Basketball is a fun game for adults and even more fun when kids play the game. Kids go through challenging games, having fun, and learning the fundamentals of basketball as well. However, fourth graders have a short attention span; you need to keep them interested. Transform basketball drills for 10-year olds so they won’t know the difference between work and play.

Follow us to get some insights to keep your young hoopster interested in basketball.

How Do You Teach a 10-Year Old to Play Basketball?

Children between 8-10 years old are the right age to learn the fundamentals of basketball. The young hoopsters will acquire skills, the proper stance, technique, and attitude that will stick with them throughout their school and athletic careers. Use basketball drills for 10-year olds in a language that they will understand. Match those small hands and tiny feet with the proper training equipment.

Basketball Drills

Children of this age have a short attention span, and you want them to grasp as much information as possible. Explain the basics of dribbling, passing, and shooting with a visual demonstration so they can understand what the instructions are about. Show them this video before starting drills to ensure that you’re both on the same page.

Turn the drills into a game like “Red Light, Green Light” to catch their attention and keep them from boredom. They won’t know the difference between work and play. Each hoopster has a basketball; when you call “Green Light,” they dribble with either the left or right hand. “Red Light” means that they switch hands in dribbling. It could also tell to stop dribbling or passing the ball to a partner.

Teach the correct way of shooting the basketball at the hoop. They could easily remember this drill by introducing the acronym “BEEF,” which stands for Balance, Eyes on the ring, Elbow straight, Follow through. Everybody loves hamburgers, and hamburgers are made from “BEEF.”

Expect clumsy and uncoordinated plays, loose balls all over. But as long they are having fun and are interested in the basketball drills for kids, you are in the right direction. You were a kid once you knew how this goes.

Proper Training Equipment

It will take a lot of effort from youngsters to heave a heavy ball to a high net.

Kids will develop the proper ball handling and shooting techniques with the appropriate basketball size. A basketball-size 5 weighing 17 ounces and an 8-feet rim height work well with fourth graders. Young players will have difficulty gripping and shooting with a heavy basketball and likely find the game less enjoyable.

Encourage good form in dribbling, passing, and shooting.  Strong fundamentals in basketball will stick with the kids making them competent players as they age.

What are Good Basketball Drills for Beginners?

Players new to basketball may find the game a bit confusing as they’re still developing skills. Teaching basic basketball drills for 10-year-olds who have never played the game is even more challenging.

To learn the game, start with the basics of dribbling, passing, and shooting. Practicing these drills will help the youngsters develop their game and enhance their performance on the court.

Ball Handling

Dribbling the ball is an important skill every basketball player must learn. When you have excellent ball control with both hands, you’re a step ahead of your opponent. Teach the youngsters these basic principles and apply these in their daily dribbling drills.

1. Keep your head up while dribbling to have a complete vision of the court and the movement of your opponent.

2. The height of the bounce of the ball should not exceed chest level.

3. Your back should be straight in your dribbling posture. A lousy stance will cause your head to drop down, losing the court’s vision.

4. Pound the ball with the fingertips of your hand to have a good feel of the basketball. You can’t control the ball by dribbling with the palms.

5. You should control the ball, do not let the ball control you.

Passing

Passing the ball to teammates is vital in a basketball game—a sloppy pass result in a change of ball possession and possible points for the opposing team. There are three basic passes: chest pass, bass pounce, and overhead pass.

A rule of thumb for these drills is 30 seconds with ten repetitions for each practice.

Chest Pass

The pass is at chest level. Both hands are gripping the ball, and the thumbs are behind it before it is thrown. The fingers rotate the ball when throwing, and the thumbs are spun down. The ball will receive a nice backspin when the back of the hands faces each other, and the thumbs are pointing down.

A passer should aim for the receiver’s chest. A low or high pass is hard to catch and might result in a turnover.

Bounce Pass

A bounce pass is thrown the same way as the chest pass, except it is aimed at the floor and not the teammate. The passer should throw it about three-quarters of the way to the receiver. Putting a backspin on the ball will make estimating your partner’s distance easier.

Overhead Pass

The ball is positioned above the forehead with two hands on the side of the ball. It is used as an outlet pass for a teammate’s fast break to the hoop. Target your teammate’s chin when throwing the ball. Bringing it at the back of the head can result in a stolen ball or a split-second more to heave the ball.

Shooting

Basketball is a scoring game, and shooting is the only way to earn points in a game. Beginners should start with the air-ball drill. Line up the youngsters with a ball on their hands, get them in an offensive stance with their elbow down, then jump and shoot from their highest point. The goal is to acquire the proper posture and position with the ball in their hands before releasing the ball.

Teach each player the meaning of the acronym B.E.E.F; Balance, Eyes on the hoop, Elbow straight, Follow through.

How Do 10-Year Olds Practice Basketball?

Remember that 10-year olds are just kids; they won’t play basketball if the game does not interest them. Some kids want to learn how to play basketball, some less enthusiastic kids wish for the practice to end, go home, and watch TV, and some kids fall in between. So it would help if you were very selective with your drills to cater to the different needs of the fourth graders.

The key is to make it fun so they won’t know the difference between work and play.

