LOVELAND BASKETBALL

CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK

CONTENTS
POSITIVE COACHING 2

BASKETBALL CONCEPTS 8

BASKETBALL SKILLS 11
-POINTS OF EMPHASIS-

UNDER OUT OF BOUNDS PLAYS 13

BASKETBALL DRILLS 14
-REINFORCING CONCEPTS-

BASKETBALL PHILOSOPHY 15

Prepared by:
Todd Benzinger

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POSITIVE COACHING
Kids should come away from sports with a heightened sense of themselves as people who can strive for great things, who
learn they can get up and try again…who are less afraid, and more willing to take the risk that achievement and excellence require
in all of us…who are willing to set goals for themselves and then make the commitment to achieve those goals.
Every kid can develop a stronger sense of herself through participation as a member of a team. Every child can learn
important lessons about life by making great efforts, enjoying the taste of victory, and returning to try again after a loss.
MORE-BETTER-LONGER: More kids having a better time and staying with it longer.

1. RELENTLESS POSITIVITY
¾ A relentless commitment to positive coaching brings the biggest successes and has the most impact. And it’s when
things go wrong that positive coaching has the most impact.
¾ Punishment leaves bad feelings that eat away at motivation. Excelling requires emotional energy; when kids are yelled at
and criticized, their emotional energy is used up being angry, feeling sorry for themselves, thinking up reasons why the
coach is wrong, etc.
¾ When a kid is secure in knowing she will be valued and accepted by her coach, no matter how she performs, more of her
energy can go to responding to the challenge.
¾ Take note of players who do things you want to reinforce, and take time to share with them the things noted. Try to have
things noted for everybody, and give equal (if not more) recognition for “character” items (attendance, punctuality, never
giving up, etc). This helps motivate the kid to continue her efforts because she knows any improvement will be given
attention.
¾ Ask kids to help observe good things that other kids are doing. They love to feel appreciated by their peers as well as by
their coaches.
¾ Note negative things but don’t share them with the team. Praise in public, criticize in private.

2. IDEAS & INSPIRATION

¾ Three effective ways to communicate ideas that motivate:
a. Stories – Collect and catalog stories to tell.
b. Metaphors – Create metaphors to bring to life what you’re trying to get across to your easily distracted players.
c. Vision – When the opportunity is articulated clearly to a group of people it has the ability to generate enthusiasm
that can lead to great efforts and surprising successes.
¾ Human energy can be created. It comes from emotions, and emotions are released by ideas. Ideas in the form of stories,
metaphors, and vision will help players become motivated to make more effort than they think is possible.

3. ENGAGEMENT
¾ Three ways to increase player’s engagement in their own development and learning:
a. Ask rather than tell - Look for opportunities to ask the players what they should be doing in the course of a
practice or game. Kids will be forced to think, and if they are not punished for making poor choices, they will
improve their decision-making over time.
b. Get kids teaching each other – If kids can’t explain or demonstrate a skill to someone else, they may not
understand it enough to retain it. Expect them to teach each other at times.

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 c. Goal-setting – Suggest a goal and then work to get the player to enthusiastically endorse the goal as his own.
Get their buy-in so that that they are not just going through the motions doing what they think some adults think
they should be doing.

4. SELF-ESTEEM
¾ The language of self-esteem is encompassed in two phrases: I can do this and I can learn to do this. A coach who builds
in his players the tendency to use this vocabulary, by showing them that they can do and learn to do, is giving a great and
lasting gift to them: the belief that they are strong enough and smart enough to handle whatever life throws at them.
¾ Endorsement is the key to self-worth. The youth coach’s first job is to like his players and show that he does; to endorse
them and let them know he supports them.
¾ How to increase self-esteem in your players:
a. Names – Know names and know them quickly. Players should hear their names spoken in a friendly tone often.
b. Smiling – Coaches communicate that they like a player more easily by smiling than any other way.
c. Appropriate touching - Pats on the back, handshakes, and high fives after good efforts communicate that you
like and value your players.
d. Influence-ability – A coach who can be influenced by his players is communicating that he values their opinions.
e. Listening – Listening without interruption can communicate caring to the player, that you take them seriously.
f. Express appreciation and recognition – Kids feel great and are more inclined to make additional efforts when
you notice the efforts they make. Remember to be honest (a “happy talk” coach loses credibility), be specific
(“nice block-out,” is better than “nice job”), and try to tie their efforts to the overall success of the team.

