The Well-Prepared Coach's Blog

Youth basketball coaching done well depends significantly on the coach’s relationship with the players. If a young team is firmly behind its coach, players will play their hearts out, and that coach will get their best efforts. So, how does a volunteer youth basketball coach build trust with players?

At a very high level, trust-building comes down to credibility and how one treats people. It’s wise to always keep that in mind. How did Abraham Lincoln build trust with his advisors? Many of his closest advisors started as enemies.

Honest Abe was patient, treated people well, and built trust. So, what concrete things can one do to build that trust as a coach? Here are some ideas.

Youth Basketball Coaching: 7 Tips to Build Players’ Trust

1.) Compliment often.

For young players, playing their best basketball comes from being confident. Compliments go a long way to building confidence. Be sincere, but keep the kind comments flowing. Address the team as a whole and players individually. Find players doing something well, and let them know you noticed.

2.) Use players’ first names.

Learn first names quickly and use them frequently. I think Dale Carnegie, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, wrote that hearing our first names is like music to our ears.

3.) Come prepared.

If you come to too many disorganized practices, your players will know. Being prepared shows you care about the players, so come ready to give your best. Avoid long monologues when addressing the team. Keep your comments short but frequent. With a plan of attack in hand, you will be able to coach in the present and not worry about what you’re going to have the team do next.

4.) Spotlight players’ skills. 

When teaching a new skill, whether a technique for boxing out for rebounds or executing a reverse layup, demonstrate it and let your players try it. After observing several efforts, pick a player or two who does it well and ask the team to watch them because they’re doing it well. What a boost for the player who is asked to demonstrate the skill! Try to ensure all the players are called out for something throughout a few practices.

5.) One-minute player pep talks.

Don’t forget the power of one-to-one communication. Most often, you’re addressing the team as a whole or a group of players. But a well-timed message delivered to an individual player before a game or practice can do wonders. Highlight some skills they’re doing well and challenge a player to try something they haven’t demonstrated before, e.g., dribbling or driving with their off-hand to the basket.

After the first couple of weekends of games, I always found it effective to meet with players individually for just a couple of minutes to let them know how good a job they were doing. You’ll likely have players at different skill levels with different strengths and weaknesses at every age.  Use the sandwich approach of combining things they’re doing very well at the beginning and end of the conversation, and challenge players with an opportunity to improve in the middle of the conversation.

6.) Reduce whistle use.

Save your whistle for when you’re scrimmaging. Try to get through a practice without using it at all. I always found it easier to form a tighter grouping and talk softly vs. having the team dispersed and needing to shout so they could hear. Your vocal chords will thank you.

7.) Plan fun.

The #1 reason players play youth sports is to have fun, according to every report and post-season survey I’ve ever read.  While basketball is inherently a fun sport, show players that your agenda addresses some of the components of their agenda. Plan fun into each practice. Ask them if you can’t figure out what your team considers fun.  Start with one of the team leaders.

By Michael O’Halloran

Michael O’Halloran is the author of the Well Prepared Coach Youth Basketball Practice Plans and Layups and Life Lessons: 101 Coaching Tips for Youth Basketball.

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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 and now we are one game away from the League Championship!”

Mike Jadach
JV Coach Assumption School, Ansonia, CT

Editable Basketball Certificates

Offseason Workouts For Youth Basketball Players

How Players Should Prepare For Basketball PracticeSave

Does the end of your great basketball season seem to be missing something?

Ready to take your youth basketball program to the next level? Look no further than basketball award templates! These customizable gems are the secret weapon to boosting morale, recognizing achievements, and creating lasting memories for your young athletes.

Why Editable Basketball Award Certificates Are a Slam Dunk

• Personalized Praise: No more one-size-fits-all awards! With editable certificates, you can tailor each award to the specific player’s accomplishments. Highlight their strengths, encourage growth, and make them feel special.
• Use them each year: These are not for one-time use. You can use them each season.
• Easy to Use, Easy to Love: No need to be a tech wizard to create amazing certificates. Most editable templates are user-friendly and can be customized in just a few clicks.

