Youth Players Need This Instead of More Games

I (Joe Haefner) just bought an adjustable basketball hoop for my 6 and 7 year old boys. We lower the hoop to 7.5 feet and play some games like knockout and dribble relays. This is a great way for youth players to have fun while developing their skills. They also love a game that we call “No Soup For You.” For the younger audience, that’s a Seinfield reference. I stand by the basket and try to block every shot they take. Even though I block about 80% to 90% of the shots, they love it for some reason… especially when a ball sneaks through. We also play some 1v1 and 2v1 where both of the boys play against me. And as a coach, I believe starting with 1v1 is one the best things you can do from a skill development standpoint! That’s because they develop their ball skills… dribbling, footwork/pivoting, ball fakes, ball rips, and shooting. (I’m least concerned with shooting as that changes a lot as players reach puberty.) If they develop a skill set where you can handle the ball in a 1v1 situation, this increases comfort and confidence. In fact, it’s really hard to play team basketball without developing ball handling and footwork skills first. How can you pass the ball and see your teammates and other defenders if you can’t pivot or dribble?!? A solid foundation of skills is critical to developing great playmakers. And we noticed many youth players skip this critical step in development! Many youth leagues go straight to league play and even 5v5 play way too early... And while I love 3v3 for youth players, if they’re not getting a sufficient amount of time practicing their skills without defense and in a 1v1 setting, they’re not going to develop as much as they need to! This is one of the big reasons we started [Breakthrough Basketball Camps]( Youth players and high school players need to improve their skills by… - Practicing technical skills without defense. - Executing skills against defense - Applying those same skills in game-like situations using 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 drills and other variations. - Doing so in a low-stress environment where mistakes are okay! If you can’t ever push your boundaries, how do you get better? It’s hard to do this in league and tournament games. We wanted to create an environment where players could learn, have fun, and develop their character. This is why character and leadership development, skill development, and game-based drills (1v1, 2v2, and 3v3) are staples of Breakthrough Basketball Camps! If this sounds like something you’re interested in, you can view our camp schedule below. [Breakthrough Camp Schedule - 270+ Camps Across North America]( There are limited spots at each camp and the 20% early-bird discount ends soon for our summer basketball camps. If you have any questions, just let us know.  All the Best, - Joe Haefner Breakthrough Basketball  This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( or [Unsubscribe All]( Copyright © 2021 Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. | 5001 1st Ave. SE, Ste 105 #254 | Cedar Rapids | IA | 52402 [email.gif] .