— TRAINING SESSION

Layups and Lines (U8)

Block and Bank · 34 minutes · 5 drills · Generated 13 May 2026

Age group: U8
Focus: Finishing
Duration: 34 minutes
Drills: 5

First contact with the rim. Off-foot finishing, backboard use, and the rebound habit — taught in continuous lines so nobody stands around.

5DRILLS

34MINUTES

7AVG / DRILL

1 Animal Walks Warm-Up

4 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u8 Court: Half

Players cross the court doing different animal walks: bear crawl forward, crab walk sideways, inchworm forward, frog jumps, spider crawl.

Full-body dynamic warm-up that's actually fun. Activates hips, shoulders, core, gets kids laughing.

Coaching points

Bear crawl: opposite hand and foot together.
Crab walk: bum off the ground, eyes forward.
Inchworm: straight legs on the walk-out.
Frog jumps: explode from squat, land soft.
Don't sacrifice form for speed.

2 Mikan Drill

6 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u12 Court: Half

Classic finishing drill named after George Mikan. Player alternates left-hand and right-hand layups under the rim continuously, no dribble.

Builds touch around the basket and trains the off-hand for live finishes.

Coaching points

• Use the backboard
• Knee up on every finish (right knee for right hand)
• Soft fingertip release, no slamming
• Quick rebound, don't let the ball touch the floor
• Power leg drives off the floor

Note: Touch the rim, both hands

3 Lay-In Lines

12 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.

Note: Off the right foot first, then switch

4 Steal the Bacon

8 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u10 Court: Full

Two teams line up on opposite baselines. Ball sits at half-court. Coach calls a number; player with that number from each team sprints. Whoever grabs it attacks; the other defends.

Classic chaos for grassroots practices. Builds reaction speed, transition, 1v1 competition.

Coaching points

Sprint flat-out, first to ball wins half the battle.
Low on the pickup, don't dive.
Attacker reads, doesn't just charge.
Defender between attacker and basket.
Return to team immediately after.

Note: Race for it, finish it

5 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?