A couple years ago, my daughters signed up for a local basketball clinic. They were 8 & 5 at the time.

Each clinic was one hour. Of that hour, the first 15 minutes was a warmup. The warmup consisted of stretching.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a big advocate (and practitioner) of stretching. However, I'm 42!

I'm not even sure if you can pull a muscle at 8 & 5. Perhaps the instructor was attempting to teach them a skill that will benefit them in the future. If so, I can understand the intent.

However, I would still question if it was the best use of their time. They found it boring. They were there to play basketball and spending 25% of the time stretching took away from that.

As I said, they were there to play basketball! So are the kids on your team. So why not make that your warmup?

Turn Warmups into a Player-Favorite Part of Practice

Recently, Joe Haefner and I were discussing this issue. He shared an idea that he incorporated with his son's team last year that totally changed the way kids approached warmup and practice. The great thing is, it's simple and almost no work on the part of the coach!

It's simple - play basketball. Try this rule. As soon as 2 players arrive for practice, they play 1v1.

As soon as 4 players are there, they play 2v2. When 6 have arrived, play 3v3.

You get the idea.

Depending on the age and ability of your team, you could even play some advantage games with odd numbers - 3v2, etc.

How they play 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, etc., is up to you. You could just let them play. You could give them a rule for the day (perhaps a dribble limit or shot clock). Over the course of a season, you could develop a small menu of games they can choose from.

That's something for you to think about.

3 Benefits Of "Warming Up" Through Playing

• Players WANT to be at practice early - as we said, kids sign up for basketball to play basketball. How many times has a player asked you, "when do we get to scrimmage?" If you warm up this way, the answer is "as soon as you get here."
  
  We all want players who are excited to be at practice. Do this and they will be.
• Players get developmental reps - most players come in and shoot around while waiting for practice to start. In truth, it's largely wasted time.
  
  Not anymore! Now, players are working on their game without feeling like they are working on their game. They get live reps with the ball and guarding the ball. That's a great way to develop faster!
• You maximize time on task - every moment is now being taken advantage of. The beauty is that once you establish this system, the kids run it. You don't have to be giving orders and keeping players on task.
  
  Because they are getting to do the thing they want to do, they are focused and engaged from the start.

Having Fun & Getting Better? The Ultimate Sign Of Success

Youth sports should be fun. Youth sports should help players develop their skills.

Warming up like this does both, with almost no work for you.

Make it a staple of your team. If you do, you'll see players stretching their abilities, not just their muscles!

• If you want access to more ways to make the game fun for young players, check out Jim Huber Beginner Basketball Ages 5-9. It teaches the game in an age-appropriate way, ensuring success and growth over the course of the season!
• For those looking for an A-Z approach, The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber is for you. Coach Huber gives you a comprehensive approach to youth basketball based on decades of experience. If you follow his formula, players will improve, and you will have a great year of coaching.

What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...

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