How to Use Editable Basketball Award Certificates

• End-of-Season Awards Night: Make your awards night a memorable event with personalized certificates for MVP, Most Improved Player, Best Defensive Player, and more.
• Individual Achievement Recognition: Reward players for reaching specific milestones, such as scoring certain points or making several steals.
• Practice and Game Incentives: Use certificates to motivate players to work hard during practice and give their all in every game.

Basketball Coaching is Easy With a Plan.

Distributing Your Awards: A Slam Dunk

• Hand Them Out with Pizzazz: Present certificates in a special ceremony, accompanied by a handshake, a high-five, or a warm hug.
• Mail Them Home: Send certificates home with players so they can share their accomplishments with their families and friends.
• Display Them with Pride: Encourage players to display their certificates in their bedrooms or desks to serve as daily reminders of their achievements.

Creating a Lasting Impact

Editable basketball award certificates can create a positive and rewarding experience for young athletes. These certificates recognize their hard work and dedication and inspire them to strive for excellence. So, what are you waiting for? Start designing your own custom certificates today and watch your team’s morale soar!

Additional Tips for Creating Effective Awards

• Keep it Simple: Don’t overload your certificates with too much text or graphics. A clean, simple design is often the most effective.
• Use Positive Language: Focus on the player’s strengths and accomplishments rather than weaknesses.
• Make it Memorable: Use eye-catching fonts, colors, and images to make your certificates stand out.
• Get Creative: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different designs and layouts.

With a little creativity and effort, you can create basketball award certificates that your players will cherish for years to come.

By Mike O’Halloran
Mike has coached 15 youth basketball teams and is the author of three books on coaching youth basketball.

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Youth Basketball Practice Plans

Players should establish a routine for how to prepare for basketball practice.

Basketball demands both physical fitness and mental acuity. For youth players, especially those just starting their basketball journey, preparing for practice goes beyond just showing up on time (although that’s a good start). It involves a combination of physical conditioning, mental preparation, and a focus on fundamental skills.

Here are some key tips for young basketball players to make the most of their practice sessions and impress their coaches.

1. Attend To Hydration and Nutrition

Proper hydration and nutrition are basic requirements for any athlete. Before practice, players should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and have a light, balanced meal to fuel their bodies. Avoid heavy, greasy foods that can cause discomfort during practice. Come ready to play.

2. Complete A Dynamic Warm-Up

A proper warm-up is essential to prevent injuries and prepare the body for intense physical activity. Players should engage in dynamic stretching exercises to loosen up muscles and increase blood flow.

See the Basketball Bundle for Coaches, which includes practice plans and award certificates.

3. Conduct An Equipment Check

Before heading to practice, players should ensure they have all the necessary equipment, including jerseys, shorts, basketball shoes, and water bottles. They should also check the condition of their gear to avoid any issues during practice.

4. Focus on Mindset and Focus

Basketball is as much a mental game as it is physical. Players should arrive at practice with a positive mindset, ready to learn and improve. Focus on the goals for the practice session and stay mentally engaged throughout. Be focused and an active listener.

5. Review Goals and Objectives

Before practice begins, players should review the goals and objectives set by the coach for that session. This could include working on specific skills, improving teamwork, or implementing game strategies. A player may also have goals of their own, e.g., To be the player at practice noted for hustling the hardest.

6. Arrive Early

Arriving early shows dedication and allows players to prepare for practice mentally. It also gives them time to chat with teammates, review plays, or get in some extra shooting practice. Coaches notice.

7. Wear Proper Attire

Wearing the right clothing and footwear is crucial for performance and safety. Basketball shoes provide the necessary support and traction for the quick movements required in the game.

8. Listen and Learn

During practice, players should listen carefully to their coach’s instructions and actively participate in drills. Paying attention and asking questions can help clarify any fine points.

9. Stay Positive and Encouraging

Basketball is a team sport, and positivity and encouragement go a long way in building team cohesion. Players should support and uplift their teammates, even during challenging drills. It’s not always who is best on the team but who makes the team best.

10. Stay Hydrated and Energized

Keep a water bottle handy and take short breaks to rehydrate during practice. Snacks like fruit or energy bars can help maintain energy levels.

11. Focus on Fundamentals

Practice sessions are an opportunity to hone fundamental skills like dribbling, shooting, passing, and defense. Players should approach these drills with focus and attention to detail. Practicing things you’ve done often can be boring, but stay on task and work to improve.

