours 2 hours travel time.
  • Sunday (3 hours 11:00 – 2:00) 1st Game 12:00 game (end time 1:00)

September Time = 21.5 hours

Week #1 September 12th – 18th: Tuesday & Wednesday. 2 practices (6 hours) no games.

Week #2 September 19th – 25th (15.5 hours): Tuesday & Wednesday. 2 practices (6 hours) Saturday & Sunday Local Tournament (9.5 hours) 3 games / 2 days

Week #1 September 12th: 2 practices (6 hours) no games

Week #3 September 26th – October 2nd: (September 6 hours / October 9.5 hours)

August Time = 6 hours

August 1st: 1st tryout (3 hours)

August 8th 2nd tryout (3 hours)

What is the Total Cost of AAU Basketball?

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When playing AAU it is important to understand the amount of time, travel, and money associated with a program. Once a family has the information and has had time to analyze and discuss how much of an impact playing AAU basketball will have, a family decide if AAU is the best fit for a child and a family.

Below are some of the costs associated with AAU. We will be updating this throughout the fall. Click here to view the entire AAU Year

Tryouts ($25): This is probably the best bang for a player’s buck. $25 to get two to three hours of court time for $25, in August, when it is a down time for hoops is a bargain. It is a good idea to watch some of all of the tryouts to get a sense of the coaching style, talent level of players, and where your child might fit in.

Program Fee ($741.60): Other than elite AAU travel expenses, the program fee is the greatest expense. This fee will cover gym rentals, tournament entrance fees, and coaching salaries.

Uniform Fee ($122.99): This is a fee that covers the costs of the game uniforms. The fee will vary based on the quality of the uniform, as well as the margin of profit on each uniform. Some teams will require a new uniform for each season or at least year.

Fall AAU

Season Length: 8 weeks

Current Total Cost: $889.49 (excluding travel cost)

Tryout Fee = $25

Program Fee = $741.60

Uniform Fee = $122.99

Fan Entrance Fee = per tournament

Tryouts ($25): This is probably the best bang for a player’s buck. $25 to get two to three hours of court time for $25, in August, when it is a down time for hoops is a bargain. It is a good idea to watch some of all of the tryouts to get a sense of the coaching style, talent level of players, and where your child might fit in.

Program Fee ($742): Other than elite AAU travel expenses, the program fee is the greatest expense. This fee will cover gym rentals, tournament entrance fees, and coaching salaries.

Uniform Fee ($123.00): This is a fee that covers the costs of the game uniforms. The fee will vary based on the quality of the uniform, as well as the margin of profit on each uniform. Some teams will require a new uniform for each season or at least year.

Fan Entrance Fee: In addition to the other costs, parents will need to pay to watch an AAU team play.

Parking Fee: Some venues will require a parking fee.

September Costs = $683.60

September 1st: $268.00 Tryout Fee 2nd payment (of three) for program fee.

September 12th: $123.00 Uniform fee.

September 15th: $268.00 Tryout Fee 3rd payment (of three) for program fee.

September 24th & 25th: $25 for a weekend spectator pass.

August 22nd: $206.00 1st payment (of three) for program fee.

August Costs = $231.00

August 1st: $25 Tryout Fee

August 22nd: $206.00 1st payment (of three) for program fee.

Youth Basketball: 2nd Grade Basketball Week #3

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15 minutes practice, 15 minutes game, 20 minutes 5 vs 5.

Dribble lay-ups (5 minutes each side)

Lay-up line: Players in the lay-up line dribble up to the basket and take a block shot, using the backboard. The player gets the rebound and proceeds to the end of the baseline line. ALL players in the lay-up line always be dribbling.

Baseline / Dribble line: Players in the dribble line will dribble to a cone at halfcourt, then dribble the end of the lay-up line.

Straight Dribble Moves: Right Hand / Left Hand / Alternating

Straight Cone Moves: Stop and go / In and out of the cones

Zig-Zag Cone Moves: Set up zig-zag cones. Have the players dribble to the cone, crossover and go the next cone.

3 line passing (2 balls larger balls): This a fundamental shooting drill that incorporates rebounding, passing, and shooting. Use cones to set up the passing and shooting spots. When 1st introducing the drill, it might be better to have a coach rebound the ball and hand it to the baseline line.

Right Baseline shot: (Player should remember the basics of passing.)

