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

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

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.

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

Players dribble within a confined space while trying to knock other players' balls away. The last player remaining wins. Focus on protecting the dribble and using body positioning.

Players race in teams, dribbling to a designated spot and back. Each player must change direction multiple times during their turn. This encourages ball control under pressure and speed.

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