Okay, so I’ve been working with these little guys, teaching them basketball, and man, getting them to focus is like herding cats! I had this idea for a drill, and I tried it out today. It was kinda cool, so I figured I’d share my experience.
First off, I gathered all the kids around. You know, the usual chaos, giggling, some of them not even paying attention. I clapped my hands real loud and yelled, “Alright, team, huddle up!” Finally, they all looked at me. I explained that we were going to play a new game. It’s a shooting drill, but with a twist.
Here’s how it went down:
- I split them into two teams, pretty even, you know, trying to keep it fair.
- Each team lined up behind the free-throw line.
- The first kid from each team stepped up with a ball.
- Now, here’s the kicker – I told them they had to shout out their favorite animal before they took the shot. If they didn’t shout, no shot!
It was hilarious at first. Some kids were so focused on shouting that they forgot how to shoot! But then, something cool started to happen. They were actually concentrating. They had to think about the animal, remember the shooting form I taught them, and try to score, all at the same time. Multitasking! I saw a lot of smiles during this session.
After a few rounds, I switched it up. This time, they had to shout out a color. It kept them on their toes, and they had to really think before they acted. I kept changing the category – fruits, cartoon characters, you name it.
By the end of the practice, those kids were way more focused than usual. They were listening better, following instructions, and their shots were actually improving. It was like a light bulb went on. And you know what? They were having fun! They were engaged, energetic, and they didn’t even realize they were learning how to focus better.
So, yeah, that’s my little experiment for today. It’s not a perfect system, and it might not work for every group of kids. But for my little hoopsters, it was a win. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it gets them to use their brains while they’re playing. I’m definitely gonna keep using this drill, maybe add some new twists to it. It made our practice enjoyable and productive.
If you’re coaching kids, give it a shot. Let me know how it goes. We’re all just trying to figure this out, right? And if you’ve got any other cool drills, share them! Let’s help these kids become the best they can be, one fun drill at a time. Keep practicing!
