Basketball Practice Plans For Youth Coaches

This is the gold standard for preparing youth basketball coaches for the season. Go with a winning formula. You’ll have more time to focus on the moment because you’re not thinking, “What do I do next?”

WHAT COACHES ARE SAYING ABOUT YOUTH BASKETBALL PRACTICE PLANS

“…I coach 5th—and 6th-grade girls’ basketball, and after winning only 3 games the previous 2 years combined, I began using your structured practice plans each week. Now, we are one game away from the League Championship!“

Mike Jadach
JV Coach Assumption School, Ansonia, CT

30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans

Do you really need 30 youth basketball practice plans? A complete season’s worth?

You’re coaching your son’s or daughter’s team this year and are looking forward to basketball season. You hope your players will learn and play to the best of their abilities, parents will enjoy watching the action, and everyone will have fun.

Having your team do layups, run the 3-man weave and other simple basketball drills, and scrimmage the rest of the time won’t cut it this year. It would be best if you had more.

To make the most of the coaching opportunity, you need to have a plan—both an overall plan and individual plans for each practice. Plan the work and work the plan.

See our Basketball Coaching Bundle.

How the Basketball Practice Plans Work

The plan needs to address:

What to coach and when? It would be best if you had a plan for what basketball skills should be taught at the first practice and in the early going and what can wait until later practices.
Fundamentals. You must coach strategies, tactics, and skills that players can carry to future teams — not intricate plays that future teams may not run. Solid man-to-man defense, pick-and-roll, rebounding, and give-and-go are skills that teams execute at every level.
How to keep your players engaged throughout a long season and at every practice. How to balance repetition with variety so that kids stay interested.
Preparing your team for different situations during a game and season. What should players do when they face a zone press? How to inbound the ball from the sidelines to create a scoring opportunity?
Make the most of the 10 minutes before each practice when you take the court. Here’s your opportunity to get to know your players better, pass on valuable basketball knowledge, and teach some life lessons they will carry long after their hardwood days.

See Seven Mistakes to Avoid at Basketball Practice

Get the Most From Your Plans

A plan will enable you to enjoy the season more fully, as you won’t be panicking on practice day worrying about an agenda for the evening’s session. Players’ parents and other coaches will notice that you move through your practices with confidence. You’re prepared and organized, and it shows.

Perhaps most importantly, your players will be the primary beneficiaries. They’ll learn a lot, play their best ball, and love basketball! We have the solution for you.

Instant Access

Get instant access to “The Well-Prepared Coach — Youth Basketball Coaching Program.” You’ll receive a full season of practice plans — 30 practices in all — complete with practice agendas, drills, and teaching points. Each practice session is set for 90 minutes of court time in 30 youth basketball practice plans.

The Well-Prepared Coach — 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans — $29.99

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Free Basketball Practice Plan

E-Book

This 88-page e-book includes pre-practice meeting agendas, practice agendas, inbounds plays, sideline plays, simple offensive plays, where to go for more ideas, fill-in activities and drills, off-season, driveway workouts, and more. See the table of contents pages of the 30 youth basketball practice plans below.

The practice agendas include a minute-by-minute breakout of each exercise and the coaching points you should emphasize. The practice plans typically include “Meat” and “Potatoes” sessions for each practice. “Meat” sessions address basketball basics like man-to-man defense, team defense, rebounding, shooting, and more.

“Potatoes” sessions include power lay-ups, moving without the ball, free-throw shooting, post-offense, and more. The 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans’ appendices include diagrams and graphics to help you quickly grasp and explain coaching concepts.

How to use the 30 plans

Print the pre-practice plan on one side of an 8.5 x 11″ sheet and the practice plan on the flip side. Either attach the one sheet to a coaching clipboard or fold it and put it in your pocket.

It’s advised to review each agenda before the practice, but if you’re running late, you can grab the sheet and the basketball bag and be on your way. You’ll be ready to go. Here’s an example of a sideline play diagram.

