Junior Basketball Drills

Good basketball players know that in order to be successful they must repetitively do drills and condition themselves so they are fundamentally sound and consistent. When these players are first starting out the drills should be fun and interesting to help maintain interest and the attention of the player doing them. The best drills for junior basketball players are disguised as games, because they keep basketball fun while teaching the fundamentals to be successful.

  1. Passing Line Relay

    • This is a good drill for teaching passing, catching and basic pivoting. Divide your players into two equal teams and line them up five feet apart. The first player passes to the second player in line. The second player must turn 180 degrees, using a simple pivot, and pass to the next player. This continues to the end of the line when the kids must turn 180 degrees back the other direction and throw it back to the person who threw it to them. The line that completes the drill first wins. Make sure that each team is correctly executing the drill by using the fundamentals of passing. Work on a variety of passes such as the bounce pass, chest pass and overhead pass.

    Red Light Green Light

    • A fun drill and a variation of the traditional child's game, this drill helps develop dribbling skills. Each player lines up on the baseline with the ball. When the coach yells "green light," the players move forward as quickly as possible while dribbling the ball. When the coach yells "red light," the players must stop and maintain their dribble. Send any player who loses the ball or picks up the ball back to the start. Mix it up so players are using both hands depending on which light color you called.

    Knock Out

    • This is another fun drill that will help develop concentration and correct jump shooting form. Have your team line up at the foul line, or closer to the basket if you are working with younger kids. Give the first and second player in line a ball. The first player shoots and if the shot goes in, he goes to the end of the line. If he misses, he rebounds and the second player attempts to make a shot before the first player puts his ball in the basket. If the second player makes it before the first, the first player is out. This continues until the last person remains. Make sure that the kids are shooting the ball correctly rather than just trying to avoid being eliminated.

    Dribble Tag

    • Each player has a basketball. Just like the traditional game of tag, one player is designated as "it." The player who is "it" maintains his dribble while trying to tag one of the other players. If another player gets tagged he is "it." To make this more challenging, if a player who is not "it" loses control of his ball, he becomes "it."