Coaching Kindergarten Basketball

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

The ages we are using for kindergarten basketball is 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds.

Good Luck! This will be challenging, but so much fun. Check back regularly for more ideas!

For more ideas check out google search “Coaching Kindergarten Basketball“ & “Kindergarten Basketball“

General Coaching Information

Google Search “Coaching Kindergarten Basketball”

Kindergarten Basketball: USA Basketball Guidelines

Pre-Season Coaches Meeting

Pre-Season Email

Take a Family Dribble Walk

What is the KISS Philosophy for Coaching Youth Basketball?

Youth Basketball: Kindergarten Basketball Fundamentals

Kindergarten Basketball Season Plan

Top 5 Ball Handing Drills for Kindergarten Basketball

Practice Plans & Skills

  1. Coaching Kindergarten Basketball: 1 Hour Kindergarten Practice
  2. Kindergarten Basketball One Hour Practice Plan Week #1
  3. Basketball Scoring Moves: The Hail Mary Huck
  4. Basketball Scoring Move: Full Court Block Shot

Kindergarten Youth Basketball Fundamentals

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills, books, teaching tools, guest blogs and so much more for basketball coaches, players, and parents.

Google Search “Kindergarten Basketball”…

Coaching 5 and 6 year-olds is a challenging task. Many coaches might feel this is too young of an age to teach basketball, but if you keep the instruction fun and focus on age-appropriate skills, it can be an enjoyable experience for coaches, parents, and players.

We will add additional posts about this age group in the future, but to get started we wanted to present some focus areas for this age group.

Click here for a complete list of tips for coaching kindergarten basketball.

Effort and Enjoyment

Each kindergarten basketball player can:

  • Have FUN! Remember this is more of an semi-organized / complete chaos playdate!
  • Develop age-appropriate skills
  • Be a good teammate
  • Be LOUD and enthusiastic

Kindergarten Dribbling

Each kindergarten basketball player can complete:

Kindergarten Lay-ups

Each kindergarten basketball player can:

Kindergarten Shooting

Each kindergarten basketball player can:

Kindergarten Passing

Each kindergarten basketball player can:

  • Know “TIPS TO TARGET” & “THUMBS DOWN”
  • Stationary chest pass: Able to make a decent chest pass
  • Stationary bounce pass: Able to make a poor bounce pass, unable to select the proper point to have the ball bounce (3/4ths the distance). Bounce passes are very inconsistent.

Kindergarten Catching

Each kindergarten basketball player can:

  • Have hands up in receiving position.
  • Complete a stationary chest pass: Has difficulty catching a chest pass consistently
  • Complete a stationary bounce pass: Able to catch a bounce pass MORE consistently than a chest pass.

Kindergarten Defense

Each kindergarten basketball player can:

  • Able to get into a defensive stance

Top Youth Basketball Websites

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills, books, teaching tools, guest blogs and so much more for basketball coaches, players, and parents.

Google Search “Top Youth Basketball Websites”

  1. USA Basketball: This is AMAZING! There are so many great resources for players and coaches. Start by clicking on the tab “Youth Development.” If you plan on coaching for a few year, consider getting a USA Basketball Coaching License. The Youth Guidebook will provide many ideas and answers for rookie and veteran coaches.
  2. Breakthrough Basketball: A great resources for players and coaches. “The Internet’s #1 Website for Basketball Camps, Resources and Learning Products” It has Free EBooks, an online store, drills, plays, and individual workouts. Guest Blog: TOP 6 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A BASKETBALL CAMP
  3. Positive Coaching Alliance: Positive Coaching alliance is not exclusive for basketball coaches. It has AMAZING resources for players, parents and coaches. The philosophy ideas are exceptional and this group often connects with coaches at the high school, college, and professional levels.
  4. YouthBasketball123: This is a website that was launched in October 2021. The posts focus on youth basketball skills, teaching progressions, and over ideas. The author has coached ALL levels of youth – recreation, travel, AAU, and camps. One post sums up the philosophy. What is the KISS Philosophy for Coaching Youth Basketball?

We will be adding more resources in the future, so please check back for updates.

Thanks for reading!

