— TRAINING SESSION

Position-Specific Day (U14)

Block and Bank · 61 minutes · 7 drills · Generated 5 September 2026

Age group: U14
Focus: Position skills
Duration: 61 minutes
Drills: 7

Guards work guards, bigs work bigs. Each group gets focused position work, then we put it together at the end.

7DRILLS

61MINUTES

9AVG / DRILL

1 Passing Lines Warm-Up

5 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u8 Court: Half

Pairs, 5 metres apart. 20 chest passes, 20 bounce passes, 20 overhead passes, 20 one-handed push passes (10 each hand).

Fundamentals warm-up every coach should run every practice. Countless turnovers prevented.

Coaching points

Step into every pass.
Fingertips on follow-through.
Receive with both hands, fingers spread.
Bounce passes: 2/3 of the way to your partner.
Overhead passes: snap wrists, from the forehead.

2 Wing Triple Threat

10 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Wing with ball. Defender 3 feet away. From triple-threat: jab-step-and-shoot, jab-and-go, shot-fake-and-drive, or pass to a moving cutter. Coach calls the move.

Builds the wing's decision-making in the few seconds they hold the ball.

Coaching points

Triple-threat is a real stance, chest over knees.
Jab is a real fake, not a half-step.
Shot fake: hands up, feet stay down.
No wasted motion.
Finish or pass, don't dance.

Note: Wings only

3 Point Guard Reads

10 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u16 Court: Half

PG at top with ball. Coach holds up fingers 1-4 representing coverages: switch, hedge, drop, blitz. PG calls the read aloud and executes the appropriate response.

Builds the most important guard skill: reading defence in real time.

Coaching points

See the big defender's hips FIRST.
Call the read out loud.
Drop = pull-up jumper.
Switch = attack the mismatch.
Hedge = reject screen, attack gap.
Blitz = pocket pass to roller.

Note: Guards only

4 Post Move Read

10 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u16 Court: Half

Post on the block, defender behind. Coach calls position: high-side, middle-side, low-side. Post executes the correct counter: drop-step middle, up-and-under, drop-step baseline.

Reads, not memorisation. Post players who can't read become predictable.

Coaching points

Catch and chin, both hands.
Feel the defender, don't look.
Go opposite to where you're pushed.
Finish strong, assume contact.
Quick second move if first is denied.

Note: Bigs only, rotate groups

5 Hi-Lo Post

10 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Two bigs: one at high post (free throw line extended), one at low block. High post has ball, looks for low post who seals defender. Pass goes over the top.

Classic two-big concept. Princeton, Bulls, Spurs, any team with two skilled bigs.

Coaching points

High post: face rim, eyes on low block.
Low post: seal, get below defender, body wide.
Low post: HIGH target hand.
High post passes WITH the seal.
Pass goes over defender's outside shoulder.

Note: Bigs continue

6 3v3 Half Court

12 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Three on three live action. Make-it-take-it. Defence must clear the ball past the three-point line before going back to offence. First team to 7 wins.

The single best teaching format in basketball. Every skill applies, every decision matters.

Coaching points

Spacing — never have two players in the same area.
Move the ball — 3-second rule on the ball-handler.
Talk on defence — call screens, switches, helps.
Box out every shot — no offensive rebounds for free.
No isolation — every possession must have a pass.

Note: Everyone, mixed positions

7 Cool Down Routine

4 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u8 Court: Half

End-of-practice: 30 seconds each, toe touches, quad stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch, lunge stretch, cobra back stretch, shoulder rolls. Total 4 minutes.

Most coaches skip it. Don't. Recovery starts here. Players who stretch consistently miss less practice from soreness.

Coaching points

Slow movements, no bouncing.
Breathe, exhale on stretch.
Don't push through pain, just to the edge.
Hold each stretch.
Debrief while stretching: what worked today?