Coaching Youth Basketball - Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 Defense

Ever heard that defense wins games? It's a true. Here's a little secret, ever watch a game on t.v. and you see those big long arms just flailing away on defense? That's not as important as your footwork. Proper defense is all about where and how you place your feet. If you can teach your players the proper footwork, you'll be light years ahead of the pack.

MOVING RIGHT OR LEFT - When the player you are guarding goes to the right or to the left, you slide your feet in the appropriate direction. We all hace a natural tendency to cross one foot over the other when we move from side to side. This is the wrong way to move. It is a natural habit, and it takes a lot to break a natural habit. Do the defensive drills I will show you in every LS.

Stand up! That's right, grab the book and stand up. Now imagine you are defending a player who is right in front of you. Now imagine they start to move to your left. Now take your right foot and cross it over and in front of your left foot. This feels natural, doesn't it? All of a sudden the player you are guarding makes a sharp move to your right. Your natural instinct to to cross your left foot over your right foot, in order for you to go right. When you do this you just got your feet tangled up, didn't you? I have actually seen players fall down, tripped up in their own feet.

The correct way to do this is to slide your right foot toward your left or visa versa when the player you are guarding goes to the right or left.

So now you understand right and left. So what do you do when the player you are guarding moves forward? You run backwards whenever possible. Never turn around and run forwards, unless they are past you and you are chasing them. Now that you understand footwork, here are some drills.

ELECTRIC SLIDE DRILL

Line up half of your players on the half court line about 8 feet apart. The other half line up on the extended free throw line, also about 8 feet apart. All players face you. They watch your hand signals and when you point right, they slide that way. Point left, they slide that way. Get them used to sliding, then have them go backwards and forwards. This may seem too simple a drill, but remember, most of you are trying to teach 3rd and 4th graders.

SHORT SPACED ONE-ON-ONE DRILL

You need a long narrow space. Divide the width of the basketball court into three sections. Each section should be about 15 feet wide. Now imagine each section running the length of the court. Now you have three sections that are 15 feet wide by about 100 feet long. Have a player with a ball at one end of a section and another defensive player 4 feet in front of them. The player with the ball is not allowed to dribble outside their section. They are to dribble the ball the length of the court, making the defender slide right, left, and go backwards. At the other end of the court they switch roles. You can have 3 groups go at once with the court sectioned off this way. Drill time is 10 minutes. As they get better at it, reduce to 5 minutes or less.

BACKWARDS RACING DRILL

This is just a fun deal where you have all the kids line up on the baseline. They are to run backwards the length of the court and back again. Top 3 finishers get a tootsie roll.

Review

1. you have a team

2. you have an assistant or you don't

3. you have had 2 LS's and have the material for the third one

4. for your 3rd LS take the drills from the first two, add the defensive drills, end up with a no dribble scrimmage, which turns into a dribbling scrimmage

5. You have ball handling drills, passing drills, defensive drills, and scrimmaging without dribbling teaches them to move to get open without the ball.

6. You will have survived 3 LS's without a nervous breakdown or losing your hair.

7. If you are not using monotone, then you and the kids should have had some fun!!

8. AND YOU STILL DON'T LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT, WELL, AT LEAST NOT BECAUSE OF BASKETBALL!!