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[celtsrp33]

Hey guys.  I am new to coaching all together.  I just started coaching my nephews' team of 7-9 year old boys.  They are a mixture of attentive and extremely off-the-wall and kids who understand the game and some who have never played before.  I've been through 2 games and 2 practices.  The second game went better than the first but we do sit at 0-2.  I felt like the first practice helped them improve for game 2, buuuuut.....we had a practice tonight and I had a really hard time keeping their attention.  Lots of horsing around, not much listening unless I raised my voice and MADE them stand still to listen.  I did some fun drills with them and they took pretty well to them overall but the kids who are waiting their turn are never 'just waiting".

Does anyone have any good advice for me?  How to keep their attention better?  Good, fun drills?  Anything to help us get a few wins.  Man, I feel like Emilio Estevez in the Mighty Ducks right now....

[CelticConcourse]

KNOCK OUT is a guaranteed success!

[celtsrp33]

KNOCK OUT is a guaranteed success!

That's a good one.  Want to concentrate on the basics of defense and rebounding the most, though - those are the biggest issues. 

[CelticConcourse]

1-on-1s where winner stays, loser leaves? But that would suck for the new kids.
2-on-2s where winner stays, loser leaves, and teams are composed of one good guy and one bad player? Make em fair?

[Lucky17]

Rebounding?

Have everyone gather around the circle at half court, or use the circle at the free throw line.

Put a ball at the center of the circle.

Pair everyone up. In each pair, one is on offense, and starts on the outside of the circle; the other is on defense, and starts on the inside.

As soon as you blow the whistle, everyone on defense has to prevent his/her opponent from getting to the ball by continuously boxing out. Drill ends when someone gets to the ball in the middle.

Can work with any number of pairs, but if you've got more than ten kids, you might want to break it up into smaller groups.

[Lucky17]

By the way, is it just you out there, or do you have an assistant coach helping you out?

[CelticHooligan3]

What a great thread. Brings me back. Basics and defense is right. The whole "team" concept and all for one, one for all thing may be corny for people our age but for them it's probably new and should be instilled. Wins and losses have no matter. It's how they play the game.

[CelticConcourse]

Rebounding?

Have everyone gather around the circle at half court, or use the circle at the free throw line.

Put a ball at the center of the circle.

Pair everyone up. In each pair, one is on offense, and starts on the outside of the circle; the other is on defense, and starts on the inside.

As soon as you blow the whistle, everyone on defense has to prevent his/her opponent from getting to the ball by continuously boxing out. Drill ends when someone gets to the ball in the middle.

Can work with any number of pairs, but if you've got more than ten kids, you might want to break it up into smaller groups.

AKA the impossible game.