1 on 1 Competitions in Practice?
In my experience with younger basketball players I would have to say that consistently having 1 on 1 competitions in practice can definitely benefit teams when game time rolls along. Here’s some info and reasons why…
The main value from consistently running 1 on 1 competitions in practice is that it’s one of the best drills to assist young players with getting ready for game like conditions. In order to benefit from these competitions you must set some boundaries and some rules. Such as each player has 10 seconds to score, or limit the number of dribbles a player can take, no make it / take it, but most of all you must ensure that these competitions are run at game speed (always at game speed, no exceptions).
These competitions should always include player rotation. Do not make the mistake of always pairing the best 2 players together! Rotate the players so every player gets the chance to compete against taller, faster, athletic players. This can frustrate some of the lesser skilled players but even so – each player must still give 110% even when the odds are not in their favor. If you have that one player that always appears to beat everyone else easily – make them play against 2 weaker players (or find some other way to make it more competitive for them). Always keep it competitive, and at game speed. Ball Handling Drills for Youth Basketball – Consider Ball Handling Competitions as well.
Why run 1 on 1 competitions in practice? Because “skill development” can increase quickly, and results can be seen and realized during games. Here is the link to download this post – Click Here for 1 on 1 Competitions PDF
Running these competitions once in a while in practice will not produce the results as compared to running these competitions consistently in practices.
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