1st pass line: Set up a cone on the left baseline. Coach rebounds the ball and hands it to the 1st player in line. The players pass the ball to the player at the Free throw line. After making the pass, the player sprints to the next line.

2nd pass line:  Set a cone up on the free throw line. Players receive the pass with hand ready. The player then passes the ball to the shooting line. After making the pass, the player sprints to the next line.

Shooting Line: Set up a cone on the right baseline. The player catches the ball, squares to the basket, and shoots.

Ideal 20 minute 3 vs. 3 games so we can have 2, 5 minute drills stations.

Ball-handling / Dribble Stations: Each player will have a ball and execute the drills. The goal is to gain confidence handling the basketball. For the players NOT playing 3 on 3. 

Stationary Drill Station

Ball drills: Ball slips, fingertip control, circle rolls, figure eight rolls, around the head, waist, knees, 

Toss and Catch: Toss and catch, (add a clap). 2 Claps: Toss the ball in the air clap twice & catch it.  

Stationary Dribbling: right, left, alternating, Vs vary height: knees, waist, shoulders. Dribble March 1-2-3 switch.

Dribble Lines Drill Station: 2 lines on opposite baselines. Players switch lines at the opposite baseline. Players should dribble the ball at all times. Each drill is completed for one minute: Right hand, Left hand, alternating, crossover, dribble march

Figure 8 roll, DON’T STOP DRIBBLING! right, left, alternating

Dribble Tag: 2 big balls are it!

Youth Basketball: 2nd Grade Basketball Week #2

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Week #2 Practice: 

  1. BE A GOOD TEAMMATE: cheer for teammates and learn names!
  2. LISTEN & TRY YOUR BEST: new drills goal is to improve!
  3. LOUD & PROUD: Loudest team in gym

Agilities Drills & Defense

Jumping Jacks: Coach calls out 1, 2, 3, “ONE” We will do 5 x 2  = 10 Tom Brady & Patriots count this way!

Jump to the  Sky: Players crouch down real low and jump as high as possible, simulating grabbing a rebound.

Line Jumps: side to side, front to back (20 seconds each)

Defensive Stance: hold the stance, Ready, set, go SLAP the floor and YELL “DEFENSE”

Defensive Stance Footfire: Machine gun feet! Ready, set, go = YELL “DEFENSE”

Quarter Turns: point in a direction yell the direction

Defensive Stance ONE step: in the direction I point! Ready, set, go = YELL “DEFENSE”

Directional Slides: point in a direction, players yell direction while sliding

Ball-handling / Dribbling

Ball Drills: Each player will have a ball and execute the drills. The goal is to gain confidence and skill handling the basketball. 

Ball drills: Ball slips, fingertip control, circle rolls, figure eight rolls, around the head, waist, knees, 

Toss and Catch: Toss and catch, (add a clap). 2 Claps: We will add the Hornet 2 clap. Toss the ball in the air clap twice and catch it.  

Stationary Dribbling: right, left, alternating, Vs vary height: knees, waist, shoulders. Dribble March 1-2-3 switch.

Dribble Lines: Figure 8 roll, DON’T STOP DRIBBLING! right, left, alternating

Dribble Tag: 2 big balls are it!

Passing / BEEF

Stationary passing: bounce and chest

Partner Passing (set up cones): Dribble to half court (cone), turn around, stop at cone (the cones are placed just inside the free throw line), pass to your partner. 

BEEF: This is an acronym to help players remember the fundamentals of a good shot. Line up around the 3-point line:

B ALANCE      E LBOW     E YES      F OLLOWTHROUGH                     

Imaginary Shooting: After introducing the concept and terms of BEEF, have the players take an “imaginary shot” without the ball. Focus on the Fundamentals!

Lay-ups / Spot Shooting 

AROUND THE WORLD Shooting spots (1:30 each) Big Balls
3 on 3 games  (maybe numbers game 16 mins 3 on 3, 8 minutes numbers)

High School Basketball: Fall Season

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The following is an outline for a basketball that starts the Monday after Thanksgiving. The 2024-2025 season will officially begin on Monday, December 2nd. We identify the fall season as the start of high school sports in Massachusetts.

The goal is to be a much more skilled player by the 1st day of tryouts

Get Ready for December 2nd. The 1st day of tryouts!