5. BUILDING CHARACTER
¾ In adversity lies the potential for development of mental toughness and other positive character traits. As time passes, the
stressful nature of the challenges fades but the character lessons live on.
¾ Positive character traits:
a. Mental toughness – Empathize when a player gets in a tough spot but also remind her that this is an
opportunity to develop mental toughness. Help the player learn that winning is not the only criterion of success;
that it is by trying new and challenging things that one gets mentally tougher.
b. Having fun – The ability to enjoy challenges is a character trait that makes for happier, more successful people.
Because they are having fun, they put more of their energy into trying to figure out how to solve a problem and
less into unproductive worrying.
c. Winning and losing with class – Take delight in seeing a player respond to a bad call or a tough loss with
class. Point out examples of classy behavior to your players (helping opponent’s up, etc).
d. Courage – You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear
in the face.
e. Commitment to goals – Help your players determine what their goals are. Ask them to think about what they
want to accomplish, and to come back to the next practice with a clear idea that they can share with you.

¾ The only thing we bring to our life is the amount of effort we put into it. Our talent, our personality, the amount of wealth of
the family into which we are born – all are given to us. But what is up to us is how hard we are going to try. If you can
communicate to your players that it is the amount of effort they are willing to put into fielding or hitting, shooting and
rebounding, and blocking and tackling that will determine how good they can become, you will be giving them an
invaluable gift.
¾ Teaching positive character traits:

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 1) Introduce and define the character trait.
2) Look for opportunities to illustrate the concept as the season progresses.
3) Reinforce, model, and intervene when appropriate.
4) Look for stories to share with the players.

6. MISTAKES
¾ A coach who makes it okay for his players to make mistakes will, over time, get more effort toward the goals of trying to
win, developing skills, and having fun than a coach who reacts to each mistake like it was the end of the world. Give the
kids the chance to experiment with making gigantic efforts without horrible consequences when they fail.
¾ Mistakes and substitutions – Don’t remove a player immediately after an obvious mistake. By removing a player after an
obvious error, a coach is saying that it is not okay to make the error. Dunderhead mistakes in front of the whole world are
great opportunities to communicate that you care about a player independent of ability.
¾ Fear of making a mistake is a paralyzing force that robs athletes of spontaneity, love of the game, and a willingness to try
new things. It’s the mistakes-are-okay approach that gives the sense of freedom that can unlock the learning process and
occasionally release truly inspired athletic performance.

7. PRACTICES
¾ The only way to truly acquire a skill is to overlearn it. In the heat of an athletic contest, what most determines the outcome
is the habitual responses of the athletes.
¾ Develop a core of activities, centered on fundamental skills that need constant reinforcement. Building around a core
practice schedule:
1) Helps you to remember to focus on fundamentals as the season progresses.
2) Cuts down on wasted energy. Players know they will be doing certain things at certain times.
3) Allows everyone to focus most of the creative energy on learning the new things that are introduced in any
particular practice session.
¾ Pace your practices by using pauses to serve as punctuation marks to emphasize the lessons you’re trying to teach.
¾ Organize practices in a pattern of teach-drill-scrimmage:
1) Introduce a skill. Describe it, demonstrate it, explain why it is important. Be brief!
2) Send them off to practice it. Give then time to struggle with it without breathing down their necks.
3) Practice it in a game-like setting. Stop the scrimmage at times to remind them to incorporate the new skills.
¾ The ideal practice session allows players to work hard, run off energy, try new things, have some choice about what they
do, and converse with their teammates – all while operating within a structure that allows the coach to have a significant
measure of control when you need it.

8. GAME COACHING
¾ Athletes are most vulnerable at this time. They are on public display for everyone to see. If they fail at something that is
important to their self-image, the last thing they need is for someone who supposedly cares about them as a person (not
just an athlete) to get down on them. When a coach lets his players know that he is for them no matter what, they can
turn their inner energies toward doing their best in a game.
¾ When an athlete is performing an action she knows how to do very well, her performance may well improve when
performing before a crowd. When performing a skill that she is not totally secure in performing, the performance level is
likely to decrease with a crowd present.
¾ Preparing for the game:
1) Have a game plan – Even a flawed plan gives you a reference point on which to make adjustments.

