INTRAMURAL: 1ST GRADE BOYS

Information about HHoops Intramural First Grade Boys basketball can be found here, including resources related to: Objectives, Practice Sessions, Game Format and Rules, and Game Guidelines for Coaches. Expand each section below to learn more.

Objectives

The objectives of 1st grade basketball are to build a solid foundation of fundamental skills and team concepts while encouraging teamwork, competitiveness, and sportsmanship. In addition, 1st grade basketball is focused on:

Progressing and having fun in short, fast-moving sessions.
Emphasizing and nurturing basic skills in fun, fast, game-like ways.
Teach man-to-man, 3v3 game formats.
Maximize contact with the basketball in active games or game-like drills.
Prepare children for 2nd grade basketball.
Having fun!

Practice Sessions

All practice sessions will be one hour in length. They should be divided into 3 parts after a 5 minute team warm up: Stations, Team Time, and Games. The Jr. NBA Instructional Curriculum is a helpful resource for practice planning.

More details about each part can be found below.

Warm Up (5 minutes):

Should involve dribbling and running.
Maximize contacts with the ball.
Make it fun, fast and varied from week to week.
If you do stretching, do it at the very end of the warm up NOT the beginning. Make sure they are warm before they stretch.

Station Work (20 minutes):

There should be a station at each basket.
Each station should be coaching a different skill and drill.
5 minutes per station switching on a whistle.
These need quick demonstration and right into motion.
These are groups of 3-5 players per basket.
There should be very little standing.
Instruct through the drill, and don’t freeze the activity if at all possible.
Weeks 1-3 the stations should be the same.
Weeks 4-6 should be a different set of skills/drills.
Weeks 7-9 should be a final set of skills/drills.

Team Time and Games (30 minutes):

Weeks 1-3 (“Pre-season”) - Team Time is 30 minutes, and includes 20 minutes for instruction and drills, and 10 minutes for freeze scrimmaging and inter-squad play. Games against other teams start in week 4.

Guidelines:

Plan your practice time out in advance.
Make it fun. Keep it moving.
Pick 2-3 basic skills and drills a week and work on them.
Use your Team Time and Game Time to evaluate what you should work on in your next practice session.
Make the last 10-15 minutes games. Freeze the play when you need to teach or change something but do it quickly. For example, “TEAM! FREEZE! Johnny look where you are. Where is your man? Where should you be? Everyone adjust your position. PLAY!” 15-20 seconds and you’re moving again.
ASK QUESTIONS - if you have a problem, need ideas, ask us. HHOOPS is here to help.

Skills sets to emphasize:

Footwork (stance, pivot foot, triple threat position, squaring to the basket)
Dribbling (both hands, head up)
Passing (chest, bounce, overhead)
Shooting form
Short to mid range Shooting
Lay Ups from both sides of basket
Rebounding (positioning of hand and feet, boxing out, protecting ball)
Teamwork (offense and defense)
Defensive body positioning (staying between opponent and basket)
2 Defensive Fundamentals - “eyes on the ball, hand on your man” - “deny your man the ball. If he can’t get it, he can’t score”

Week 4 onward ("Season") - Team Time becomes 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes is for 3V3 “man-to-man” games against the other team in the gym.

Teams will split into 2 groups and play a game on both courts.
Coaches should use their discretion when splitting up groups based on skill level to provide a better experience for all players.
This is INSTRUCTIONAL play. You may stop the action briefly to instruct/correct.
Coaches ref the games and can sub at any stoppage of play.

Game Format and Rules

Game Setup:

Games should be 3v3 with a man-to-man defensive format.
Coaches need to create reasonable match ups for the players to have some success.
- The most skilled child shouldn’t be matched with the least skilled child.

Positions:

The only “positions” in the beginning of first grade are the point and (2) wings.
- The “point” brings the ball up the court.
  - The “point” player should be rotated every few times up the court.
- The other 2 “wing” players will work the width of the court.
- Introduction of a "post" player is at coaches' discretion.

