Give players a heads up of what you'll cover this practice. Emphasize focus areas and set expectations.

A ball-in-hand warm-up for the youngest players. The coach dribbles and moves around the floor, and the kids copy every move.

Players pair up and stand 10 feet apart, practicing chest, bounce, and overhead passes. Focus on stepping into each pass and using proper form.

Kids dribble on green and stop with the ball under control on red. Teaches stopping, eyes up, and listening.

Allow players to hydrate and rest at predetermined times during practice to prevent fatigue and dehydration.

Heads-up dribbling under pursuit, in the game kids ask to play again, which is why it is in every youth practice I run. The whole team, every minnow with a ball on the baseline, one or two sharks in pinnies and without a ball in the middle. Half court works in a small gym: the far line is the half-court line, marked with cones. On go, the minnows dribble across while the sharks hunt them, changing speed and direction with their eyes up. A tagged minnow stops where he was tagged, puts the ball between his feet, and becomes a scarecrow with his arms out, balanced and unable to move. Scarecrows can tag minnows who dribble past, and a free minnow can release one by tagging him. Any dribbling violation puts a minnow out at once. Last minnow dribbling wins; the next round gets new sharks. Sixty to ninety seconds a crossing, with a time limit if the minnows stall. Mistakes: dribbling straight into a shark, looking down, picking the ball up to run. Progression: sharks who have to dribble too, more sharks, or the cone version where sharks knock cones over. Youth. I got this from Basketball For Coaches' sharks and minnows write-up and the Jr. NBA's version; read them for the extra rules.

Players pass to a teammate and immediately cut to the basket to receive a return pass, focusing on timing and exploiting defensive lapses.

Players start stationary and practice the footwork for layups, progressing to full-speed layups from both sides of the basket.

Players stand close to the basket and focus on perfect shooting form, emphasizing their shooting mechanics. The goal is to create muscle memory for proper shooting technique.

End practice with a team chant or cheer to build camaraderie and end on a positive note.