Through my years of experience as the Director of Head Start Basketball I have created a list of 5 essential skills that I believe every youth basketball player should work to develop as they are learning the game.

1. Shooting Form

It is critical that young players learn to shoot with proper technique. I start every one of my individual skills training sessions with form shooting 3 feet in front of the basket. Helping young players to develop good form is critical their future success as a shooter. Watch young players shoot when no one is around and they’ll be throwing the ball up towards the basket from the three point line with horrendous form. I try to get kids to focus on developing form while they’re young and then work their way back as their shot improves and develops over time.

2. Ballhandling

Put a ball in every young player’s hands as much as possible. This means dribbling in the basement, the garage, the driveway, on a family walk. During practices every kids should tons of reps with the ball. Practices should be designed to maximize opportunities to dribble, pass, catch, and make decisions with the ball. Pay close attention to working on your young player’s weak hand. It doubles their options in a game and the more confident they are with their weak hand, the stronger player they will be.

3. Coordination

Skips, gallops, jump rope, cartwheels, carioca, running, jumping, throwing, shuffling, kicking, catching, starting, stopping or any combination of them. Young players should focus on a variety of gross motor skills so that they develop athleticism that will continue to benefit them for years to come. Add in dribbling or passing while doing these movements to increase the challenge. Solid footwork is a key to long term basketball success. Don’t overlook it.

4. Speed/Quickness

This goes hand in hand with coordination. When a young player can move quickly through space they have advantages that translate to any athletic activity, not just basketball. Simple games of tag at the start of practice encourage the development of speed, quickness, and elusiveness that all athletes need. Once they have learned the correct technique for a skill, encourage your young player to practice at game speed.

5. The Ability to Make Mistakes

Make sure that you encourage your young player to make mistakes while practicing their basketball skills. By this I mean pushing themselves beyond their current skill level. The only way for growth to occur is to challenge the body to do something new and more difficult. The type of practice that occurs at the edge of a player’s capabilities is the most beneficial. Encourage your young player to get out of their comfort zone. Make sure they understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process. If they are comfortable pushing themselves to that point without worry that a coach or parent will criticize them for those mistakes their skill level will improve dramatically.

Focus on these 5 areas in your young player’s skill development and watch their game elevate to the next level.

I have spent the past 20 years running basketball camps where our players play only half-court games with less than five players on a team. I am a firm believer that young players, specifically those in elementary school, are able to learn the game and improve much more quickly when they play half-court games with less than 5 players on a team. If you played basketball as a kid and there weren’t enough players you made due with what you had and played 3 on 3 in the driveway or the playground. Young players today don’t get enough exposure to these kinds of games. They are often playing organized basketball beginning at age 6 or 7, most of which is played 5 on 5 full-court with ten foot baskets. I am a believer in keeping the basket heights below ten feet as young players learn the game and develop the strength necessary to shoot properly at a ten foot basket.

What are the benefits of 3 on 3? The most obvious benefit is more opportunities to have the ball. In a 5 on 5 game ten players must share one ball. That ratio is cut down in 3 on 3 allowing for more touches for each player. The best players tend to have the ball the most during 5 on 5 and the least skilled players rarely get to handle the ball. In 3 on 3 everyone has to touch the ball to create spacing and passing angles. It is more likely that all 3 players will be involved in the action. There is a much more even distribution of touches among the players. Kids have more fun because they get the ball more often.

Another benefit is the elimination of time spent running up and down the court. This is often a time when turnovers and mass confusion occurs as kids can often outrun their ability to dribble and pass. By keeping the game in the half-court more basketball skills are utilized and the pace of the game is slowed down allowing for a more effective learning environment.

There is less congestion on the court. There is more room to pass and cut. There is more room to drive to the basket. It is easier for kids to know who their man is and develop the ability to help their teammate on defense. Spacing is improved and there is more freedom of movement.

There is no zone defense. Nothing is worse for player development than a youth league team playing a zone. The defense just stands around and the offense is often forced to take bad shots because their skill sets don’t allow them to attack a zone defense properly. A wide open 15 footer is not a good shot for most 9 year olds.

Soccer has recognized the benefits of short squad play for a long time through futsol, and the younger the age group, the less kids are on the field. Football 7 on 7 leagues have become more popular and led to more highly skilled quarterbacks and receivers. Basketball has neglected short squad play at an organized level for a long time. Encourage your young player to get out and play 4 on 4 or 3 on 3. Look for a local league or tournament for them to play in. Short squad basketball is a great way for kids to get more reps with the ball, improve their skills, and have fun.