12. Ask for Feedback

Seeking feedback from coaches and teammates is a great way to improve. Players should be open to constructive criticism and use it for growth. Everyone once started as a beginner.

13. Stay Positive and Resilient

Not every practice will be perfect, and there will be ups and downs. It’s important for players to stay positive, learn from mistakes, and bounce back stronger. Coaches like resilient players. So, do teammates.

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, preparation is key to success in basketball, especially for young players. By following these tips and approaching practice with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, young hoopsters can maximize their potential and enjoy a fulfilling basketball experience.

By Mike O’Halloran
Mike has written four books on coaching youth basketball, including Youth Basketball Practice Plans.

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Offseason Workouts For Basketball Players

Basketball Editable Award Certificates

Youth basketball coaches can accomplish many things with their players before games. It can be the difference between winning and losing a close game.

Think about all the time you have with your team before games. If you play 30 games a year and ask players to come 45 minutes before game time, you have almost the equivalent time of 15 more practices. If coaches view this time as an opportunity to continue the coaching process, it gives them a leg up on competitors.

Youth Basketball: Seven Pregame Activities for Coaches

1.)   Review defense, offense, and inbound plays

Basketball players make many decisions on the court, with a good share of them having to be made quickly. The more players understand exactly where they’re supposed to be and the action they need, the better shape the team will be.

Before games is a great time to use your coaching whiteboard. In addition to teaching and reinforcing concepts you’ve reviewed in practice, it also prepares players for when you might use it to communicate activities during a game. I think for the first 10 games of every season, I’d review the concept of ball-side and help-side defense on my coaching whiteboard. This is such an important concept for defense that it merits repetition. Keep your reviews simple and short. Quiz your players to keep them engaged as you’re talking.

For some games, when we introduced an inbounds play that not all of the players knew 100%, we’d walk through the school’s hallways practicing where people needed to be and what they needed to do. The immediacy of having just recently practiced a play seemed to make it work better during game time.

The overall goal of the quick review of defense, offense, and inbound plays was to ensure our coaches put our players in the best position to succeed. Plus, since we didn’t introduce new activities before game time, kids gained some confidence from reviewing roles they accomplished in practice.

2.)   Highlight one area of focus

Reviewing the basic game plan with players helps the head coach identify one area of focus. This might vary from game to game based on previous performances, your opponent or where you’re at in the season. Areas of focus that I tended to use a lot were moving their feet on defense, rebounding aggressively, winning 50/50 balls, and making great passes.

By letting your players know that this is important to you will make it important to them. Your area of focus should tie to your practice plan for the week before the game.

Coaches might provide a few tips for the area of focus. For example, if the area of focus is rebounding, a coach might demonstrate the boxing-out technique. A coach might also speak to attitude, e.g., “Sometimes it’s the player who wants the ball more.” Some players might respond to technique improvements, and others might respond to attitude challenges.

3.)   Share a life lesson

When the season is completed, coaches don’t want to look back and realize that they’ve only taught basketball to their players. At young and impressionable ages, coaches must take advantage of this time to teach bigger life lessons.

Share with the team a short story that emphasizes the value of practice and hard work, the importance of playing together as a team, or some other key learning that goes beyond just hoops.

A local college basketball player was in the news because he never made his high school basketball team. He continued to play basketball and work hard. This player practiced daily. He never gave up. When some college varsity players noticed him in pick-up games on campus, they asked him to join the team. He made the team that year. Three years later, he was All-Conference and led the team in scoring. Do you see how a story like this can emphasize the value of not giving up and working hard?

4.)   Keep your players relaxed, loose, and ready to play

Make sure your players’ necessities are met. Have them go to the bathroom, fill water bottles, and ensure their shoes are properly laced.

In my experience, nearly all players have a little nervous energy before a game. And that’s okay. But as a coaching staff, you don’t need to make the situation more tense by reminding them, “This is a big game!” On the other hand, try to get players to calm down. Players typically play their best when they’re relaxed.

See 7 Tips To Building Players’ Trust.

