6 Year Olds

[rwelty 0]

Just signed up to help coach 6-year olds, and need to come up with stuff to work on in practice that will help them and also make it fun. Anyone have any tips? Thanks!

[Coach Ronn 0]

Just signed up to help coach 6-year olds, and need to come up with stuff to work on in practice that will help them and also make it fun. Anyone have any tips? Thanks!

Dear Coach:

At this level, everything should be fun--for them and for you. This is the perfect age to begin to get their attitudes aligned with what I call in my book ("Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching & Playing" due out next month), "right thinking". That is, to introduce the paradigm that winning is not the most important thing, but rather that doing one's best is. This may require changing your own thoughts about sports and winning too. So, while you are having fun with them, teach them to respect their individualites, and to respect their opponents, to understand that each child has a different learning curve, and that this is foremost a game to enjoy. The most enjoyment of the game, as they grow in the game, will come from their getting the basics correctly from the beginning, and becoming efficient with these. Paraphrasing the great coach, John Wooden, winning will be an outcome of all this. Preparation and attention to details by the coaches in teaching good skill ability will certainly enhance winning and enjoyment of the game. Coach Wooden said, that we have no control over how well the other teams prepare, nor how good their players are. We do have control over how well we prepare, and in trying our best--being the best we can be--we are winners.

Just as important as the tips you seek, perhaps about organizing practices and what should be taught at this level, and any drills which might be used in that teaching, is developing your own philosophy about teaching and what is important both to the game and to the life lessons you bring to the growth of the child. In Sept., I shared an article on this forum, "Parents Who Coach". I certainly recommend reading that. I would also direct you to some other articles, which I have posted on my blog , relating to this same topic, and in beginning to teach the fundamdntals. (http://higherlevelbasketball.blogini.com) Some earlier threads on this forum, which may be helpful for you: Youth Development And The Competition Factor, Back To Basics, F.U.N.C.T. Too, this forum, and others, bring a lot of shared insights which can be helpful for you now and later on.

I suggest you start with these youngsters with some talk about the game: the floor, the lines, showing where things are located, where players lineup, the names for positions, etc. All the time, bring in explanations about rules. These young players will probably have balance and control issues. Show them a ready stance, impress the importance of the stance for balance, quick movement and control. Balance and control are key at every level, and here it will help them to begin to have confidence in playing the game. Remember to pay attention to the details. With these issues, they can begin to get into movement (without a ball) drills to reinforce what you have taught. Then get into ball handling drills, passing, dribbling, rebounding, moving with the ball, defense, etc. A lot to teach and no hurry to teach it correctly!

At the risk of sounding commercial, my DVD covers all these things I just mentioned, in great detail. Don't take my word for this. Read the testimonials and see for yourself at, www.BasketballOnATriangle.com.

I hope this has been helpful. The youth of today need direction, compassion, skill building and to be recoginzed for their individual humanity, not just to be treated as higher level players of the future.

Yours in Sport & Spirit,

Coach Ronn