When you drafted your roster line-up this season, you set a pretty high bar for yourself. How you choose to coach could either mold the next NBA superstar or prevent it from ever happening. Emphasize fun too much and you’ll mold players who fall behind skill-wise. Stress drill work and conditioning too heavily and players will quickly burn out. (How’s your playbook? See Elements of a Winning Basketball Playbook.)

To prevent either extreme, you need to find a balance between having fun and getting better. This is where the right youth basketball workout drills come into play.

Use the following drills with your players to help them develop both a love for the game and solid fundamentals. One big teaching point: make sure to prioritize effort over results. Your athletes are not in the NBA yet, so it’s okay if they can’t do each drill perfectly. But their effort must be high. Make sure to encourage your players instead of discouraging them.

10 Youth Basketball Drills

• Steve Nash Mid-Range Shooting Drill
• Side Windshield Wipers Dribbling Drill
• Pound Toss Tennis Ball Drill
• Mikan Drill
• Figure Eight No Dribble Drill
• Chest Pass Drill
• Bounce Pass Drill
• Walking Partner Tennis Ball Toss Drill
• Windshield Wipers Dribbling Drill
• Alternating Pound 2 Basketball Dribbling Drill