Team Progressions

Another thing I've been thinking about is the general progressions that need to take place when coaching teams up the age ladder. In other words, when coaching kids what team concepts do you have to teach them and in what order to get them ready for what you hope will be a high school career?

Below is an ambitious plan which covers many things that will help players as they approach their high school careers.  The plan laid out below assumes that the coach will have access to the kids for around 20 practices for a season with each practice lasting between 90 minutes and 2 hours.  This gives the coach 30-40 hours of instruction time for the season.

1-2 Grade

  • Basic Offense/Positioning

  • Basic Defense/Positioning

  • Rebounding

  • V-Cuts

  • Transitioning from Offense to Defense and from Defense to Offense


3-4 Grade

  • Offense (man)

    • Intro to pass and move

    • Intro to dribble penetration

    • Intro to post penetration

      • V-cuts

      • Pin downs

      • Dribble at

      • Intro to getting open on the wing in triple threat





    • Intro to post ups



  • Offense (zone)

    • Intro to attacking the gaps of a zone



  • Defense - man to man

    • Intro to on ball defense

    • Intro to defending one pass away

    • Intro to defending 2 passes away

    • Intro to close outs

    • Intro to help

    • Intro to rotations

    • Box outs



  • Transition Offense

    • Outlet pass

    • Finding the point guard

    • Pushing the ball

    • Filling the lanes

    • When to shoot and when to run the offense



  • Transition Defense

    • Finding your man quickly

    • Stopping the ball quickly



  • Game Situations

    • 2 SLOBS

    • 2 BLOBS

    • 2 EOG or go to plays

    • Defending free throws

    • Defending BLOB

    • Defending SLOB

    • Closing a game out when winning

    • Closing a game out when losing

    • Timeout situations




5-6 Grade

  • Offense (man)

    • Getting open on the wing

      • V-cuts

      • Pin downs

      • Dribble at

      • Dribble handoff





  • Intro to ball screens

    • Pick and roll

    • Pick and pop



  • Intro to off ball screens

    • Using the post player to get open on the wing

    • Post player screen for post player

    • Backscreen



  • Penetration

    • Dribble penetration/kickouts

    • Post penetration/kickouts



  • Offense (zone)

    • Attacking the gaps of a zone

    • Intro to flooding a zone

    • Intro to force the zone to rotate (swing/make the extra pass)



  • Defense



      • On ball

      • One pass away

      • Two passes away

      • Close outs

      • Help

      • Rotate

      • Rebounding

      • Intro to double team

      • Intro to dealing with off ball screens

      • Intro to dealing with on ball screensMan to man





  • Zone

    • 2-3 zone




  • Transition Offense

    • Outlet

    • Finding the point guard

    • Pushing the ball

    • Filling the lanes

    • When to shoot and when to run the offense

    • Secondary Break

      • Identifying the trailers

      • Trailer cuts to basket





  • Transition Defense

    • Finding your man quickly

    • Stopping the ball quickly

    • Pressuring the ball when the other team gets the rebound



  • Game Situations

    • 2 SLOBS

    • 4 BLOBS

    • 3 EOG or go to plays

    • Defending free throws

    • Defending BLOB

    • Defending SLOB

    • Closing a game out when winning

    • Closing a game out when losing

    • Handling a run against you




7-8 Grade

  • Offense (man to man)

    • Getting open on the wing

    • V-cuts

    • Pin downs

    • Dribble at

    • Dribble handoff





  • Ball screens

    • Pick and roll

    • Pick and pop



  • Off ball screens

    • Using the post player to get open on the wing

    • Post player screen for post player

    • Backscreen



  • Penetration

    • Dribble penetration/kickouts

    • Post penetration/kickouts



  • Offense (zone)

    • Attacking the gaps of a zone

    • Flooding a zone

    • Force the zone to rotate (swing/make the extra pass)

    • Off ball screens for a zone



  • Defense

    • Man to man

      • On ball

      • One pass away

      • Two passes away

      • Close outs

      • Help

      • Rotate

      • Rebounding

      • Double team

      • Off ball screens

      • On ball screens





  • Zone

    • 2-3 zone

    • Full court trap



  • Transition Offense

    • Outlet

    • Finding the point guard

    • Pushing the ball

    • Filling the lanes

    • When to shoot and when to run the offense

    • Secondary Break

      • Identifying the trailers

      • Trailer cuts to basket

      • Move the ball before the defense gets set





  • Transition Defense

    • Finding your man quickly

    • Stopping the ball quickly

    • Pressuring the ball when the other team gets the rebound



  • Game Situations

    • 2 SLOBS

    • 4 BLOBS

    • 5 EOG or go to plays

    • Defending free throws

    • Defending BLOB

    • Defending SLOB

    • Closing a game out when winning

    • Closing a game out when losing

    • Handling a run against you



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