30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans strongly recommends that coaches meet with their players for usually about 10 minutes before court time. The pre-practice meeting has many benefits.

First, it usually ensures that players are dressed and ready to go when court time is available. But it’s also a time for a coach to get to know the players better. It gives players some time to talk a bit and ask questions. Coaches can cover important basketball topics, team news, and updates and prepare players for what will happen at practice.

The extra time allows the coach to pass on some important life lessons: the value of hard work, the importance of sportsmanship, and the power and magic of teamwork. To make it easier for you to implement pre-practice meetings, 30 pre-practice agendas with talking points are also included in 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans.

So, here’s what you get in 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans:

30, ninety‐minute practice plans for 4th – 8th-grade teams. Exercises, explanations, and teaching points.
30 agendas and talking points for pre‐court-time meetings. Don’t miss your opportunity to get to know your players and cover essential topics.
A “Driveway Workout” for your players’ off‐season efforts.
Proven inbound and sideline plays.
“The Special Play” — This play results in a surprising number of open lay‐ups in games. This one play accounted for more than 1/2 of our points in several games! When you have to have a basket at a key moment in the game, here’s the ticket.

What Basketball Coaches Are Saying

“Your practice plans are fantastic! Many youth coaches are pressed for time and these organized practice plans help me to run an efficient practice with little preparation time needed. Not only are the plans efficient for coaches, but the drills have paid dividends for our players. I really appreciate the work put into these.”

Mike Kobbervig, Coach – Casselton, North Dakota

About the Author

MICHAEL O’HALLORAN has coached his four children on 15 different basketball teams. His 5th-grade girls’ team won the Minnesota State Championship in 2010. He authored Never Forget They’re Kids — Ideas for Coaching your Daughter’s 4th ‐ 8th Grade Basketball Team and co‐created “The Well‐Prepared Coach™” line of coach handouts and award certificate printables.

He’s the founder and editor of Sports Feel Good Stories.com. Blogs.com selected the site as a “Top 10 Youth Sports Blogs for Parents.” His “Never Forget They’re Kids” approach to coaching sports emphasizes learning, having fun, and creating memorable experiences for players.

Proven Winner

You’ll immediately receive a link to download the PDF when you purchase this ebook. The PDF file, which you’ll save to your computer, works on PCs and Macs.

The Well-Prepared Coach — 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans — $29.99

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Key Benefits — 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans

A proven winner. The topics covered in these practice plans and the order in which they’re taught have led to many a successful season, dozens of tournament trophies, and a Minnesota State Championship title.

Time saver. You’ve heard the expression, “Plan the work, and work the plan.” With this purchase, a big part of your coaching role has been completed for you. You won’t have to worry on the ride to the gym about what you’re going to cover with your players at practice, as you’ll be organized and prepared.

A new sense of confidence in your coaching. By having a complete plan for every pre-practice meeting and every practice, you’ll be more relaxed and enjoy the process more.

A more competitive team. With tested strategies that work — including inbound plays, sideline plays and a “Driveway Workout” for off-season development — your team will have the advantage.

A great experience for your players. Basketball is fun, but even the most dedicated players can get bored or not feel challenged unless the coach keeps them engaged throughout the season. These practice plans in 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans will keep your players involved as they improve their games and have a lot of fun.

Another Testimonial

“Last year, I coached a 5th-grade boys basketball traveling team. It was my first year coaching and the kids’ first year playing. I used your practice plans, and they were great for me, and the kids did really well. This year they are playing 6th grade ball at their school and are so far undefeated. I will be coaching them again after their school season is over and will definitely revisit your practice plans.”

Fred Dubray, Coach – Mobridge, South Dakota

When you purchase the 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans ebook, you’ll be immediately sent a link enabling you to download the PDF. The PDF file, which you’ll save to your computer, works on PCs and Macs.