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 2) Make adjustments – Recognize patterns in the game and anticipate when to adjust.
3) Anticipate the opposition – Ask yourself, “What would I do against my team?”
4) Adjust for officiating – Complaining to officials will get the players to also complain. When officials make
calls tighter or looser than expected, alert the players to and encourage them to adjust their style of play.
¾ Encourage players to welcome any nervousness they feel as a way to help them get up for the game. If you feel a player
may be too nervous before a contest, give the player specific tasks to perform early in the game. They will focus on that
instead of the anxiety.
¾ The most important support a coach can give his players in a tense, pressure-filled game is to remind them to relax and
simply have fun. In the moment of truth in a hard-fought game, it really won’t matter all that much who won or lost many
years later. What does and will continue to mater are the values that those athletes take away with them from those
contests.

9. PARENTS
¾ What parents want from a coach:
1) To be in the information loop – Advance information on games, start and end times for practices, etc.
2) To hear good things about their kids – Speak to every parent often about their kids.
3) To see their kids play – Look for every chance to play your less-skilled players more often.
4) To be among friends – Adults appreciate when a coach learns their names, expresses appreciation for
what they do, etc. And they, in turn, will want you to succeed and will be willing to help you.
¾ Guidelines for a coach-parent relationship:
5) Don’t put the player in the middle – Ask parents to talk directly to you if they have a problem.
6) No instructions during a game – Ask parents if they have a suggestion to improve their child’s play so that
you can tell the player, if appropriate. That way, the player won’t be confused by conflicting instructions.
7) Don’t disparage the other team – Ask parents to be careful to avoid inadvertent comments in the stands.

10. WINNING & LOSING

¾ The danger with “too-high” standards:
1) Whining – Failure to win may cause players to blame someone else (refs, teammates, other team cheated).
2) Cheating – Cheating is rarely accompanied by increased efforts, and it is increased effort in response to
struggling or losing that make a person an ultimate winner.
3) Dropping out – Mentally as well as physically. Either kind is most often where too-high standards lead.
¾ Coaching is rife with double standards & hypocrisy. By trying to hold yourself to the same standards that you expect your
players to meet, you may find yourself with more reasonable & encouraging standards for you & your players.
¾ One tragedy from overemphasizing winning is that we overlook important lessons to be learned from losing. It’s hard to
develop the positive character trait of persistence in the face of adversity without the adversity.
¾ The real test of character is not how many times we get knocked down, but how many times we get back up. A
knockdown can be a big advantage that can help kids learn to become the kind of person who gets back up, which is as
good a definition of a winner as can be imagined.

11. BUILDING OUTSTANDING COMPETITORS

¾ Characteristics of the outstanding competitor:
1) Internal Motivation – It is internal passion for the sport that unleashes super performance. You simply
don’t get to the highest level without an incredible amount of practice. And most people aren’t willing to put

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 in the significant amount of practice time needed to develop high-level skills unless they enjoy the activity
itself.
2) Energized by challenges – Outstanding competitors want to compete at a level that will push them to be at
their best, not at a level where they can succeed without risk.
3) Seeing development as a process under their control – If they cannot perform a certain skill, they know
that they could learn it if they worked harder and longer at it.
4) Decision-makers rather than order-takers – Outstanding competitors tend to be independent and willing
to challenge conventional wisdom.
5) Accepts success and failure – Fear of failure does not paralyze them.
¾ What coaches can do:
1) Educate them about internal motivation:
a. Ask her how good she wants to become by season’s end.
b. Tell her you will work her hard during practices but to become really good they will need to motivate themselves
outside of practice.
c. Avoid contingent rewards; they undermine an athlete’s internal motivation.
2) Encourage them to see skills as acquirable. Many kids don’t believe they are. Stories of other players acquiring
their skills through hard work and practice can motivate them to do the same.
3) Encourage personal goal-setting and charting. A written record provides feedback and helps keep a player’s
focus. Charting of goals that are clear and measurable is a critical part of providing athletes with a program of
mastery experiences.
4) Focus on the do-able parts of any challenge. Emphasize areas of competition that your players are able to control
(conditioning, blocking out, etc).
5) Desensitize them to pressure – Introduce pressure situations in practice. Downplay the importance of winning
relative to doing one’s best. When an athlete focuses on doing her best, she experiences less pressure and is more
likely to win than if she rigidly focuses on winning as the only thing of value.