September: High School Basketball

August 26th – September 1st Fall Week #2: Last week of summer vacation. If you are NOT a fall athlete. Grind and get as many good workout days as you can.

September 2nd – September 8th Fall Week #3 This first fill week of school for most Massachusetts high schools. It is important to get off to a great start academically.

September 9th – September 15th Fall Week #4 This first full week of school for most Massachusetts high schools. It is important to get off to a great start academically.

Week #6 / 8 Weeks Until Tryouts September 16th – September 22nd

October High School

Top 5 Halloween Horrors for High School Basketball Players: If you are a high school player or parent, you might not want to read this.

September 30th – October 6th Fall Week #7: The first week of October is time to really take care of school. Just like a basketball season, set the tone early in school. Also make sure basketball is a BIG priority. Find time to complete individual

October 7th – October 13th Week #8: The first week of October is time to really take care of school. Just like a basketball season, set the tone early in school. Also make sure basketball is a BIG priority. Find time to complete individual workouts.

October 14th – October 20th Fall Week #9: High School Basketball: Columbus Day Check in It is starting to get real. The season is so close you can smell it! Keep working hard and be sure to get in the best shape of your life!

October 21st – October 27th Week #10:

October 28th – November 3rd Week #11:

November

October 28th – November 3rd Week #11:

Week #12 / 3 Weeks Until Tryouts November 7th – 13th

Week #13 / 2 Weeks Until Tryouts November 14th – 20th

Week #14 / 1 Week Until Tryouts November 21st – 27th

Fall Week #1 / August 19th – 25th: The start of high school fall sports teams is our official start of the fall high school basketball season. If you are a fall athlete, there is much less time to dedicate to improving as a basketball. If you are NOT a fall athlete, it is a critical time to work and separate yourself from other players

Fall Week #2 / August 26th – September 1st

Fall Week #3 / September 2nd – September 8th

Youth Basketball: 1st 2nd Grade Practice

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2nd grade basketball is a great experience. The players are excited and have so much to learn. Youthbasketball123 is here to share our experiences with youth basketball. If you like what you see, check back, we will be updating our resources often.

2nd grade basketball should be all about FUN and fundamentals. Keep it positive and understand the age of the players and your only goal should be to make it so much fun that all the players come back for the next session.

Week #1 2nd Grade Basketball (Brief outline)

The 1st week is always a little hectic. There is a big push from the league to have a set curriculum of skills for each grade. Having each player in the grade work on the same skills, under the supervision of the coaches, is something that should be beneficial.  

48 players, 4 teams, 2 full courts

0:00 – 10:00        Meet team, T-shirts, group explanation (attendance): This might be the most important part of the practice. It would be very helpful to have name tags to have the players wear on the front and back of the shirts. Knowing the players name makes each player feel good. This is a scary time for many players and for some this might the the 1st time playing an organized sports. Be positive. Let the players know that you just want them to listen, work hard and be a good teammate. Hopefully there is an assistant coach or two who can be helping you out.

10:00 – 20:00        Dribble laps & stationary ball drills (One coach can lead the instruction) Having each player have a ball is a great way to start the session. Dribbling is the most basic and easiest skill to teach players. You may find that you will want to spend more than 10 minutes on these drills. The players can succeed and dribbling is the best skill to master at this age.

20:00 – 30:00        stationary partner passing, shuffle passes, dribble partner passing These drills can be a little more challenging, but with proper coaching and supervision, there can be a lot of progressl

30:00 – 40:00        AROUND THE WORLD Shooting spots (1:30 each) One of the BEST drills for this age group.

40:00 – 45:00        Dribble Tag

45:00 – 60:00     half court games (divide players by grade)

Numbers game.

Coaching 2nd Grade Basketball

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Google Search “Coaching 2nd Grade Basketball”

There are some good resources to get started.

  1. Youth Basketball: USA Basketball Guidelines for 2nd Grade
  2. How to Teach Shooting a Basketball
  3. Pre-Season Email
  4. Youth Basketball: 1st 2nd Grade Practice
  5. Youth Basketball: 2nd Grade Basketball Week #2
  6. Youth Basketball: 2nd Grade Basketball Week #3

Youth Basketball: The Numbers Game Is A Great Alternative to Full-Court Games

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Any coach or parent who has watched 5 vs. 5 for grades 1 – 4 can tell you how chaotic it can be. The numbers game ay be a better alternative to full-court games that still makes it fun for the players and will help with skill development.

