— TRAINING SESSION

Tournament Day Warm-Up (U16+)

Block and Bank · 30 minutes · 6 drills · Generated 13 May 2026

Age group: U16
Focus: Pre-game
Duration: 30 minutes
Drills: 6

30-minute pre-game routine for tournament play. Quick activation, shooting touch, mental sharpness.

6DRILLS

30MINUTES

5AVG / 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 Stationary Ball-Handling Series

4 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u10 Court: Half

Six progressions done in place: pound dribbles, low-high crossovers, between-the-legs, behind-the-back, figure-8 around legs, spider drill.

Daily warm-up every guard should do. Five minutes builds the hand-eye foundation everything else needs.

Coaching points

Eyes up, never look at the ball.
Low stance, chest over knees.
Fingertips on the ball, not palms.
Game speed, actually push the pace.
Equal reps both hands.

3 Lay-In Lines

5 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u8 Court: Half

Two lines: half-court with balls, wing without. Ball line dribbles in for a layup. Wing follows for rebound, outlets to next shooter.

Classic continuous warm-up. Done right, it's daily reps. Done lazy, it's wasted time.

Coaching points

Layup off the correct foot.
Use the backboard.
Rebounder grabs BEFORE the ball hits the floor.
Outlet pass sharp, on target.
Switch lines immediately, keep flow.

4 Catch & Shoot — 5 Spots

8 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Coach or partner rebounder passes from under the basket to the shooter on the perimeter. Shooter catches in shooting position, sets feet, rises and shoots — no dribble, no hesitation.

The most common shot in modern basketball: the catch-and-shoot three off a kick-out.

Coaching points

• Hands ready BEFORE the catch — fingertips up
• Catch with feet ready to shoot — 'shooting pocket'
• Square shoulders to the rim on the way up
• Same release every time — no thinking
• Hold follow-through until the ball hits

5 Pressure Free Throws

5 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u12 Court: Half

Each player shoots two free throws after a hard physical task (10 push-ups, sprints, rebounds). Best percentage on the team sits out the next sprint.

Replicates late-game fatigue. Most missed FTs happen at 4-2 with 6 seconds left, not in calm drills.

Coaching points

Same routine every time, automatic.
Slow down on the line, fatigue tempts rushing.
Three dribbles, breath, shoot. DO IT.
Follow through and hold.
Misses don't matter, next one is what counts.

6 Cool Down Routine

3 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?