3rd and 4th grade Youth Fundamentals practice plan
with Coach Jason Mauser
Jason Mauser has coached youth basketball for more than 20 years. The fundamental principles he coaches to his youth players are the same ones that he embraced during his four-year collegiate career. The Youth Fundamentals practice plan should provide youth coaches with a routine that engages players at the very earliest levels of play and can be adapted to be more challenging as players become more skilled.
Stationary Ball Handling
We use this drill as a warmup for practice. If possible, every player should have their own basketball. We'll spend 30 seconds doing each of the following:
Right hand pounds
Left hand pounds
Front-to-back with right hand
Front-to-back with left hand
Inside-out with right hand
Inside-out with left hand
Behind-the-back crossovers
Between-the-legs Jordan crossovers
Full Court Zig Zags
We'll continue our warmup with some full court ball handling. This drill requires every player to have their own basketball.
Set up three chairs to create a zig zag path for the ball handlers. Each player should do four court-length trips and perform the following moves at each chair:
Crossover (4x)
Hesitation move followed by crossover (4x)
Behind-the-back crossover (4x)
Retreat dribble (3 or 4) followed by crossover (4x)
For a total of 16 repetitions.
Form Shooting
Players should partner up at a hoop. Multiple pairs of players can be at the same basket if need be.
One player shoots while the other rebounds. After at least 20 shots, the players should switch positions.
The shooter should make a target with their hands and catch every pass ready to shoot the ball. They must focus on form with their elbow in and guide-hand on the side of the ball. They should hold their follow-through on every shot.
The passer should focus on making good passes and putting the basketball right where the shooter asks for it.