Footwork for 5-6 Years Olds

I have been coaching 5-6 year olds for the past few years. During that time I have been able to see first hand what kids at that age thrive on and what they need work on.

The one thing kids that age really love to do is run. At this age, kids will run all day. This is especially true if they are having fun while doing it.

You may be asking how does running help kids get better at basketball. The answer to that question lies in the fact that at this age kids are still working on perfecting their fine motor skills and coordination. Running helps with both coordination and fine motor skills as do many other basketball related footwork drills. I like running the following drills in practice:

  • Stance

  • Running sprints forward

  • Running backwards

  • Defensive slides

  • Hopping forward/backwards over line with 2 feet

  • Hopping side to side over line with 2 feet

  • Hopping forwards/backwards over line with 1 foot

  • Hopping side to side over line with 1 foot

  • Standstill jump 2 feet

  • Standstill jump 1 foot


AS a coach you need to help your kids along and help them develop. Footwork is important at all ages and there is no reason not to start them young in an effort to improve coordination and motor skills.

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