Mini Basketball
1.3 Coaching 10-12 year olds
At this age the players’ training and development of motor abilities continues, with more emphasis on basketball fundamentals. Feedback should now be more analytical in nature, refining the foundation skills taught previously.
It remains important at this stage, to give athletes the opportunity to do contested activities as they develop their skills but to return to non-contested (but still fun!) activities.
However, specialist roles must not be established, gestures and movements must not be extremely technical yet, the game must be in a free form, the playing ideas (in offence and defence) presented by the coach should be simple at the beginning.
The final aim should be that of bringing children to play 5 on 5 in a slightly more organised way, however the next chapter sets out a range of
rule variations that can be utilized to maximize the involvement and enjoyment of the players.
Often “small sided” games such as 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 are better for children at this age as it gives players more opportunity to be involved in the play and more space to play in.