— TRAINING SESSION

Rebounding and Hustle (U14)

Block and Bank · 54 minutes · 7 drills · Generated 13 May 2026

Age group: U14
Focus: Rebounding
Duration: 54 minutes
Drills: 7

Effort plays win games. This session rewards every rebound, every loose ball, every dive. Energy by the bucketload.

7DRILLS

54MINUTES

8AVG / DRILL

1 Passing Lines Warm-Up

4 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 Box Out & Crash

8 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u12 Court: Half

Coach shoots from the wing. Defender boxes out the offensive player (find them, hit them, hold them, find the ball). Offence tries to crash and get an offensive board.

The most under-coached, most game-winning skill in basketball.

Coaching points

• Find your man first, ball second — turn and locate
• Make contact — hip into hip, low base
• Hold the position with arms wide, don't reach for the ball
• Find the ball with your eyes only when you've got the box
• Two-handed catch on the rebound, chin it strong

3 Tap Drill

6 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Player tosses ball off the backboard repeatedly, tapping it back up with one hand without letting it touch the floor. 10 taps right hand, 10 taps left hand, 10 alternating.

Builds explosive rebounding power, finger strength, and timing around the rim.

Coaching points

Jump off two feet, reach with one.
Tap with the fingertips, not the palm.
Use the backboard — tap it back to the board, not down.
Land and explode again immediately.
No dribbling, no catches — keep the ball alive.

4 Tip-In Reaction Drill

8 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u12 Court: Half

Coach throws the ball off the backboard (deliberate misses). Players queue up under the basket; each takes a turn jumping and tipping the ball back in. No dribble, no catch — tip it home in one motion.

Builds rebounding instincts and finishing power.

Coaching points

Time the jump — go up as the ball comes down.
Reach with your strongest hand.
Use the backboard — tip it back to the glass.
Land and reset — next player is coming.
No waiting around — quick, athletic plays.

5 Survival Rebounding

12 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Coach shoots from wing. 3 offence, 3 defence. Team that gets the rebound = 1 point. Defence MUST box out before going for ball. First to 5 wins.

Makes rebounding competitive AND fun. Players actually box out when there's a score attached.

Coaching points

Defence: FIND your man first, then ball.
Make contact, hip to hip.
Offence: don't stand and watch, crash.
Go to the long board.
Fight for position after the rebound.

6 King of the Hill

12 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

1-on-1 tournament at one basket. First player to score stays on; loser goes to the back of the line. Track who can stay 'king' the longest.

Intense competitive 1v1 work. Builds resilience and reads under fatigue.

Coaching points

Defender must work — no easy buckets.
Offence has 7 seconds to score; if not, defence gets the ball.
Loser MUST come back for another go — no quitting.
Clear the ball above the three-point line on every change.
Keep score publicly — accountability matters.

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?