• Turn the drill into a game. Remember your childhood games like “Red Light, Green Light,” “Tag,” “Freeze Dance,” “Dodge Ball.” and “Musical Chairs?” You can incorporate fun basketball drills for beginners into these games and see their eyes glow and the smile on their faces.
• Include gimmicks such as a reward system for paying attention, following instructions, proper execution of a drill, or whatever comes to your mind. The incentives can range from a bottle of mineral water to fewer drills.
• Using props like cones, and chairs will take the drill to a new level.
• Every kid should have a basketball to keep them active. This alone will keep him occupied and excited to acquire new skills. A player without a ball might do something you don’t want.

Effective Basketball Drills for 10-Year Olds

Kids starting basketball drills at an early age are likely to become better players. 10-year olds acquiring the fundamentals in defense, shooting, and passing can improve these skills much faster than adults.

Kids this age have a short attention span that’s why drills were transformed into fun, challenging games that work on their technical and tactical abilities.

Basketball Defense Drills for 10-Year Olds

Good defensive basketball drills for 10-year olds will create opportunities for the team’s offense. Young learners will quickly adapt to man-to-man defense; the only instruction they need to remember is to guard the man assigned. Other techniques such as zone defense, box and one, and other combination defenses require lots of instruction that youngsters might not follow. They quickly change their minds when needed to think about many things causing a lack of interest.

Teach early learners the Scarecrow Arms technique that involves the proper arm and hand positioning when playing defense in basketball. Arms are extended and kept busy while the hands attempt to swipe the ball from their opponent. The defender should prevent their man from dribbling past them.

While at it, keep the knees bent, eyes on the ball, back straight, and on the balls of their feet. Train them to shuffle their feet to avoid tangling up when moving backward and sideways.

Jumping will keep the offensive player off balance to deliver a bad pass. Stick with your man and force him to make a difficult pass or shot.

Basketball Shooting Drills for 10-Year Olds

Great shooters make great players; that’s why Steph Curry is one of the best players in the NBA.

Even if you don’t have height, speed, or athleticism, a great shooter always has a place in any team. A player must develop the proper shooting form and technique early to shoot well.

Right Equipment

The right equipment should be used when working with basketball shooting drills for 10-year olds. The height of the rim should be 8-foot, and the size of the basketball is 5, weighing 17 ounces.

Using an official ball will cause the youngsters to “chuck the ball.” Bad habits linger when big and strong enough to shoot a ten-foot hoop.

Eyes on Target

Keep your eyes on the rim to develop accuracy. Do not follow the path of the ball.

Stance and Balance

Feet are shoulder-width apart for proper balance. The feet should be pointed in the direction of the hoop. The shooting foot is slightly ahead of the non-shooting foot in a comfortable position.

Grip

There should be an air hole between the fingers. Fingers should be far apart to handle the ball in one hand comfortably.

Balance Hand

The non-shooting hand should be on the side of the ball, should be stationary on delivery, and should come off first when the ball is released. The guide hand should not influence the direction of the ball.

Delivery

Elbow should be under the ball, and the ball should be in front of you. The shooting hand is extended straight to the hoop. The ball should come off the shooting hand with a symmetrical backspin.

Basketball Dribbling Drills for 10-Year Olds

A good ball handler is in charge of the offense and can dominate the game. But it takes patience, hard work, and dedication to be a skilled dribbler.

Some players don’t want to touch the ball, some over-dribbles, and others lack the skill. Expect loose balls, frustration, and dribbling violations from a 10-year old kid who is a newbie to basketball.

Dribbling drills will train these young hoopsters; over time, they’ll be able to control the ball to minimize errors.

There are fun basketball drills for beginners to make their trip on the court more manageable, fun, and with more success.

Yo-Yo

• Dribble the ball slowly and as high as possible without losing control.
• Gradually reduce the height and speed of the dribble until the bounce is a few inches off the floor.
• Continue the sequence, switching from low to high dribbles, just like a yo-yo.
• Move forward, backward, and sideways without messing up.

Bounce and Catch

• Bounce the ball with both hands between the legs from the front to the back.
• Catch the ball with both hands behind your back.
• Try to bounce it with both hands from the back to the front.
• Catch the ball with both hands at the front.
• Steadily increase the pace once dribblers are adapted.

Individual Basketball Drills for 10-Year Olds

Different strokes for different kids. Some kids don’t want to play basketball for many reasons. Some kids lack the skill, and basketball drills will help them. But when they’re at home, he plays with daddy and big brother.

A 10-year can train with basketball drills for beginners at home to develop his game. Be it ball-handling or shooting; he can practice exercises at home to improve his fundamentals.

Ball Handling

• Feet are shoulder-width apart.
• Knees set in an athletic position.
• Dribble with the right hand and cross over to the left.
• Dribble with left hand and cross over to the right.
• Repeat until the hands can control the ball.

Shooting

Feet setting and body position are equally important as the hand motion in releasing the ball to the basket. All good shots start from the lower body.

The legs and not the arms give the power and consistency in your shots. Load your lower body by keeping your knees behind your toes, and let the power and energy gush from your feet to your hips and glutes.

Develop shooting accuracy by releasing the ball at the peak of your jump and giving the ball a follow-through. Keep your elbows straight, pointing to the basket, and flip your wrist to provide the momentum and spin of the ball.

Wrapping Things Up: Basketball Drills for 10-Year Olds

Make basketball drills for 10-year olds simple and make learning fun. The game’s name when working with 10-year olds is to keep them from getting bored. Transform training into children’s games to have fun while developing their basketball fundamentals.

At the onset, things won’t turn out as expected. But when they are interested, success will follow later.

We hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, be sure to check out our other basketball FAQ articles here.

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> Basketball Drills for 9-Year Olds