I was talked into coaching a u9 girls basketball team. I've never coached basketball before, but I've played the game since I was little and I've been coaching baseball, softball, and soccer for years, so the coaching aspect isn't new to me at all. I plan on working solely on the fundamentals with the girls, but I have 1 - 1 hour practice with them before playing our first game, and 8 of the 9 girls have never played organized basketball before. Therefore, I'm in need of tips of what to concentrate on during that very first practice (and I only have a half court to work with). Also, anyone have any experience with this age group and what to expect in the games (other than 6 to 2 scores)?

Teach them how to pass, dribble and practice shots close to the basket.

Have 1 player every quarter be the designated "cherry picker." Every time the other team shoots the ball this person takes off to the other end. Then teach boxing out, dribbling, passing it forward up the court, and inbounding the ball after baskets real fast. It sounds a little odd but you will get a lot of things taught taking this approach.

Hopefully you have a couple of girls that can primarily handle the ball;

My Dad and I coached a group maybe a little younger than your group but

it helped alot having someone semi-reliable to get the ball up the court.

Stress Fundamentals and for sure show them how to use the backboard.

cant teach fundamentals in an hour. You need to immediately indentify who can handle the ball. Sounds like this is not a competetive situation so make sure they have some fun

Hopefully you have a couple of girls that can primarily handle the ball;

My Dad and I coached a group maybe a little younger than your group but

it helped alot having someone semi-reliable to get the ball up the court.

Stress Fundamentals and for sure show them how to use the backboard.

Yes the backboard is key. I called the square magic. Told the girls that if you hit the magic square the ball always goes in. Like magic

In this situation, job #1 is run some drills that will help you find your best players, especially ball handlers.

 

There are a few fundamental things I would focus on.

 

1. Defensive position and boxing out. This sounds like a league that will not allow zone so make sure your girls know what their job is on defense, to stay between their girl and the basket.

 

2. Teach the girls how to set a pick. Once you know who your point guard/ball handler is, set up an easy offensive play using a pick on her defender.

 

3. Once you know who can do what skill wise, set your lineups, give each girl one position to play and know for game one, and make sure they know what their job is.

 

4. You have to go over basic game situations and make sure they know what to do, especially inbounds plays. Keep it simple. Who is inbounding the ball? Who is she throwing it to? I would definitely have an under the basket inbounds play because that can get you a basket if they run it right.

 

Finally, if you haven't coached girls before, it is different. Girls are more social and many girls take criticism more personally than boys. As in coaching any team, get to know your players and what they respond to best as a coaching style.

 

Good luck.

Teach them the Annexation of Puerto Rico and you're good to go. :thumb:

The girls at this age were very social with each other and 98% of it

isn't going to pertain to anything your teaching them. Do your best with them &

make it fun.

Try to have every girl handle the ball, try to have every girl score. You don't want to run off any girls at this age that might develop into nice players. Involve all of the girls in the offense.

Just because Suzie is tall now, it does not mean she will be tall in high school.

Work on hand offs. Passing is darn near impossible at this age.

Work on hand offs. Passing is darn near impossible at this age.

 

Some people are you telling you things that you can never accomplish with a recreational level of 8 year olds (U9).

I'm well aware of how girls are at this age. I have a u9 rec softball team and a u8 Kings girls soccer team that I also coach. One thing with girls this age is that they don't care if they win or lose. Heck, they never know what the final score is. I've already told my parents that at this age, I don't care about the final score. I'm here to teach the fundamentals and try to make each player better. I'm just not sure how the flow of the games will be to know what needs to be worked on in practice (outside of the fundamentals). Do teams run offensive sets, or is it more street ball style? Having an inbounds play for under the basket and on the sideline are probably good ideas.

 

As for some of the rules, it's straight man-to-man. You can press if you're losing by 10, and in the last 2 minutes of the game (unless your up by 10). No isolation plays (4 corners/spread).

Work on hand offs. Passing is darn near impossible at this age.

 

Some people are you telling you things that you can never accomplish with a recreational level of 8 year olds (U9).

 

That's why I prefaced my comments with "try".

First thing I do, basketball wise after meeting all the girls and giving them the "hi, I'm your coach" talk stuff, would be to do full court dribble layups for about 5 -7 minutes. This will identify 2 things...who might be able to dribble and handle the ball a little, and who is coordinated and or skilled enough to at least make wide open layups. After you do this, spend the rest of practice on ball handling drills and teaching proper defensive techniques. I would do nothing but ball handling and defensive drills the first 3 or 4 practices, maybe a shooting drill sprinkled in here and there. If they can handle the ball better and understand how to play defense better than the competition, then you got a big slice of the pie cut and ready to be served.