12. COACHING SPECIAL KIDS

¾ The superstar:
a. Push her to develop skills beyond what she needs to excel at the level she is on now. Work with her on thinking
about what she needs to do to succeed at the next level.
b. Nearly everyone eventually reaches their level of mediocrity. The superstar who has been treated like royalty will
have a very difficult time putting out their great efforts when the royalty treatment ends.
¾ The weak athlete – More than anything, make sure she has fun. And any person who can enjoy playing a sport even
when she is not very good at it is something special.
¾ The child with behavior problems – Be patient. A problem child is a discouraged child. If you can act as if you aren’t
really upset with her behavior, she will correct the behavior soon.

13. BECOMING A TEAM

¾ The requirements of a successful team:
1) Acceptance – Each player must feel that she is accepted her coaches and teammates before she can
devote anything close to 100% of her energies to improving as an athlete and helping the team win.
2) Influence – Once a player knows she can exert an adequate amount of influence, she then can throw
herself wholeheartedly into helping the team win.

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 3) Identity – Am I an important member of this team? Do I have a role that will help the tram achieve its
goals? Look for ways to help each player feel like an important part of the team.
4) Goal-matching – Each player needs to feel that she wins if the team wins.
¾ “The Portable Home Court Advantage” – Tell your players that they can take their home court advantage with them by
supporting themselves in visible, audible ways.
¾ “JUST CARING ABOUT EACH OTHER AND WANTING EACH OTHER TO DO WELL.” If you can help your players
achieve that state of mind, you have helped them become something rare and wonderful – a true team.

14. YOUR GOALS AS A COACH

¾ Create an environment in which kids and adults have fun with basketball.
a. Encourage players often; for effort as well as results.
b. Show by behavior that each is an important member of the team, regardless of how they perform.
c. Give players comparable playing time.
d. Show your enjoyment of the game to the players.
¾ Teach skills, rules, and strategy to your players.
a. Provide adequate repetition of teaching. Lessons often need repeating before they are understood.
b. Organize practices to maximize learning and minimize standing around.
c. Encourage players to set individual and team goals corresponding to their ability level.
d. Minimize negative emphasis on mistakes, which are required for learning to take place.
¾ Model and teach competitiveness with an emphasis on good sportsmanship.
a. Teach players aggressiveness and sportsmanship at the same time.
b. Obey the rules and show respect for the referees even when you disagree.
c. Acknowledge good plays by the opposition to your players.
d. Always treat players on other teams as members of the community first and as opponents second. Refrain from
words or actions that undercut the self-esteem of players on other teams.
¾ Promote increased self-esteem among children and adults.
a. Encourage players whenever possible. Kids can’t read your mind, and they often determine whether they are
liked and accepted by adults by what the adult says and does.
b. Spend comparable instruction time with all players, regardless of ability.
c. Show appreciation for parents involved with the team.

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BASKETBALL CONCEPTS
Kids playing elementary and middle school basketball need to understand the concepts of basketball at the same time
they are picking up the basic fundamentals. When they understand how the pace, flow, speed, and strategies of a well-played
basketball game, the drills and skills they are learning and performing in practice will have context and meaning, and they will work
harder to master them.
Don’t spend much time on set plays and offenses; you don’t have enough time to teach them correctly anyway.
Concepts like spacing and moving without the ball carry over from team to team, the “flex offense” and the “diamond press” do not.
Develop defenders, not defenses; players, not plays.

1. DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS
¾ Convert to defense: A lightening-quick conversion from offense to defense, both physically and mentally.
Suggestion: Allow drills to be full court as much as possible; let the defense take it the other way and score.
Drill to reinforce: Conversion Drill.
¾ Pressure the ball: Intense, constant pressure on the ball is the most important characteristic of any defense.
Suggestion: Ask players, “How do you not like to be guarded when you have the ball?” Then make them guard that
way. If they are more than an arm’s length away, they may be too far.
Drills to reinforce: 1x1 Zig-Zag; 1x1 Live.
¾ Help and recover: Refers to players playing off-the-ball defense. Allows players guarding the ball to really pressure the
ball, knowing their teammates will provide help on penetration.
Suggestion: Constantly emphasize vision on both ball and man. You can’t help on a drive you don’t see.
Drills to reinforce: 2x2 Help and Recover; 4x4 Shell.
¾ Anticipate: Players are not reacting, but anticipating what the offense does, taking them out of what they want to do.
Suggestion: Get players to know the opposition’s strengths and tendencies. Reward them for calculated gambles,
regardless of the outcome.
Drills to reinforce: Anticipation is an intangible that can be demonstrated in any live drill. Encourage it.
¾ “One-and-done” rebounding - One shot, hopefully a bad one, for the opposition. All rebounds are yours.
Suggestion: Finish all drills with a made shot or rebound. Have players yell “SHOT!” instinctually; this tells
teammates to block-out and get the ball.
Drill to reinforce: 2 x 2 rebounding.

TRY TO AVOID:
1) Zone defenses – They work against most young teams, but you’re breeding laziness and passivity. You may need to
play it at times (foul trouble), but play it actively and aggressively.
2) Switching – Same reasons.
3) “Quiet” defenses – A quiet defense is a bad defense. On the flip side, a talkative defense is an alert, aggressive
defense. I GOT HER! BALL! HELP! SCREEN RIGHT! GET THRU-GET THRU! SHOT!

Show your commitment to defense by working on it every day. If you take pride in it, they will too.
2. OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS

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¾ Push the ball – Refers to getting the ball upcourt as quickly and as safely as possible. Most teams do not consistently
convert to defense quickly, so this gives you a chance to score before they set up their defense.
Suggestion: You really have to be in great condition to be a running team, so put a premium on conditioning!
Drills to reinforce: Conversion Drill
¾ Maintain proper spacing – In the half court offense, try to have 12-15 feet between players. This puts the defender on
the ball on an “island” and leaves the other defenders susceptible to passing and cutting action.
Suggestion: Put tape on the floor 12-15 feet apart, showing spots to move to and operate from.
¾ Catch and square up in triple threat position - This puts you in position to shoot, dribble, or pass, and tells the defense
you are a threat to score. It also allows time for screeners to screen, cutters to cut, and posters to post.
Suggestion: Use verbal cue “triple threat” constantly, in practice and in games.
Drill to reinforce: 3 x 0 Perimeter Passing
¾ Move without the ball - This makes you hard to guard and keeps your defender’s attention on you and off the ball.
Suggestion: Remind your players that they cannot ever pass and stand still. They have four options: 1) Pass and cut
to the basket; 2) Pass and screen away from the ball; 3) Pass and screen for the receiver; and 4) Pass and v-cut and
replace yourself.
Drill to reinforce: No-dribble Scrimmage.
¾ Attack the basket – Penetrate by pass or by dribble. Nearly every winning team scores more points in the paint than
their opponents.
Suggestion: Remind players to square up upon receiving every pass, putting them in position to feed an open post
player. Also: Use shot fakes to get the defense up in the air, allowing you to attack the basket with the dribble.
Drills to reinforce: Layup-Only Scrimmage; Post-Touch Scrimmage
¾ Read the defense - Taking what the defense gives you is at the heart of any great offense. No set offense is needed for
the team that takes advantage of defensive breakdowns.
Suggestion: Run a 3-Out, 2-In Motion Offense. Since this is not a set offense, players learn to think for themselves
on the floor – instead of having a patterned offense do the thinking for them. A great web site diagrams this offense
beautifully; find it at http://www.hoopsclub.com/playbook.htm
Drills to reinforce: Play a lot of 2x2 and 3x3. Put players in position to read the defense in order to score (Note:
Players must play intense on defense).
¾ Attack the boards – Shooting is generally very poor at lower levels; perhaps most of your points will come off of offensive
rebounds.
Suggestion: Have a 4-1 rebounding plan. Assign one player – usually the point guard – to rotate back toward
halfcourt on all shots, and have the other four hit the glass hard.
Drills to reinforce: 3-Team War (Meatgrinder).

DRILL SUGGESTIONS:
¾ Move quickly from drill to drill in practice (you need to name your drills in order to do this). It maximizes your practice time
and keeps the kids mentally on their toes.
¾ Eliminate the long lines. Kids need a lot of repetitions.
¾ Make drills fun, which usually means competitive. Have players constantly competing against the clock, against each
other, and against their personal bests.

