How to Teach Small Kids to Play Basketball

The Dribble

• 1

  Have your young charges simply bounce the ball. Dribbling is one of the simplest ideas in basketball. The easiest way for someone to learn to dribble is simply by doing it. A helpful tip for those learning to dribble is that you dribble with the tips of your fingers and not your palms.

• 2

  Instruct your players to keep their heads up. This isn't a big deal when kids are just starting out, but as they progress it's important to remind them to keep their head up so they can see where they're going and observe all their options on the floor. Whether they want to pass or shoot, keeping their head up makes calculating their next move infinitely easier.

• 3

  Practice dribbling by running some drills. An easy drill is to have them simply dribble the ball while walking up the floor. As your players progress, try putting down some cones and having them weave through them. This teaches them to control the ball while changing direction.

The Pass

• 4

  Instruct your players to hold the basketball to their chest while gripping the ball on both sides. This stance is the foundation for any good chest pass. If their stance is correct, their elbows should point out at their sides.

• 5

  Instruct them to step toward the desired passing target while simultaneously pushing the ball toward the target. The step and the push are designed to put more power behind the ball. The extra force helps ensure that the pass reaches its desired destination instead of getting picked off by a defender.

• 6

  Practice this by having your kids pair up and face each other from a few feet apart and pass the ball back and forth. This has the added bonus of also improving their ability to catch a pass. Players can also practice the chest pass on their own by bouncing the ball against a wall and aiming for a specific target.

The Shot

• 7

  Set your players' feet about shoulder width apart. This sets their shooting stance and gives their body greater balance as they set up their shot.

• 8

  Position their hands. Right-handed shooters need to slide their right hand behind the ball so that it is between them and the ball. They can allow their left hand to stay on the side of the ball to steady and balance it. Left-handed shooters align their hands in the opposite manner. It's important that you have players practice setting their shooting hands a lot so that the motion is practically committed to memory.

• 9

  Tell the kids to focus on the basket. They need to look at the basket while setting up a shot. A good idea is to have other players stand in front of them with their hands up. If your players are able to focus through this small obstacle, they will fare better when it comes to game time.

• 10

  Have your players raise the ball. They need to bring the ball almost to face level --- but it's important that they are still able to see the basket over the ball. Have them bring it up, ready to shoot.

• 11

  Tell them to shoot the ball. With their left hand still steadying the ball, they need to push the ball toward the basket with their right hand and arm. It's important that they follow through with the whole motion so that they are fully extending their shooting arm. Not following through could cause their shots to fall short. A simple exercise is to have them simply mime through the motion of shooting the ball without a ball.

The Defense

• 12

  Explain to your players that the most basic idea on defense is to stay between the player with the ball and the basket. Your players need to know that the last thing you want to do on defense is give a ball handler a free pass to two points. Have your players go back and forth on the court shuffling their feet. This teaches them to be mobile while still keeping an eye on the ball.

• 13

  Tell you players to stay low on defense. By bending their knees and staying lower than the player handling the ball, your players ensure that they are just as prepared as their opponent is to move. Guide to Coaching Basketball says a good rule of thumb is to "make sure your head is always lower than the head of the guy you are guarding." Again, this is a simple concept that can be applied to a shuffling exercise. Have your players stay low while going back and forth.

• 14

  Keep the hands up. The easiest way to disrupt a pass or contest a shot is to keep your hands up and in the ball handler's face. A good way to ingrain this into your players' heads is to make it a part of the shuffling drill.