Basketball Drills for Children

It is essential for young basketball players to learn proper fundamentals early on in their playing careers. It will be much easier to teach a player how to become a good shooter if he or she has proper form. The main elements of offensive basketball are passing, dribbling, and shooting. Spend at least 15 minutes on each element during every practice.

  1. Dribble

    • Get used to handling the ball with basketball dribbling drills.

      Give each young basketball player a ball and have them first slap the ball with each hand. Once they have a feel for the ball and the way it bounces, they should dribble in place with their right hand, keeping their hand on top of the ball and pushing it to the floor as hard as possible all while keeping it in control. Then switch to the left hand. Finally, the athletes should dribble from one end of the court to the other with their right hand, then their left hand, and then alternating hands on each dribble. Make sure they keep their eyes up and have them gradually increase their speed with each lap.

    Shoot

    • Proper form is essential when shooting a basketball.

      If the basketball players are not strong enough to shoot a regulation size ball into a regulation hoop, invest in smaller balls and lower the hoop. It is most important that they learn the proper form first. First practice the proper form without a ball. Their shooting arm should be shaped like an "L" with their shooting hand tilted backwards toward their face. Their non-shooting hand should be perpendicular to their shooting hand, acting as a guide. Have the players practice flicking their wrists and hands forward in a shooting motion, demonstrating proper follow through. Once they have this mastered, give them a ball and have them stand in front of the hoop, about four feet back. Tell them to shoot the ball with proper form. With each made shot, allow them to take a step back. This will teach them the proper way to shoot with proper form from different distances.

    Pass

    • Teach young basketball players to pass properly.

      Have each player choose a partner. Give one partner a ball. Three different passes should be practiced. The chest pass involves the player holding the ball at his or her chest with both hands and pushing the ball out with the end goal being that the other partner catches the ball at his or her chest level. When passing, the players should flick their hands outward to give it power.

      The bounce pass is performed the same way as a chest pass, but a bounce pass hits the floor before reaching the partner. Have the basketball players aim about 2/3 of the way between the two players for the ball to hit the floor.

      The final pass is the overhead or soccer pass. The athletes should hold the ball above their heads, tilt the ball back, and then thrust forward. The ball should travel on a straight line, not lofted in the air, and should be caught between the chest and face. With each successful pass, the players should take a step backward.