5.)   Warm-up

In practice before a game, you should review your warm-up drills. The overall goal is to loosen players’ bodies and familiarize them with the playing conditions, primarily the court surface, backboard, and rim. If the court has unique markings or different seating areas for fans, as a coach, you might highlight these for your players.

Activities for pre-game warm-ups should include running, dribbling, and shooting. As most baskets in any game are typically made within 5 feet of the rim, make sure players get an opportunity to practice some short shots and lay-ups.

Coaches should be looking for opportunities to provide positive comments. Five minutes before tip-off is not the time to change your center’s free throw shooting form. You want your players to be confident. Find things they’re doing right and let them know.

6.) Shooting practice

As lighting, background, rims, and backboards can vary significantly from one gym to the next, it’s a great idea to spend a good chunk of the warm-up time having players shoot the basketball. Drills that include dribbling to a spot, stopping, and shooting work well, as do multiple passes leading to a shot.

While the head coach and perhaps one assistant are focused on preparing the team, another assistant coach can scout the other team during their warm-ups. That assistant coach might quickly discover the opponent’s best players and defensive assignments for your team can be made accordingly.

Shooting, perhaps more so than any other aspect of the game, helps to have confidence. Coaches should work to instill confidence in shooting during pre-game warm-ups.

7.)   Getting focused and a “winning my shift attitude”

Unless warm-up time is greatly reduced, it’s a good idea to huddle up with players again about 2 minutes before the buzzer goes off, signaling the time for the game to begin. These 2 minutes allow the coaching staff to refocus the players, make any specific defensive assignments (e.g., Sara, you’ll be guarding #33), and talk about the importance of a strong start.

Especially with younger-aged teams, when complete team rotations happen, talk about the importance of winning a shift.

Most teams start youth basketball games very tentatively. An aggressive team in the early going can frequently get off to a great start. Make sure your team is ready.

The way you prepare your team right before a game should be a direct reflection of your practices. The game preparation time serves largely as a reminder of activities you’re practicing and completing successfully. Prepare, be calm, and keep the big picture in mind.

By Mike O’Halloran

Mike O’Halloran has coached basketball for 15 years and is the author of Youth Basketball Practice Plans.

 

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If you’re starting out coaching your son’s or daughter’s basketball team, you’re about to depart on a great journey. And, for you coaches who have already had the privilege, you know what a great time it can be.

There are many practices and games, highs and lows, and opportunities to interact with players, other coaches, and parents.

Coaching youth basketball is all about teaching. Don’t let your game-time watching of college and pro games fool you. The real work happens in practice before the prime-time televised games. The same goes for youth basketball.

One of the first things the top coaches will tell you is that it pays to have a plan for the season. You’ll need an overall plan for the order in which you’ll be teaching things from practice to practice and individual practice plans to make the most out of your teaching time on a practice-by-practice basis.

Youth Basketball Practice Plans

The Well Prepared Coach Youth Basketball Practice Plans guide is a tool that will make your coaching much easier. It features 30 structured practice plans, so you’ll be ready with little preparation for each practice session.

You’ll save time. When you’re running from work to an early practice, you might not have much time to consider your best coaching approach for the evening. Print out the practice plan, bring it to practice, and you have the night’s agenda scripted.

Coaches have confidence and can coach in the moment. They don’t need to worry about what the next item to plan is. It’s written out for you. This guide provides talking points for pre-practice meetings, court-tested drills, add-ons like inbound plays, and an off-season workout.

A common problem with many newly assigned youth basketball coaches is that they spend too much time scrimmaging. Why? It’s usually because they haven’t prepared. Some scrimmaging is needed for a team, but a coach must teach. And when a team scrimmages 80% of every practice, the players are not learning as much as they could.

Basketball Award Templates & Coaching Forms

Come the end of the basketball year and throughout the season, coaches should be looking to build their players’ confidence. One way to help achieve that is to present players with customized award certificates. Choose from many forms, including “Dream Team,” “You’re an All-Star,” and more. There are also award templates for coaches, team parents, and others who have helped support the team.

Created by professional designer Greg Johnson, these award certificates can be personalized with players’ names, dates, individual words of praise, team name, coach’s name, and more. Kids will keep them on the family fridge or bulletin boards for a long time.