Numbers Game

With 12 players on a team, the numbers game might be a fun and useful way to incorporate games with grades 1 through 4. I have used it at clinics and with a youth program. The players really enjoy it. It spreads out the court and allows for better games. 

Objective: to give the players a chance to play full court against similar skilled players. 

Method: 

  1. Players are assigned numbers. Players can be lined up by height. This is the easiest method.  (Players also can be assigned based on talent, but at this age there is not much of a difference.The numbers also can be random and still achieve the same results.)
  2. Teams line up on a sideline. Teams are assigned a direction to go. It is critical to have adults on the sideline to help facilitate the drill and answer any questions.
  3. The Head Coach calls out 2-5 numbers, players come out and play for a minute or two. 
  4. With younger players give one side the ball to start. With older kids, the ball can be rolled out and the players can compete for possession of the ball.  
  5. After play is stopped repeat the process. 

Once the players are lined up on the sideline, the coach will yell out TWO numbers to start. This will make sure that the players have a chance to run up and down and get their hands on the ball. 4 possessions will be the maximum for this age group. The coach will blow the whistle to stop play and the players will return to the sideline.

Once the players have returned, a new set of numbers will be called out and the process will be repeated until all the players have had a turn. The coach should type out the order before the session.

1st grouping 2 v. 2

1, 2

3, 4

5, 6

7, 8

9, 10

11, 12

Coaches should evaluate the play of 2 v. 2. If you feel it is fun and the players are benefiting, simply continue playing 2 v. 2 with different combinations of players. I have found it adds excitement for the players when an additional player is added.

2nd 3 v. 3

1, 2, 3

4, 5, 6

7, 8, 9,

10, 11, 12

9, 10

11, 12

Again, evaluate the success of the 3 v. 3. The older the players are the more likely more players will make the experience better for the players and their development.

3rd 4 v. 4

1, 2, 3, 4

5, 6, 7, 8

9, 10, 11, 12

Personally, I feel 4 v. 4 is the highest number of players on a court at young ages, because in 5 v. 5, one player usually gets the ball, dribbles the length of the court and shoots a crazy shot. That means 9 players are standing watching. At least with 4 v. 4 only 7 will be watching.

Hopefully some coaches find this a useful option to uses with a team or league.

The one problem that needs to be figured out is if one team has 10 and the other has 12. I think the best way is to simply have players on the team assume 2 numbers or the coach can alternate who gets the extra shift. 

Teaching Basketball Layups: No Dribble Layups & 1 Dribble Layups

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The following drills are designed to help players develop the correct footwork for taking layups and should be introduced once the previous two drills, no step, imaginary lay-ups & No step lay-ups have been mastered. It might be wise for a coach to review these drills and have the players complete some repetitions before introducing these drills.

2 feet together, one step, no dribble lay-up: This drill adds a step, but no dribble. Hopefully, the majority of the players have successfully completed the previous drills. It is important to allow for success and not rush players to the next drill until they have mastered the previous drill.  It is ok to spend several practices mastering a new skill.

The starting point for this drill should be nearly identical to the previous one, maybe a few inches back. The player starts with both feet together. The player steps with the plant foot and drives the shooting knee and shooting elbow to the rim. The player shoots the ball. Remind the players to keep the elbow and knee on a string.

Coaching Point: Driviing the knee to the basket is a very important coaching point that not all players can master quickly. Identify a player who drives his knee the best and have this player demonstrate for the others. 

Simple Steps: 

  1. Start with both feet together.
  2. Take one step with the plant foot.
  3. At the same team me, raise shooting elbow (like raising your hand in class) and drive the shooting knee to the rim: “ELBOW AND KNEE ON A STRING.”
  4. Shoot the lay-up, aiming for top corner of the square.

One Dribble Lay-up: This drills add the difficulty of using a dribble. The player uses the same starting point and the same footwork as the previous drill. The player executes a strong hand dribble, at the same time the player steps with the plant foot. The player will pick up the dribble and proceed to shoot the lay-up, using the correct footwork. This is a great time to teach the concept of taking the ball from “hip to rim.”

Simple Steps:

  1. Both feet together
  2. Dribble and step with plant foot
  3. Raise shooting elbow and shooting knee: “ELBOW AND KNEE ON A STRING”
  4. Shoot the lay-up, aiming for top corner of the square