1st and 2nd Grade Curriculum

Ball Handling
 
 Stationary

• Right hand/left hand dribble

• Stationary front changes (crossover)

continually form the letter “V”; use fingertips to control dribble and create front change; ball below hip level; ball close to legs(shins)

• One-handed V’s

    front of legs with right hand only (then left hand only); right side of body; left side of body

• High/Low on command

    alternate 3 high dribbles and 3 low dribbles; left and right; maintain athletic position

• Dribble tag

    in restricted area with boundaries; players must maintain dribble while being chased;
    player becomes “it” when dribble is stopped or player steps out of bounds
 
Half Court

• Right hand (then left hand)

    dribble to half court; jump stop at half court and when returning to starting point; eyes up
           on coach displaying different numbers of fingers

• Hesitation dribble

    ball in right hand; stop at halfway point and chop feet while keeping dribble alive; dribble 
    to half court with same hand; left hand drill coming back; coaches can stand at halfway
           point encouraging hesitation move

• Simple front changes

    players walk on angle to their right (up court) for three dribbles and then make V to left
    hand; this is followed by three left hand dribbles while walking on angle to their left
 
Jump Stops

• Half court drill designed to teach players the proper balanced position prior to passing and shooting

• Player dribbles ball three times with right hand and performs “jump stop” into a balanced basketball position.  After third dribble, player should literally jump slightly into the air landing on the toes/balls of the feet with ball in triple threat position.

 
Shooting
 
Stationary Shooting

• feet as wide as shoulders; shoulders squared to the basket; knees bent; eyes on rim; shooting elbow tucked in; lead foot slightly ahead of weak-side foot; follow through with fingers pointing into the rim

• no dribble to start; coach rebounds and passes to next shooter in line so players stay squared to the rim/backboard

• players should shoot through their body bending knees for power and to keep elbow in; no twisting or turning of shoulders that would result in player “throwing” rather than shooting the ball at the basket

• players can also start with lead (strong) foot back and step into shot with strong foot

• shoot from short distances on lower hoops so players can master fundamentals

 
Shooting From Dribble

• players line up 10-12 feet in front of hoop and take one dribble with strong hand toward basket, perform a jump stop, and take a balanced shot at the basket


• players perform same drill while dribbling with opposite hand
• begin with players dribbling on angle to basket from wing area and shooting into the “box” on the backboard after performing a jump-stop.

• progress into proper layup footwork/form:  inside foot down; bring ball up with two hands and push ball with outside hand to “box”; start with no dribble and progress to dribbles

• players must dribble with outside hand (right on right side, left on left side) and may/will need to use strong hand to shoot from both sides of basket until strength develops

• progress to lay-up following jab step from the wing area; player jabs strong foot forward to move defender prior to dribbling to basket for lay-up

  
Triple Threat and Passing

• Triple Threat Position

player catches ball from coach and gets into “triple-threat” can dribble, pass, or shoot) position with feet balanced, ball tucked to strong-side chest, eyes up

• Chest and Bounce Passes

    balanced body position; pass with two hands out of chest; short jab step with strong foot;
    thumbs down on release

• Fake and Pass

    From triple threat position, player makes shot fake raising the ball while showing elbow to   
    defender prior to making bounce pass; progress to player placing ball on hip after ball fake  
           to make the bounce pass around the defender

• Partner Passing

    Two players facing each other; both slide to half court and back throw bounce and/or
    chest passes
 
Defense

• Teaching Objectives

    each player guards a player from the opposite team; stay between offensive player and 
           the basket; knees bent; backside down; hands out with palms up; on defense when other    
    team has the ball; trying to stop the other team from scoring

• Defensive Lane Slides

    slide from lane line to lane line in balanced stance while keeping feet apart

• Angled Slides

    begin teaching angle of feet by sliding on angles from 3-point line to opposite elbow and     
    then from elbow to block
 
 
Movement/Full Court Drills 

• First Assist

    line on wing and line on opposite block; player from wing dribbles toward lane and makes       
   bounce pass to player at opposite block who shoots to the box on the backboard; can add  
                           jump stop and/or hesitation dribble

• One post layups

    Player line in corner; coach in middle of court; player takes two dribbles, performs jump
           stop, passes to coach, keeps running toward basket to receive bounce pass from coach,
           dribbles to basket to take layup (can be done on each side; dribble with outside hand)

• V-Cuts

Player runs from wing to block, plants outside foot, and cuts back up to wing to receive ball; then player makes a dribble move to the basket

• Human Cones

    Coaches line up 8-10 feet apart; players take turns dribbling through the coaches
    switching dribbling hand
 
 
Game Play

• 4 on 4 if possible
• designated defensive line – no full court defense
• no stealing off dribble (at least until ½ way into season)
• first pass cannot be stolen so all players can have success at “point guard”
• encourage bounce pass
• allow some fast break off bad pass to let players develop full court dribbling/scoring skills
• teach how to inbounds ball after a made basket