(I might use little kid language in some games below. But, call it whatever you want. They all prepare the body for moving like a basketball player and emphasize the skills you need. By gamifying these and taking more of a gym-class approach you can reach beginners better. If you disagree, try it your way and report back with the results 😂 )

Animal Warm up

It’s a dynamic warm up.

Hawk: Run fwd with arms outstretched

Funky Monkey: Lateral jumping jacks

Kangaroo Knees: High Skipping fwd and bkwd

Mad Frog: Squat down and hop fwd, then place both hands on ground and kick feet in air behind you

Break Dancing Bear: Bear crawl fwd; on the way back open body up to ceiling, which will cause you to lift up one hand and one foot

Red Light/Green Light Warm up

(players are spread out on the sidelines)

• Without a ball
  • “Green”: Players run forward
  • “Red”: Players ‘hockey stop’ as quick as they can(sideways stop, get low)
• With a ball
  • “Green”: Players dribble forward
  • “Red”: Players hockey stop, but maintain dribble
• Same thing but now on “Red” they also escape dribble 2x and go forward automatically

Sharks and Minnows

• 2 versions
  • Continuous Game: When a shark catches a minnow, they switch roles. If you have 3 sharks you will always have 3 sharks. This is the best version for developing players
  • Survival Game: When a minnow is caught they join the sharks. The # of sharks grow as the minnows shrink. Go until last player standing. This game can be fun to get a winner.
  • 5-8 minnows (with balls) vs 1-3 sharks (no balls)
  • Sometimes I give sharks pool noodles cut in half. This is loads of fun.
  • Minnows need to dribble from one side to the other without picking the ball up or turning it over or going out of bounds.
    • I am a stickler for boundaries. There are clear visual clues for them to follow with out of bounds lines. But their little brains need constant reminders. Hold them accountable until they learn.
  • Skills:
    • Open court dribbling
    • Hesitation dribbles
    • Change of pace/direction
    • Dribbling with head up/ reading the court
  • Key phrase: Make simple moves (usually a speed burst or a stutter step/hesitation move is enough)
  • Key progressions: Coaches can be sharks; shorten the boundaries; add more sharks; add obstacles; add time limit; for defense have them steal, not just force a pick up

Monkey in the Middle (3 progressions)

Main skills: Passing, pivoting, pumping, quick decisions, scanning your teammates before you catch it