In addition to the award certificate templates, there are also coaching form templates, including one for treat sign-up, shot tracking, basketball homework, and more. With this basketball coaching tool, you’ll look polished and well-prepared as a coach.

Basketball Practice Plans Bundle

Now, here’s your opportunity to get the Basketball Practice Plans Bundle—you’ll receive both the Youth Basketball Practice Plans and Basketball Award Certificate and Coaching Forms Printables for just $35.50. By buying both, you’ll save over $14.

Find out more about the Basketball Practice Plans Bundle contents by clicking on the links below.

Youth Basketball Practice Plans + Basketball Award Certificates and Coaching Form Printables

Upon purchase, you’ll receive links to instantly download these Basketball Practice Plans Bundle products. Buy both and enjoy significant savings.

PRICE: $35.50 for the Basketball Practice Plans Bundle

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Youth Basketball Practice Plans

The Basketball Special

Basketball Award Certificates

Layups and Life Lessons

I’ve had an opportunity to review Don Kelbick’s excellent book, How to Develop a High-Scoring Motion Offense. If you’re coaching a youth basketball team, I highly recommend you check it out at BreakThroughBasketball.com.

I’m coaching a 6th-grade girls’ team, with most of the players returning from the 5th-grade team that I coached. Last year, we introduced some of the principles of a motion offense from a 5-wide set to the players, and this year, it’s our primary half-court offense focus.

Coaching A Motion Offense

As 5th graders, our team generated most of its points from aggressive defense, and players were usually able to score effectively. We had a few set plays that, in most cases, worked very effectively. Our set plays usually only involved 2 – 3 players, with the other players scrambling to get into the best rebounding position.

Our set plays proved less effective against better defensive teams, especially after teams adjusted to seeing them the first time or two.

After reading Don Kelbick’s book, we’ve incorporated many of his principles into our offensive and practice strategies this year. Here are a few things I like about the motion offense approach compared to having a few quick hitter plays: More players are involved in the half-court offense. 

Like the one that Kelbick suggests, a motion offense involves all players.  It’s a much more interesting game to watch when all players are involved, not just a couple.  With all players getting more touches, you can see player improvement.

Drill and Kill vs. the Motion Offense

In a patterned play, less time is spent helping players understand where and when they should move. The educational equivalent of a patterned play is learning vocabulary or times tables. There’s a reason they call it “drill and kill.” 

Teaching a motion offense is more like teaching someone how to write.  It has some generally accepted rules, but it’s more open-ended.  Players learn to follow directions when they run a patterned play. 

When players learn how to run a motion offense, they learn how to play basketball. Skills learned from running a motion offense will more easily translate to players’ future teams. Principles learned from understanding a motion offense include court spacing, give-and-go, cuts to the basket, setting picks, and finishing drives.

Skill Development

These are the types of skills that nearly all coaches like their players to have a good handle on. How you practice is how you play.  Kelbick has done a fantastic job of providing practice suggestions to get players up to speed on the motion offense.  Players will pick up on the concepts by incorporating some of the fundamentals of motion offense into their drills. 

You might find yourself eliminating traditional basketball drills like the 3-man weave, in favor of 3-on-3 drills with players practicing pass-and-break to the basket or pass and screen away.  You’ll practice some concepts with no defense so players can understand the movements and build up to full, aggressive man-to-man defense against the offense.

There are lots of variations on Kelbick’s motion offense.  You can start from different sets, e.g., 5 wide, 4 out and 1 post, or 3 out and 2 posts.  In player huddles, you can switch the direction of the offense by changing a rule or two.  For example, in the first quarter of a game, you might instruct your players to pass and break to the basket. 

In the second quarter, you might ask them to pass and screen away. If you have a player with a post advantage, one of the rules might be that the post player must touch every third pass. There are lots of options as a team progresses with this offense. I think the key is to start slow, get players comfortable with some of the principles, and slowly add new wrinkles.

Encouraging Results

It’s very early in our season, but the results are encouraging. Granted, our players are a year older, with increased size and strength, but we’re putting quite a few more points on the board, and our scoring is more balanced. The quality of shots we’re getting is very high, including many uncontested lay-ups. More importantly, the players are learning the right type of skills that will develop their games for future teams.

