1.)  One of the most difficult things to teach young players is how to beat the press.  There are a number of strategies that you can employ.  Bob Filipkowski, the 2004 NYSCA Volunteer Youth Sports Coach of the Year (North Brookfield, Mass.), offers the following advice.  "Every coach says you break the press by passing, not trying to dribble through it.  Try this:  Stand at half court and have an offensive player go to the baseline under the hoop.  Place five defenders in front of the offensive player and tell them to get you the ball.  The player will more than likely try to dribble through the defenders, which usually means a turnover.  After several attempts, tell him to pass the ball.  Passing proves that even though a pplayer is outnumbered, a good one can beat the press every time."

2.)  The better your youngsters become at handling the basketball with both hands, the more success they are going to have - which also translates into more enjoyment.  The following drill helps develop a player's weak hand and teaches players who grab offensive rebounds to shoot the ball quickly without dribbling.

A player stands under the basket with a ball.  Once the coach blows the whistle, the player begins shooting on alternating sides of the basket.  When the player is on the right side of the basket, he must shoot with his right hand.  When he is on the left side, he must shoot with his left hand.  The shooter should use the backboard on every shot and the ball should never touch the floor.

After one minute, conclude the drill.  Players should keep track ofhow many baskets they made with each hand so they can track their progress as the drill is used throughout the season.  It also can be fun to see who can make the most baskets during the one-minute span.  You can ad your own twist to the drill, such as deducting a point every time the ball touches the ground, to keep the interest level high.

3.)  Dribble Tag - Start by giving each player a basketball and designate one person as "it".  On your signal, the players start dribbling while the person who is "it" dribbles around trying to tag another player.  When someone is tagged, that person is "it."  The drill will teach players how to dribble without looking at the ball, as well as how to maneuver and change directions.  To increase the drill's difficulty, have each player dribble with his or her weaker hand.

4.)  Grab the pin - This will teach your players hwo to be aggressive.  Clip two clothespins on the back of each player's jersey - around the shoulder blade area - and give each a basketball.  On your command the players must dribble around the court and try to pluck the clothespins off the other players.  Once a player loses both clothespins they are out of the game.  The player with the most clothespins wins.  However, the ones that are out must go down and practice their shots!!!

5.)  Get Open - Choose two players for offense and two for defense.  Stand on the sideline with the ball and have the offensive players work to receive the in-bounds pass while the defenders try to deny the pass.  Rotate hte players so they can play both offense and defense.

6.)  Fast Break - This is designed to teach your players how to play offense and defense, as well as improve their conditioning.  You need seven players - four on offense and three on defense.  Have the offensive players run a fast break with one player in the middle, two on the wings and one trailing the play.  AFter a shot goes up, the shooter and the player who made the last pass must run back on defense.  The three defensive players must now run a three-on-two fast break the other way.

7.)  Double Trouble - Split the court in half lengthwise.  Organize groups of three by putting a group on each half of the court.  One player in each group is on offense and the other two are on defense.  The offensive player must dribble to the other end of the floor, trying to beat both defenders.  If the defenders steal or knock the ball away, the offensive player gets the ball back at that spot.  Once the offensive player reaches the other end of the floor, he or she must move to defense.  One of the defensive players must move to offense.

8.)  Red Light, Green Light - Start the team at one baseline and allow for plenty of space between each player.  When you shout "Green Light," the players dribble forward.  when you shout, "Red Light," they stop.  To change up the game, throw in some other colors as well.  For example, when you shout "purple" they must turn and dribble to their left, or when you shout "orange" theymust turn and dribble to their right.  To increase the difficulty, make each player dribble with his or her weaker hand thoughout the drill.

9.)  No Dribble - Conduct half-court scrimmages of 3-on-3 and 4-on4 where the players aren't allowed to dribble.  Thsi is an effective way to work on passing skills, and help each player learn how to spot the open teammate.

10.)  Block-Out Drill - Lnie up three players at the top of the free-throw line and line up three more players just inside the free-throw line.  The object of this drill is for the three players closest to the basket to block out the other three players after the coach shoots the ball.  To keep the kids' interest, award a point each time a team gets a rebound.  Play up to five or 10 points and then rotate teams.

For more drills and tips, visit the following webites:

www.basketball-drills-and-plays.com/youth-basketball-drills.html

www.y-coach.com/CD/Basketball_Drills.htm

www.basketball-drills-and-plays.com/youth-basketball-drills.html

www.sacredhoops.com/youth.html

www.onlinebasketballlines.com/Drills/index_drills.htm

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