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3. NOTES ON SPECIAL SITUATIONS
¾ Jump ball
a. Have a plan. Show the opposition you are coaching right from the start.
b. Should get the tip: Have players on the side of the jumper – as she tips to one, the other will take off for the
basket and look for the pass from the receiver of the tip.
c. Should lose the tip: Have all players get between their man and their opponents’ basket. Look to step in and
“block-out” potential receiver.
¾ Foul shots
a. Opponents shooting: Players underneath need to drive their hips and butt into offensive player in order to clear
space. Communicate as to who will block out shooter.
b. We are shooting: Players underneath stay low and hold your ground. Watch the over-the-back call. Also
beware of an opponent sneaking back to cherry-pick.
a. Foul shots situations are a great chance to talk to a player. Take advantage to teach during these times.
¾ Out of bounds plays
a. Do from one formation (included Seven Hills Girls number series are all from the box formation).
b. Practice frequently – these are great scoring opportunities.
c. Call and set up quickly; be waiting for the referee to give you the ball. Many teams don’t set their defense quickly
and you might catch them sleeping.
¾ Late game situations
a. Your goal is to have your five best players ready to go full speed for the last five minutes of a game.
b. Work on late game situations on a daily basis in practice – they will respond more effectively and more
confidently if they’ve done it many times before.
c. Behind late:
1) Press and trap.
2) Get the ball upcourt and develop good shots quickly.
3) Send all players to the boards.
4) Foul the poorest free-throw shooters.
a. Ahead late:
1) Keep the ball in the hands of your best ball-handlers.
2) Be prepared for presses.
3) Direct offensive play toward opponents in foul trouble.
4) Spread your regular offense slightly and only take easy layups.
¾ Using timeouts
a. Try to avoid calling timeouts early in the game.
b. Don’t let players call timeouts on their own.
c. Before calling a timeout, see if the other coach is trying to call one.

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BASKETBALL SKILLS-POINTS OF EMPHASIS

Rather than cover all the basketball fundamentals, I want to point out a few very basic but very important skills that too
many kids reaching the high school level haven’t mastered. Too hard, too boring – for whatever reason young kids don’t work on
these skills enough, and they pay the price when they face high school players that have.
You probably have and will teach these fundamentals, because they are so basic to the game. But I think they have to
emphasized daily in order for development. Remember that what the kids learn from you is not what you teach; it’s what you
emphasize.

1. OFFENSIVE FUNDAMENTALS
¾ Spend time on the lost art of passing.
a. Use pass fakes to open up passing lanes (“fake a pass to make a pass”).
b. Pass to players moving (“pass away from the defense”). Great passing makes for beautiful, flowing basketball.
c. Suggestion: Emphasize the passing aspect of all drills.
¾ Teach how to set and receive screens.
a. Screener: Call the screen, screen area a step away from defender, set feet, and open up to the ball after cutter goes
by. All screens should be loud, low, and legal.
b. Cutter: Wait for the screen to be set, V-cut in the direction opposite of where you want to go (to set up the defender),
and cut shoulder to shoulder with the screener. Read how the defender plays the screen and either: 1) Pop; 2) Curl;
3) Flare; 4) Go backdoor. Always cut to score.
c. Suggestion: Remind the screener that the better her screen, the more likely that she will be open if she opens to the
ball (because her screen forced her defender to help on the cutter).
d. Suggestion: Scrimmage and secretly keep score of off-the-ball screens set. Losing team runs. The players will get the
message!
¾ Always catch and square up in triple threat position.
a. Kids love to get it and go – most of the time with nowhere to go. To read the defense, players need to see the floor,
and to see the floor they first need to square up and get in triple threat position. Every time.
b. Suggestion: You should be yelling “triple threat” a couple dozen times every practice.
¾ Dribble effectively with both hands.
a. A kid who can’t dribble with her opposite cuts her area of operation on the court by 50%. And is unmercifully picked
on by smart high school teams every time she has the ball.
b. Suggestion: Have a 3 to 1 ratio of opposite hand to strong hand dribble work in drills.
c. Suggestion: Make defenders overplay strong hands in scrimmages. This forces dribblers to get better, and also
reminds defenders to exploit opponent’s weaknesses in games.
¾ Work daily on shooting form.
a. Kids like to shoot around; if they are shooting around with bad form, they are reinforcing bad habits that will be next to
impossible to correct in high school.
b. Not BEEF for me but BELF. Balance (feet shoulder width and staggered, with shooting side foot up), Elbow in, Lift
(meaning power from the legs), and Follow-Through (high and exaggerated).
c. Suggestion: Work on form 5 minutes a day, early in every practice. This will stress the importance of good form.

