Basketball Home Week for 10 Year Olds
Four drills, five short days, two days off. About 20 to 25 minutes a session.
What you need: a ball (size 5 for most 10 year olds; check with the gift guide ball-size table), flat ground, a hoop if you have one.
The week
| Day | Lead drill (about 10 min) | Short add-ons (about 10 min) | Finish | Clean reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Weak-hand figure eight | Between the legs, one set | 5 form shots, hold the finish | |
| Tue | Layup footsteps | Three-spot form shooting, one lap | Pick a favorite drill, one set | |
| Wed | Off, or free play | |||
| Thu | Between the legs, standing still | Weak-hand figure eight, one round | 5 form shots | |
| Fri | Three-spot form shooting | Layup footsteps, 5 each hand | Count clean reps out loud | |
| Sat | Their pick | Any one other drill | Show a parent the best set | |
| Sun | Off |
The four drills
1. Weak-hand figure eight
How to: Feet wide, weave the ball through the legs. The hand they avoid has to work on its own side. If the eyes never leave the ball, reset and start that set again.
Reps: 8 slow, then 8 a little quicker, two rounds. Races wait until the slow version is real.
What it builds: Comfort with the off hand, which most kids this age skip.
2. Between the legs, standing still
How to: Dribble once on the right, bounce between the legs to the left hand, and come back. Chest up, bounce below the knee. Hold up fingers so looking up has a job.
Reps: 12 clean crosses, rest, then 12 more. Restart a bobbled rep.
What it builds: A change-of-direction dribble they can later take on the move.
3. Layup footsteps
How to: Walk it first. Right-hand finish: left foot, right foot, ball up. Left hand is the mirror. Use the backboard if you have a hoop. Otherwise finish with a high knee into a parent's hands.
Reps: 8 each hand. Keep the last step quiet, and jog only after the feet are right.
What it builds: Balanced finishing, so games are less of a jump off the wrong foot.
4. Three-spot form shooting
How to: Three close spots: middle, a step right, a step left. Feet set, elbow under, hold the finish. No hop-back. Without a rim, use the one-hand toss from the 8 to 9 band, same order: feet, then shot.
Reps: 5 makes per spot, or 5 clean releases. One lap is enough.
What it builds: Shooting the same way from more than one place.
Parent notes
- Good week = steadier weak hand and feet set before the shot. Not more makes.
- Stop when reps get sloppy. Short and clean beats long and tired.
- 11 years old: same week, 10 reps instead of 8, move up to the 12 to 13 drills after a full easy week.