Players

Keep a Summer Basketball Journal. 

WHO: youth basketball players that want to improve

WHAT: simple ball-handling, shooting, and participation in pick-up games with a goal to improve

WHEN: as little as once or twice a week, recommended 3-4 days per week. No more than 5-6 times per week. 

WHERE: the local YMCA, local park, a friends house, wherever you can shoot on a goal (indoor or outside)

HOW: develop a plan of drills to improve your game, mix them up so you aren't doing the same things over and over again and work hard while you are trying to improve. 

Push yourself when you are going to workout. 

Have an idea of what you are going to accomplish during your workout prior to starting - in other words, don't just start shooting and play around the entire time. 

What we recommend:

1. Shoot free-throws. 

    For youth, we recommend shooting around 50 per workout, 10 at a time (yes keep track for your journal). 

2. Work on ball-handling at least 3-4 times per week. 

   You may not see the evidence today, but you'll be glad you did it by the end of the summer. 

3. Focus on areas of weakness in your own game. 

   When in doubt, ask your coach. 

4. Shoot, shoot, shoot. 

   Take good shots, game type shots, not half-court "pretend out of time" desperation shots. Shoot from the corners, bank shots, elbow and straight away. Start close and work your way back. Work on moves to get around the defender and practice going to the hole hard. If you have someone to rebound, practice shooting set shots and work toward shots off the move. If you don't have a rebounder, spin the ball to yourself and act as if it was a pass and go from there. 

5. Play! Find older players, other motivated players and actively participate in pick-up games. 

   Whether it's 5 on 5 at the local YMCA or 1 on 1 at the local park, it's still good to compete and play as much as possible - especially with better players than you (if you really want to improve).

It's not how much time, instead how much effort during your time!

Focus while you are working out. Take this time seriously even if it's only 30-45 minutes a few times per week. We'd much rather see a solid effort during a 30-minute workout than an hour and a half of randomly shooting shots from all over the court. When it rains outside, don't worry, you'll have plenty more days to work on your game. Take the rainy days off and work that much harder when you get to workout again. 

Follow @youthbasketball on twitter or email youthbasketballskills@gmail.com for more information.