Youth Basketball: Top 10 Reasons to Teach Dribbling 1st

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

Dribbling is the 1st skill a youth basketball players should learn. Here are 10 reasons why:

  1. It is easy to coach! Dribbling is probably the most basic offense skill in basketball. It is much easier to execute correctly than shooting, passing, catching, or even taking a lay-up. Put players in a position where they can succeed.
  2. Young players love to dribble! If you ever give a ball to a young child for the 1st time, the majority of them will try to dribble it immediately. So why not start off with what they like?
  3. All the players can do it at the same time. If each player has a ball, there is no waiting in line for the players. All the players can be completing the drill at the same time guaranteeing maximum repetitions and learning
  4. There are so many stationary dribbling drills. There are quite a few stationary drills that are great for players of all ages and skills levels. The better players can attempt to complete the drills quicker or the coach can add a more challenging part to the drill.
  5. Inability to dribble well is the #1 reasons for violations in youth basketball games in the early grades. When playing a basketball game for the 1st time, players often travel or double dribble. If you have ever watched a 1st or 2nd grade game, there is almost never an entire possession where there is not a violation. Often at this age coaches and referees do not enforce these rules.
  6. There are so many dribbling drills that involve moving. After a very short time, players will be able to walk, jog, and even sprint while dribbling. Parents want children to get exercise for many reasons. Having players work up a sweat while dribbling is awesome!
  7. Advanced one ball drills can be practiced and mastered very easily. Once players see how quickly and easily they can improve their dribbling skills, many will work hard to master the dribble march or dribble walk.
  8. Players as young as ages 5 can learn to dribble 2 balls successfully. How proud is a basketball player (at an age) who can dribble 2 balls. It is actually pretty easy to master dribbling 2 balls. These drills are twice as good because players are developing the ability to dribble with both hands AT THE SAME TIME
  9. Many other drills involve dribbling, so in order to move to other skills dribbling must be mastered. To run a fast break or an offense, players need to dribble the ball, so have them learn right from the start.
  10. There are many fun games that reinforce this skill. Dribble tag is a great way to have players learn to dribble in chaos. Give 1 (or more) player a ball that is different. This is the tag ball. All players dribble around, avoiding being tagged. It a player is tagged, he switches balls with the player who tagged him and is not “IT.”

The final and most important reason is that many of the other basketball skills are too advanced to learn at young ages, so why bother wasting your time?

Youth Basketball Year

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills, books, teaching tools, guest blogs and so much more for basketball coaches, players, and parents.

Top Youth Basketball Twitter Accounts

September

  1. Youth Basketball Tryout #1: Identify the Best & Worst Players

December

  1. Visit USA Basketball Website for drills, playing time guidelines and so much more.
  2. Christmas Basketball Jokes: Start off each December practice with a Christmas Basketball Joke.
  3. Compose a Pre-Season Email: This initial email should be sent out at least a week before the 1st practice. It is a great way to start the season on the right foot!

August

Read a Basketball Book

Enjoy the Final Weeks of Summer

Play a Fall Sports

Tryout for AAU

October

Coach a Fall Sport: It is always good to be exposed to different opportunities to develop coaching skills. Coaching soccer, flag football, football, volleyball, cross-country, etc. will improve how you interact with players during basketball season.

Play a Fall Sport: Playing additional sports, especially BEFORE the age is 14 is so valuable. Youth guidelines produced by the NBA and USA basketball STRONGLY discourages specializing in basketball too early. Playing a variety of sports helps to avoid burnout.

Plan Tryouts:

Establish Team and Player Goals.

November

Compose a Pre-Season Email: This initial email should be sent out at least a week before the 1st practice. It is a great way to start the season on the right foot!

Youth Basketball Tryout #1: Identify the Best & Worst Players

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

Tryout #1

The following sheet was given to the evaluators to know the schedule. It also explains the purpose of the drill and the skills being evaluated. This specific tryouts was for a grade 5 boys travel team. There were 30 players trying out for 20 spots. So the evaluators were to place the players on the proper team.

The tryout process involved two 75-minute tryouts.

Goal: Identify the top 5 – 10 players as well as the well as the bottom 5 – 10 players (40 players registered). It would be helpful to classify the players into 4 categories (no need to rank within category). List as many players as possible. Do not feel the need to place ALL players. This will help me organize teams for the 2nd tryout.

AA: Above Average

A: Average

BA: Below Average                                                                                                                           .

Dribbling Key Drills

Dribble March & Dribble Walk: Simple drills. Some players have mastered this, others are at different stages. Look for comfort level dribbling between the legs with the head up.

3 Trips: Look for players who can dribble fast with the head up. Also look for players who can dribble with the weak head well. Notice the top finishers and the last finishers. Look for athletes.

SHOOTING key drills (BEEF Shooting Fundamentals)

Range finder: Players will start in close and move back. Notice the accuracy of the shot, the form and the rotation. The spot will move back to the 3 point. As the players move back notice his range, the spot where he can accurately make a majority of his shots.

Spot Shooting: The players will shoot from 5 different spots. Notice who the accurate shooters are. Also notice HOW they miss are they close or way off.

