Chair and Partner Drills for Kids

The “Chair and Partner Drill” is a variation of the “Chair Drill” that helps to improve a child’s ball-handling skills and teamwork. This drill is a great way to work on defensive skills and encourage children to communicate with each other.

To set up this drill, you will need a chair, a basketball, and at least one partner. Place the chair on the court and have one child dribble around it while the other child tries to steal the ball. The objective of the drill is for the dribbler to keep possession of the ball while the defender tries to steal the ball.

The key to this drill is for the dribbler to focus on controlling the ball while dribbling around the chair, switching hands, and practicing different moves such as crossovers and between-the-legs dribbles. The defender should focus on anticipating the dribbler’s moves and trying to steal the ball without fouling.

As a coach, you can switch the roles of the children after a certain period of time, or after a certain number of rounds. This way, each child will get a chance to work on their ball-handling skills as well as their defensive skills.

You can also incorporate different variations to this drill to target specific areas of improvement. For example, you can have the children dribble with one hand only, or have them dribble with a smaller ball. Additionally, you can have them perform the drill while wearing a blindfold to improve their ball-handling skills even further.

It’s also important to remind kids to communicate with each other during the drill and to encourage them to give each other feedback on their performance. This will help them develop teamwork and communication skills, which are essential for basketball players.

As a coach, you can also make this drill more challenging by adding more partners to the drill and creating 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 scenarios. This will force the children to work on their passing and teamwork skills as well as their ball handling and defensive skills.

Another option is to change the layout of the drill and have the children dribble around multiple chairs instead of just one. This will make it more difficult for the defender to predict the dribbler’s next move and will help the dribbler to develop quick footwork and agility.

It’s also important to remind kids to stay low and keep their center of gravity low while dribbling around the chair and defending. This will help them maintain control of the ball, improve their balance and stability, and make it more difficult for the defender to steal the ball.

As a coach, you can also time the drill and use it as a way to track the progress of the players and see how they improve over time. You can also use this drill as a warm-up before practice or a game.

In addition to ball handling and footwork, this drill also helps kids to improve their teamwork, communication, and defensive skills. It’s a great way to build confidence and develop the fundamental skills that are essential for basketball players.

In conclusion, the “Chair and Partner Drill” is a versatile and effective drill that can be used to improve a child’s ball-handling skills, footwork, teamwork, communication, and defensive skills. As a coach, you can use this drill to build a solid foundation for your players, and help them improve their skills in a fun and engaging way.