Scoring:

No score is kept until end-of-season tournament.

Screening/Picks:

No screening/picks for first grade - the emphasis should be on movement and passing.

Defense:

No full-court or half-court pressing.
- Defense should be picked up behind the three-point line.
No double teaming.
- Players must stay with their man.
No 3 second violations.
- Keep them moving. No one should camp in the lane.
- Constant motion off the ball should be emphasized.
Stealing
- No steals between the foul lines.
- Once a team brings the ball into the other teams zone the ball can be stolen. If this occurs too often, stop the game briefly, and reinforce how to protect the ball.
- This is a big part of the game and kids needs to learn to pass and/or protect the ball.
- Be strict on stealing cleanly.
Blocking
- There is no blocking but there is “straight up” defense.
- If an offensive player picks up his dribble, the defender can (and should) be on him with his hands straight up.
- We want to discourage the kids from leaving the floor but not discourage defense.
- No offensive player should be shooting into his defender. He should (and probably will) lose the ball at that point. That is where the ball will get blocked.
- The defender CANNOT leave the ground.

Fouls/Ball Out of Bounds/Game Stoppages:

All fouls will be treated as a checked ball at the top of the key and play continues.
There are no foul shots.
Any ball knocked out of bounds will be passed in from that point on the floor without defensive pressure.

Fast Breaks:

With a 3v3 format, there are going to be fast breaks. If it becomes a detriment to the game use your judgement to slow the game down.
Coaches - don’t be spectators - you are there to instruct. Don’t let bad, overly aggressive or rough play continue. Stop the game - briefly and correct it or sub.

Passing:

There are 2 different schools of thought on passing: 1) 3 passes before a shot. The more they pass, the better they’ll be as a team, and 2) "First shot mentality" - in other words, the player with the first open shot within his/her shooting range, should take the shot.
- This has several advantages. If they do too much passing at this age, they will eventually throw the ball away or commit a turnover, and you don't get a shot. So shoot early, and crash the offensive boards for second and third chances. It's a little like ice hockey at this age... the team with the most "shots on goal" usually wins.
- "First shot mentality" also takes the pressure off the kids (some kids are afraid to shoot, afraid to miss). If you teach the kids that you expect them to shoot when they are open, and that you don't expect them to make all their shots (even Michael Jordan only makes half of them) they will play more relaxed and better.
- Let them know that you don't expect them to make every shot, but that you do expect them to shoot when they are open, and everybody rebounds (maybe one guard back).
- Teach them that part of being a good "team" player is taking good shots. So nothing fancy on offense... just a simple set, spacing, cutting, an early shot and crash the boards for more shots. If they are quick, fast break for easy lay-ups too.
- The kids should understand the value in both and that “good” shots should always be emphasized. You’re the coach, you decide.

Game Guidelines for Coaches

Control the games - work together with the other coaches. We are trying to give them the basic tools to move to the next level
Movement of the ball is critical to their development.
MOTION - use the entire court.
MAKE IT FUN - ALWAYS - for the kids and the coaches
Keep skill level match ups in mind when in the game.
Use the games to see what you need to work on in practice.
It’s only 1 hour. Maximize your time. It goes fast.
DO NOT keep the kids standing around doing nothing. Take 15-20 seconds, instruct, and move on. Sub if you have to and instruct off the court. Keep the games moving. Use your Team Time to correct the skill or conceptual mistakes. Be brief.
Coaches need to create reasonable match ups for the players to have some success. The most skilled child shouldn’t be matched with the least skilled child. If this is happening, make adjustments.
Coaches - don’t be spectators - you are there to instruct. Don’t let bad, overly aggressive or rough play continue. Stop the game - briefly and correct it or sub.
Finally, enjoy it!! You will make mistakes. We all do. You will have great practices and awful ones. Keep your energy high. The kids will feed off of you. PLAN AHEAD!! The only sure way to have a fantastic, fun filled practice is to walk in prepared. You’re children will never forget when you coached their team! It lasts a lifetime.