🏀 WHY FOUNDATIONS MATTER: Skills Every Young Hooper Should Learn (Especially in the Driveway)

As parents, you don’t need a gym, cones, or fancy equipment to help your kid grow as a basketball player. The driveway, backyard, or even a park court is where many great players start (that's all we knew growing up)

and the lessons learned there go far beyond basketball.

If your child loves the game, the best thing you can do is teach them the foundation the small habits that build confidence, coordination, and consistency.

1. Start with Footwork

Everything in basketball starts from the ground up.Encourage your child to:

• Practice jump stops, pivots, and quick first steps.

• Do simple balance drills

  1.stand on one foot,

  2.hop, and

  3.land softly.

  
  

Why it matters: "When your footwork is right your shot will follow"

2. Dribble With Purpose

Instead of endless crossover drills, focus on control:

• Set up two cones or water bottles as “defenders.”

• Dribble side to side while keeping eyes up.

• Change speeds

  1.slow to fast,

  2.fast to stop.

Why/how it matters: ball handling is about rhythm and confidence, not tricks. The goal is to make your kid feel comfortable with the ball in any situation.

3. Teach Them to Finish at the Rim

Layups might look easy, but they’re one of the most missed shots in youth basketball.Try this:

• 10 right-hand layups, 10 left-hand layups (off the correct foot each time).

• Challenge: how many in a row can you make without touching the backboard rim?

Why it matters: learning body control, angles, and using the weak hand early gives your child a huge advantage.

🏀 4th Quarter Thoughts

As coaches and mentors, we’ve learned that what kids remember most isn’t how many shots they made it’s how it felt to play the game.

Parents, the best thing you can do for your young hooper isn’t to fix every mistake or push for perfection

it’s to create an environment where they feel safe to make mistakes and excited to keep learning.

Here’s what matters:

• Showing up. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes in the driveway.

• Listening to your child ... ask them what they’re proud of today.

• Encouraging effort over outcome.

• Reminding them that progress takes time and patience.

What doesn’t matter as much:

• Comparing your child to others.

• Obsessing over wins, rankings, or early success.

• Expecting every drill to look perfect.

MYHOOPS we believe parents are a huge part of a player’s development. When coaches and parents communicate well, we help kids grow with confidence, character, and joy 

If you ever have questions about your child’s training, how to help them build better habits, or how to make practice time more fun reach out. We’re here to be a resource, not just a training program.

See you at practice!