Youth Basketball

One of the most productive times of youth basketball practice is often ignored. The time just before practice, known as Pre-Practice, can significantly boost your player's individual skills.

We have a narrow view of youth basketball. When a businessman starts a fast food company, he studies McDonald's and replicates its model. When a businessman starts a youth basketball company, he copies the most profitable entities.

Just as the lack of professional investment hinders player development, the economics of the grassroots system drives competitive events, not development. Until the economics change, entrepreneurs will flood the market with the events which make the most money.

Everyone assumes lay-ups are easy or basic and therefore unworthy of considerable effort and instruction. However, in youth basketball and in many high school games, lay-up conversions directly affect the game's outcome.

Youth basketball players really struggle at the High School level if they don't have certain skills mastered. This article discusses the most important talents they need to have before getting to that level.

A guide to organizing and planning effective basketball practice for Junior High or Youth level teams.

Many teams simply jog through the same old lay up lines before games without much thought to how to prepare to play. These drills are a game-tested way to make sure your team is ready right from tipoff.

Practice rules, policies and procedures to make sure your team gets the most out of their floor time.

Championships in youth basketball are won with defense. By applying consistent defensive pressure in the half court, a less-talented team can keep an offense off balance and give themselves the best opportunity to win.

Daniel Coyle's The Talent Code argues that skills develop; they are not innate. However, some of his arguments are explained poorly and people will justify certain approaches because of his research which is a review of the real research.

Simple ideas on developing a productive and fundamental practice for small town elementary and middle school age basketball players.

Planning practice is an undervalued, but important aspect of coaching. It keeps a coach organized and on-task during practice; more importantly, the planning forces the coach to examine his team, its weaknesses and the best way to appropriate time.

As a basketball consultant/personal trainer, I train numerous youth, high school and college basketball teams and players. At every practice, players are deficient in one or more of these five skills, ultimately decreasing the team's offensive efficiency.