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2. DEFENSIVE FUNDAMENTALS
¾ Get – and stay – in a stance.
c. If you go to a youth game and see a team do this for the whole game, you say to yourself, “Wow – what a well-
coached team!”
d. The benefits to a great stance are greater than you may think. Besides being quicker, they are mentally more alert
simply by being in that stance. It’s hard-wired in the fight portion of our “fight or flight” response for that reason.
e. Technique: Feet spread, back straight, head up, shoulders up, butt down.
f. Suggestion: Wall-sits, lane slides, and zig-zag drills are all great because they build leg strength and stamina, but
emphasize transfer of great stances from drill to scrimmage. That transfer is rarely made.
g. “Stance-stance-stance!” should probably be your most used verbal cue of all.
¾ Have active hands on the ball.
a. Tied into pressure on the ball, kids need to use their hands to block vision, deflect passes, and occasionally steal a
sloppy crossover.
b. Too often (because of being tired or too passive), defenders have their hands down at their sides, giving the ball-
handler a chance to focus on the court instead of on them, which is where the focus needs to be.
c. Warning! – There’s a fine line between active hands and reaching. Active hands are used while staying in your
stance, low and balanced; reaching involves getting on your toes and losing balance. Fouls and drive-bys are usually
the result of reaching.
d. Drills to reinforce: 2x1 Keepaway, 1x1 Zig-Zag
¾ Move your feet
a. Slides or just planning running alongside the ball, players need to keep themselves between the ball and the basket.
b. Suggestion: Poor stances and fatigued legs are the two biggest reasons players get beat on a drive. Work on
stances daily, remind players as games progress to quit reaching and start moving their feet, and make sure you
provide great help on an occasional mismatch.
¾ Rebound rebound rebound!
a. Offense wins fans; defense wins games; rebounds win championships.
b. On the shot, find a body to block out of the lane, pivot hard into her with elbows out and hands up. Stay low and
coiled. Get the ball with a leap, rip, chin, and pivot technique.
c. More important than technique is just wanting that basketball.
d. Rebound with some attitude. It sends a message. If it’s sent early enough in a game, it will set the tone.
e. Suggestion: Handsomely reward your high rebounders, especially the defensive rebounders.

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SPECIAL SITUATIONS – Under Out-of-Bounds Plays

UOOB UOOB UOOB

#1 #2 #2

Frame 1 Frame 2

UOOB UOOB
#3 #3

Frame 1 Frame 2

UOOB UOOB UOOB

#4 #4 #5

Frame 1 Frame 2

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 3x3 Conversion Drill Rotten Egg Rebounding

• Divide into 2 equal teams. • Coach shoots as everyone goes for rebound.
• Play 3x3 fullcourt, with extra players at their respective defensive • Player who gets rebound gives ball back to coach and steps out.

R E B O U N D IN G
outlet positions. Continue shooting until only one is left.
• Defensive player who rebounds or gets the loose ball outlets to • WARNING: Watch for hurt feelings! Be positive at end of drill.
waiting teammate and exits game, getting in outlet position.
• Game is continuous, players leave only by getting the ball going
from offense to defense and outletting. 3-Team War (The Meatgrinder)
• Emphasize getting back on defense and talking—you never know
• Line up 3 evenly-matched teams at the foul line.
who you’ll be guarding.
• Play for a maximum of 5 minutes at a time—this must be intense.
• 1st player in line battles for the rebound off coach’s shot. Player
who puts ball back in basket wins point for his/her team.
• With 10 players, play 4x4. With 12, 5x5. Only have 6-7? 2x2.
• Rough game, but don’t allow excessive fouling.
• OPTION: Count down from 10 if the “battle” rages on too long.
1x1 Zig Zag

• Players partner up and work on stance, slides, and active hands. Kentucky (great for pre-game warmup)
• Dribblers zig-zag from sideline to lane-line extended.
• Two lines under basket, with first person in both lines with a ball.
• Defenders should have “nose on he ball” while they guard. One player is on block facing either line.
• Make it competitive—allow the dribbler to try to beat the defender. • Player passes ball to player on block who shoots ball, rebounds
own shot, and gives the ball to next player in line of passer.

