Teaching Basketball Basics

Whenever I am speaking to a group of brand new or inexperienced youth basketball coaches, I will speak to the topic of “who is your mentor”.  When a coach is attempting to put together a coaching plan of action, including how to teach, what to teach and when to teach it, I always point out that who they ask for advice should be of strategic importance to them.

When seeking investment advice, so often people will ask their neighbor, co-worker or a relative for some “how-to” or “what-to” type of advice.  Does the person asking really know if the one being asked has investment success?  If not, why would someone put their money on the line without having a mentor with a successful investment track record?

It’s similar in coaching.  Who are you asking for advice?  Have they done what you need to know and done it successfully?  Just because someone has a couple of seasons of coaching, or even several years at a higher level, do they know how to teach, what to teach and when to teach it at the level you are working at?

A coach new to working with beginners needs a lot of patience and information.  The first thing, and perhaps the most important factor, should be can that coach work with and teach children at this age level?  Does this coach understand how to teach this age and the psychology involved in teaching, motivating or disciplining a child of this age?

Then, we need to have knowledge of what needs to be taught, in terms of the basics of basketball.  We’re not talking here about what the pros are doing, the teams in the NCAA Final Four, or even your local high school team.  These players, at these levels, are far beyond trying to figure out how to move correctly, how to pass, how to dribble, how to shoot, rebound, make cuts, screens, etc.  They usually have become accomplished enough with these things or they wouldn’t be playing. 

The coach of the beginner needs to know what to teach in a chronology that progresses the child from being lost to becoming newly accomplished at each skill.  You don’t teach shooting or rebounding right out of the gate.  Hence, a game plan of what skills to teach, when to teach them and how to teach them needs to be devised.  It’s a road map for the coach.  It’s lesson plans to get them from the first practice through the season, progressing through all the skills, so at the season’s end each player can execute enough skill to be able to play the game and have fun.

There are myriad selection of teaching books, videos, and coaching courses. There are mentoring programs available online.  For example, there is a FREE program for any coach wishing to know how to teach dribbling, at www. sportslearningonline.com.

Youth basketball is for the youth.  A child must be allowed to be a child. They should be allowed to have fun with learning and playing the game and experience the joy.  A knowledgeable and prepared coach can make all the difference in the child's experience.