Basketball is one of the greatest games for kids to play, mentally it teaches teamwork and strategy while physically it promotes hand-eye coordination, manoeuvrability, and stamina. The social and physical skills that kids develop playing basketball can serve them throughout their lives well beyond the court!
Coaching kid’s basketball is a very rewarding experience that requires patience and creativity. One of the things a good coach must do when developing basketball drills for 12 year olds is to make sure they are challenging and fun while also teaching and honing important skills. Coaches need to put together an engaging practice plan that keeps the players interested while reinforcing fundamental game skills like dribbling and shooting.
While doing repetitive drills is arguably the best way to practice and perfect their skills, kids get bored quickly doing the same thing all of the time, so a good coach knows to change things up often, and make sure that practice is exciting and fun! We have gathered a few ‘outside the square’ drills to share with you coaches out there that kids really enjoy, and that will help you keep your player’s minds on the ball!
Hot Potato – This is a new wrinkle on a game that’s as old as the hills, a drill that gives kids a chance to practice their passing skills. Divide your players up into two teams, then spread them all out over the court. The game begins with one player at centre with the ball, which they must pass to one of their teammates without dribbling it!
Once a player receives a pass, they can take a maximum of just two steps, which they must count aloud, before they pass the ball to their next teammate. Eventually, the ball is passed to a teammate whose close enough to the basket to attempt a shot. Control of the ball goes to the other team after that one shot, regardless of whether it scores or not. The first team that can score 10 baskets wins. If a player takes more than two steps or dribbles the ball, subtract one point from their team’s score as a penalty.
Clothes Pin Grab – While the emphasis in basketball is usually on ball handling and shooting, running and agility are also important aspects of the game. This drill gives your players the opportunity to work on their agility as well as their aggressiveness! A clothes pin is clipped to both shoulder blades of every player, who are then spread out across the court.
When you sound your coach’s whistle the free-for-all begins! Players run about trying to grab as many clothespins away from their teammate’s shoulders as they can. The same no-contact rules that apply in a regular basketball match are in effect here, so no pushing or shoving, only pin-grabbing! It’s a real agility challenge as players try to protect your own pins while grabbing someone else’s! When a player has lost both of their clothes pins they are out. The game ends when the first player to collect six pins is declared the winner!
Basketball is a lot of fun to play and basketball practice drills can be fun, too!