1x1 Live
• Sequence: Pass and cut around/receive and shoot/rebound and
give to next person in passer’s line/go to end of that line.
• One player at top of key; all others in • OPTION 1: Make 10 in a row. OPTION 2: Extend shot to elbow.
D E F E N S IV E D R IL L S

line under basket.

• 1st player in line rolls out ball & plays Modified Scrimmages
1 x 1 with other. Rotate Def-Off-Out.
• Emphasize defense. NO: Layups, • NO DRIBBLE: Halfcourt scrimmage which forces offense players
fouls, or second shots. off the ball to move to get open.
• Limit the offense to 3 dribbles. • POST TOUCH: Play normally, except that the ball must go into the
post man at least once before the offense can shoot. Reminds
team to be inside-oriented.
2x2 Help and Recover
• LAYUPS ONLY: Teaches patience and shot selection.

• Players at key and wing area.

O F F E N S IV E D R IL L S

• The dribbler attacks into the gap while the defender off the ball 3x0 Perimeter Passing
helps stop penetration.
• Help defender then must recover quickly to her man on the kick-out • Perimeter players pass and cut,
pass. pass and screen, and learn to keep
proper spacing.
• Have players get 2-3 repetitions apiece, then let them play live.
• Emphasize catching and squaring
up in triple threat position.
4x4 Shell Defense • Make sure players are going game
speed.
• Offense spaces around the perimeter.
• Offensive players pass and move as
3 x 3 Two Stops (9 or more players)
the defense works on all team
defensive aspects.
• Divide into 3 teams of 3: one team on offense, one on defense,
• Progression: Jumping to ball, stopping and one waiting at half court.
dribble penetration, defending screens,,
trapping/rotating. • Defense must make 2 consecutive stops (not allowing a basket or
offensive rebound) to rotate out. Team they stopped last will now
play defense.
• Great time to coach and teach all phases: OFFENSE: Spacing,
moving w/out ball, passing and catching, attacking basket.
2 x 1 Keepaway DEFENSE: Pressuring, moving feet, seeing ball & man, boxing out.
• OPTION 1: With 6, 7, or 8 players, make it 2 x 2 Two Stops.
• 2 players pass to each other, with defender trying to deflect
passes.
• Passers must wait for defender to approach and challenge. Oklahoma
• No “air passes.” Stress fake a pass to make a pass.
• Two lines, on opposite baselines. 2 balls at the head of each line.
• Rotate players every 20 seconds.
• Players throw ball to coach at foul line, runs down the pass thrown
downcourt, and scores layup at opposite end.
• Continuous drill. Do for a set amount of time (3-5 minutes) and
have team loudly count baskets made. Record team bests!

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LOVELAND BASKETBALL PHILOSOPHY

1. PLAY HARD
¾ Will we win? Maybe. Will we play with more intensity and determination to win? ALWAYS.
2. PLAY SMART
¾ In practice: Work on our weaknesses. In games: Play to our strengths.
3. PLAY TOGETHER
¾ Cheer for and encourage your teammates – there is incredible power in being united.
4. HAVE FUN
¾ Why else are you playing? It’s hard to have fun and not play well!

TEAM PHILOSOPHY IN DETAIL

1. PLAYING HARD. You are playing hard if…

• You always sprint in transition.
• You stay in a good stance on defense.
• You are constantly moving without the ball on offense.
• You always catch the ball in triple-threat position.
• You fight for the rebound every time a shot goes up.
• You play aggressively at all times.
2. PLAYING SMART. You are playing smart if…
• You enter the game prepared.
• You are constantly communicating with your teammates.
• You take away your opponent’s strengths.
• You play to you and your team’s strengths.
• You play according to the game situation.
3. PLAYING TOGETHER. You are playing together if…
• You commit to showing up and working hard at every practice.
• You encourage and support your teammates, knowing that the better they get, the better you get.
• You accept personal responsibility for your actions, and never make excuses.
4. HAVING FUN. You are having fun if…
• You like and respect your teammates, and look forward to being with them.
• Your training, hard work, and determined efforts to get better show up at game time for all the world to see!

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