SCRIMMAGE

½ court games: The teams will be divided up by counting off. Notice the players who can play defense, move without the ball, and drive to the basket!

full court Scrimmage: The teams will be divided up into two groups. Evaluate the players to see how they play with players of similar skill. For each court try to identify the players who stand out.

SPEED and CONDITIONING (Line up by height)

Half-court full court & suicide: There will be 2 groups divided by height. Each group will do two sprints. This is simply to see who the athletes are. Last year we did not have many true forwards. It would be nice to identify potential forwards who may not have skills yet but are good athletes and good listeners.

What is the KISS Philosophy for Coaching Youth Basketball?

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

Google search “What is the KISS Philosophy?“

KISS is an acronym for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” In this post, we will substitute “youth coach” for “stupid.” Based on my 8 years as a youth coach, I wished someone had share this with me in on my 1st day of coaching.

When you coach youth basketball, keeping it simple can make for a less stressful season for coaches, players, and parents. What are some ways you can keep it simple?

HAVE FUN: This is youth basketball. It has to be fun – for you (and your family), for the players, and for the parents. Keep this a priority at all times. When people are having fun, they can’t complain. With a competitive travel team, this can be a bigger challenge, but with a recreation / in-town team, this has to be your #1 priority! (And it should be for competitive teams too!)

Focus on age-appropriate skills: This is simply putting players in a position that will allow for success. There are many great websites that will provide useful drills for the age group you are coaching, but if you use common sense, you will find what works for your team!

Ask for Help: This is the easiest one. Ask your league director. Ask the coach 1-2 grades ahead of you. They have been in your shoes. Ask the middle school or high school coach. Basketball coaches love to share their advice and experiences. You can analyze it, evaluate it, process it, and determine if it is a good fit for your philosophy and team.

WRITE IT DOWN: Write it down with a pen and paper. Write your thoughts, analyze the practice. See what the “next level” skill is. Write, write, WRITE! When you put your thoughts down “on paper,” it will help you be a better coach the next time you step on the court.

Consult the GM: Remember we substituted “stupid” for “youth coach?” The GM is your significant other. I know the BEST GM in the world and the advice this person has shared with me since the day we met has been invaluable. You probably live with the GM, so keep this person involved and value any advice or feedback this person shares.

Consult the “franchise player”: If you are like me (and most coaches), there is a player you have a particular interest in (your child). Consult that player on matters where the advice could be helpful. Whenever I coached a youth team it was because it had a great “franchise player.” In my opinion, the player on my team was the best “franchise player” in the league. The advice could be helpful, but above everything else, if you are coaching your child, it MUST be a positive experience.

Don’t worry about playing time: Do not spend hours figuring out a rotation, because there will be a player who does not show up, gets injured, or is foul trouble and all your effort and time will be thrown out the window. USA Basketball is an an incredible resource that ONLY focuses on basketball. Take a look at the “game tactics” sessions to see if these playing time guidelines could fit into your philosophy

As always this is ONE person’s thoughts on coaching youth basketball. Visit some our Top Websites for Youth Basketball coaching to see if this site is worth visiting again.

Thanks for reading!

A Basketball Journey

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

 “I always have to think about what’s important in life to me are these three things. Where you started, where you are, and where you’re going to be.” Jimmy V

Reflection is a very important part of life. As I think about Jimmy V’s immortal words from his legendary 1993 ESPY Speech, I think about how did I reach the point of creating a youth basketball website.

All basketball journeys have a starting point, several milestones, and a current “direction.” Here is a little about my journey.

Where you started:

June 1977: My journey began in 2nd grade when I attended a recreation basketball in my hometown. The camp director was an energetic junior college coach, who later coached at the college and high school levels. He was so knowledge and always made basketball fun.

After one week at a 9 AM – 12 PM camp, my love and passion for basketball was set in stone and my journey began was born.

My journey has included summer pick-up games, overnight basketball camps, city-league games, high school basketball, college basketball, high school coaching, youth recreation coaching, travel team coaching, AAU coaching, private coaching, and now…..

Where you are, and where you’re going to be.

October 2021: Website director.

I hope to share some great resources, ideas, books, and drills. It has been an exciting journey so far. I hope you find this website useful and maybe you can continue your journey with this great sport of basketball.

#1 Resource for Youth Basketball

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

Our #1 goal is to be the #1 resource for youth basketball. We will provide resources for youth basketball coaches, players, and parents.

It has been a long basketball journey that has brought us to www.youthbasketball123.com. Starting with the 1st recreation basketball camp in 1977.

We are here to share our journey and experiences. Basketball is a great game and we are hoping to provide a little guidance for the next generation of coaches, players, and parents.