Of all the youth basketball drills I know, the drill I find young kids enjoy most is fairly basic. When I find if I’m losing their attention this is a good one to bring them back.
I start with a line at baseline with the front of the line to pass in (under our goal). Another player is just outside the key to receive the pass. As the pass comes in, the passer moves straight into the key to a position he knows he can’t miss (I always get the kids to find “their” spot where they can hit them every time) and the receiver passes back to him, but only when he calls for it. I find this works out who calls for it even when they’re out of position, because if they haven’t got to “their” spot before they call for it, there’s no excuse for them to miss the shot.
You can vary the drill with defenders in the key. After the shot has been made the receiver goes to the back of the line and the passer/shooter becomes the receiver. The receiver can also be instructed to go in for the rebound after the pass to back up the shooter.
As I said it’s probably an old worn out drill, but I find, especially for the younger players, it lets them see the importance of positioning and following the shot.
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