Don Kelbick’s ebook costs $29.95. You can purchase it at Break Through Basketball. It contains everything from the overall philosophy to an explanation of different sets and rules, step-by-step drills, and practice suggestions. I think the principles work best for 5th-grade and above teams.

Lastly, one of my favorite things about Kelbick’s motion offensive philosophy is how quickly you can implement it (at least at a basic level). To truly learn all the sets and variations would take a team some time, but understanding the core principles and some simple rules can be done in as little as 2 practices after you’ve read the book.

Also, the book is a quick read, with many diagrams explaining positions and drills. I read it in one sitting but find myself returning for more as the season progresses. You may, too.

By Mike O’Halloran
O’Halloran has written four books on coaching youth basketball.

The Youth Basketball Coaching Special

10 Things A Basketball Coach Should Do Before The First Practice

A guide for volunteer basketball coaches—especially those coaching girls in 4th—8th grades—provides an easy-to-follow approach to coaching and managing their team.

O’Halloran’s “Never Forget They’re Kids” philosophy emphasizes learning, having fun, and creating memorable experiences for players. The book is 128 pages long and includes photos, play diagrams, and the “Driveway Workout.”

Basketball Coaching Book

The book covers important fundamental basketball topics like defensive and offensive skills, rebounding know-how, shooting technique (including the two most common shooting flaws for this age group and how to address them), your coaching approach on the bench, and practice preparation.

Content and Features

For young basketball players, it’s not all about X’s and O’s.  What sets this apart from other basketball coaching books are topics like:

·     30 ideas to keep kids interested in basketball — From a “Rock n’ Roll” practice to a “Slam Dunk Photo Session,” you’ll learn proven concepts to keep your players engaged during the season.  Kids will look forward to practices as much as games.

·     A detailed explanation of how to handle your first player meeting and your first parent meeting.  A sample introductory email to parents is included.

·     An inexpensive and simple way to create a team website and how to use your camcorder to make the most of the basketball season.

·     Team nickname ideas and slogan suggestions like “There’s no traffic on the extra mile” and “Teamwork makes the Dream work.”

NOTE: Except for a couple of practice ideas that might not appeal to boys, e.g., “Wacky Hair Day,” the entire book is relevant for boys’ teams in 4th—8th grades.

Book Excerpt

“Keys to My Approach

• Be positive. Kids accomplish the most when they feel confident.

• Breakdown complicated activities into bite-size chunks.

• Encourage a risk-taking environment. The effort needs to be rewarded even if the result is lacking.

• Empower players to think on their own.

• Never forget they’re kids.”

Reg.:  $19.99 [wp_eStore:product_id:2:end]

Testimonial

What people are saying about Never Forget They’re Kids

“This is a great book in a lot of ways, the least of which is the basketball stuff, which is pretty helpful by the way and very appropriate for the age level of youth athletes the author is writing about.  The best part of this book is the advice the author gives concerning dealing with the parents of the players.

I wish I had a copy of this book when I started coaching all too many years ago. This section of the book alone makes it worth the purchase price to me. It also has good information on organization for a youth sports team as well as positive suggestions for a philosophical approach to coaching young athletes.”

–Kevin Sivils – author of Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball

KEY BENEFITS

• Increase your basketball coaching knowledge. You’ll learn successful strategies and tactics for your team’s offense and defense to make it more competitive.

• Make it fun and engaging for your players. It’s not all about winning for players. Learn 30 different ideas for keeping things interesting for players, including a slam-dunk photo session and a rock-and-roll practice. Girls’ basketball should be about learning and having fun!

• Generate enthusiasm from players and their parents. This guide provides information on setting team objectives, conducting your first meeting with players, and meeting with parents. It also includes a template for your first email to parents.

• Know what to do from the bench during games. You’ll learn tips on having the right philosophy and mindset while teaching and coaching from the bench during games.

• Create a memorable season for your players. This section offers suggestions on how to easily create a team website, incorporate film sessions for your team, and more.

When you purchase this ebook, you’ll be immediately sent a link to a site where you can download the PDF file to your computer. The PDF file works on PCs and Macs.

Never Forget They’re Kids (Basketball Coaching Book)

Price:  $19.99