Basketball Coaching - 5 Steps To An Effective Practice

Many coaches find it useful to create a "skeleton practice plan" and review it before you arrive at the gym. This will ensure your activities are well though out, you accomplish the goals of your practice, and you maximize the use of your time and space.

Here are 5 essential tips for planning your practice:

1. Schedule time for a warm up–It is essential that all practices start with a warm up that mimics the actions the athletes will perform during practice. If athletes will be running plays, have them begin by jogging. If they will be doing shooting drills, have them loosen up their arm, shoulder, and back muscles.
2. Schedule time for a cool down - A cool down period is also essential to help athletes come down from the practice, both mentally and physically. The cool down should be done with little or no talking, or with soothing music to help encourage athletes to come back to their normal state of being. A cool down is also essential to prevent sore muscles and promote muscle growth.
   
3. Allow time for rest and drink breaks – It’s easy to forget that athletes need some downtime in a practice in order to be effective for the whole thing. Give athletes some time to rehydrate (every 15 minutes is a good rule) as well as catch their breath.
4. Combine fun and learning – If your team has a favorite activity or game, build that into the practice plan. Mix fun and learning – remember, these athletes are at practice to learn more than just basketball skills. They also need to learn interpersonal skills, which often come from more casual, fun interactions
5. Keep activities short – Young players have a remarkably short attention span, so underestimate when it comes to assigning time for activities. It is always better to have too many activities planned and cut something than be searching for something to do to fill the time. In the actual practice, play it by ear and let yourself change the time based on how the team is reacting.

Fill in the Blanks

Now that you’ve got a practice plan skeleton, continue the exercise by planning practices for a week. Choose specific drills, plays, and strength exercises and plug them into the open slots in your skeleton.

Consider creating additional skeletons in order to mix things up. Athletes will quickly become bored with a basketball program where every practice is basically the same. With just two or three skeletons, you can keep everyone interested and engaged!

For more great tips on planning and executing a killer practice, check out this basketball coaching article.

Basketball Drills - Rebounding Basics

Rebounding is an important element in basketball offense. If the offense misses a shot, then rebounding provides an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball and have another chance to score.

While certain physical attributes are advantageous to rebounders, players who are willing to train to improve technique and have determination and discipline can become successful rebounders and an invaluable asset to their team.

Rebounding Basics

Players need to understand that rebounding is a vital skill for all of them to develop. Reinforce that rebounding leads to three things: ball possession, fast breaks, and winning.

Once they understand how rebounding effects the outcome of the game, they should be motivated to hone their rebounding skills.

Rebounding technique, sometimes called "blocking out," "boxing out," or "checking" an opponent, consists of a few basic maneuvers:

• See the shot.
• Act as though the shot will be missed.
• Find the opponent.
• Block out the opponent.
• Go to the ball.
• Gain possession of the ball.
• Move the ball to an open position.

While these steps may seem simple, executing them properly in a game can be easier said than done. For more free basketball rebound tips, visit my basketball coaching blog here.