If you’re a youth coach needing additional youth basketball coaching tips and ideas on how to help better coach your team, keep reading!
Once again, we’ve laid out the coaching tips in no particular order. We feel any of these youth basketball coaching tips could be the one you need at this very moment. How do you place order on where you are in your coaching
endeavors at any given time?
Take this information, study it and then use it with your team. You’ll be amazed at the difference your new knowledge will make in helping your youth basketball players improve!
When you feel ready to go beyond these coaching tips, be sure to visit our main coaching basketball page. We go into much more coaching detail there as well as link you to more coaching help.
Youth Basketball Coaching Tips
1) Use discipline wisely. Constant criticism can turn off your young players.
2) Using physical activities too often (such as running laps) as discipline can cause players to hate physical activity. Avoid this so they grow up enjoying physical exercise.
3) Take the time to be sure your players understand the rules of the game and also the basketball terms you’ll be using with them.
4) Do your best to provide a safe environment for your players to compete in. Inspect your practice court for safety and also the courts of your competition.
5) Besides teaching youth basketball, teach your players how to develop their character. Help them enter life with skills to help them on and off the court.
6) This is an extremely important youth basketball coaching tip – Put your players ahead of winning.
7) Provide plenty of water to your team before, during and after games and practices. Dehydration can occur on cool days as well as the hot ones. If a player feels thirsty, it means they should have had water a long time ago.
8) Consider the pros & cons of a dress code before & after games, as well as the impact and importance quality basketball uniforms can have on your youth players.
9) Be prepared for injuries. Become CPR certified and have a first aid kit available at all times.
10) Instruct players to eat a meal high in carbohydrates about 3 or 4 hours before a game. This will help them be properly “fueled for success”. Be sure they avoid spicy or high fatty foods.
11) Make sure your players know you’re approachable for both basketball and life issues.
12) Allow your players to provide input. It helps them learn and they won’t feel “dictated” to. It’s motivating for them to know they’re following something they had a hand in developing.
13) Be sure your basketball team warms up and stretches before practices and games.
14) Be calm, but very positive during games. Relax your players. Help them enjoy playing.
15) Teach your players to respect opponents and referees by doing it yourself first.
16) Help your players win and lose basketball games with class.
17) Work on improving your communication skills.
18) Go into each practice with a good plan. Don’t just fly by the seat of your pants. Your team will see you’re not prepared.