For years, I have described this clinic’s content as “Fundamentals: Redefined and Refined”. All too often in youth basketball (and other sports), the definition and application of “fundamentals” has more relevance to the sport’s upper levels (high school and college), than to the 8-14 year old age groups. Pete Newell, a worldwide Hall of Fame coach, once described basketball in this country as “America’s most over-coached and under-taught sport”. At no level is this more true than in American, pre-high school basketball.

In my Youth Basketball Coaches’ Clinic, I present “solutions” to Coach Newell’s “over-coaching” dilemma. Having played at the highest levels, I’m certainly well aware that basketball is a team game with obvious “tactical” necessities. However, the “hows and whys” in the teaching of proper fundamentals with age-appropriate methods, along with how to structure this teaching and learning within an appropriate practice and game environment, is what will benefit our youth players most.

Typically for the cost of less than $5 per player per season in most programs, I can present a highly valuable and unique 1-½ to 2-hour clinic that can meet the needs of all of your players. Often, I conduct this clinic in conjunction with my youth sports talk, which is delivered to parents, coaches and administrators of youth athletes in all sports. I have done nearly 1,000 of these presentations during the past 20 years (please see my website, www.bob-bigelow.com, for more information).

Please take a few moments to view a short video about my clinic, and see an outline and some testimonials. Thank you very much for your consideration, and for your continued efforts to help America’s children grow through sports participation.

Sincerely,
Bob Bigelow
781-729-6134 (ET)
bob-bigelow@comcast.net

A SHORT VIDEO ABOUT MY CLINIC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4rjXBROU0o

Contact Bob for More Information

INTRODUCTION Get over being worried about winning the game Philosophy about the right way to coach kids Defining what are true “fundamentals” Seeing the game from the kids’ perspective with the 9lb green ball Importance of gross motor skills How gravity affects children’s skills Basketball is a game of balance (and imbalance)

FOOT WORK & PIVOTING
Can’t play the game without teaching footwork
Stopping with balance – curing traveling
Catching the ball – controlling the top half of the body
Running and jump stops
Pivoting without the ball
Pivoting with the ball
Catching the ball and pivoting
Inside and outside pivoting

DRIBBLING The most common dribbling errors Dribbling – teaching it as a progression Dribbling while kneeling Dribbling while close to the floor Forward dribbling Backward dribbling Dribble jump stop Dribble jump stop and reverse Dribbling against a defender Dribbling at speed

PASSING Biggest problem in passing – body position and heaving the ball No one-handed passes Passing – teaching it as a progression Starting chest passes with the “wall pass” Bounce passing off the wall Passing ahead of teammates up the court Chest passes and follow through Passing on the move – using the “square” Passing with defense – using the 5 holes – over, under and around

SHOOTING & LAY-UPS
Most common mistake in shooting – heaving the ball from the side
Importance of shooting with two hands for younger players
Avoid 3-point shots – any way you can
Importance of lowering the height of the basket
Shooting – teaching it as a progression
Teach shooting near the basket first – from the inside out
The 13 shooting spots around the basket
Shooting technique fundamentals
Understanding lay-ups – the most misunderstood fundamental
Starting lay-ups with running and jumps without the ball
Practice lay-ups off the wall
Lay-up techniques

BASIC OFFENSE Stating with triangles and basic movement Passing and cutting with defense 5-man walk through and setting picks THE 3-ON-3 PLAY MODEL Key reasons for 3-on-3 – more touches = more skills and more FUN How the model works The 3-on-3 play model demonstrated

PLANNING PRACTICES
Developing a practice plan
One ball for every player
Make sure everyone is involved
Teach techniques over tactics

COACHING GAMES
Focus on the skills displayed, not winning
Bring your smiles to the game!

WRAP-UP AND PARTING THOUGHTS ON YOUR PROGRAM
Play 3-on-3 half-court as much as possible
Man-to-man instead of zone defense
Lower the baskets for younger players
Final tips for coaches

“Bob, what can I say, except that your presentation was simply amazing, effective, informative and just “what the doctor ordered”. On behalf of all of those in attendance please accept our heartfelt expression of appreciation for providing our group with a superior learning opportunity.” George Raveling, Director of Basketball, NIKE Corporation, Beaverton, OR

“Your clinic was very powerful, very insightful and very SIMPLE. Plenty of great drills and ideas based on the size/age of the children we instruct. Hopefully with the use of the information gained from your clinic, I can change the entire way that I run my practices in trying to teach the kids the game of basketball. I've been coaching since I was 16 years old and some of the simple drills you showed us were not even in the back of my mind never mind even thought about.” Don Walsh, Rockland MA

“Bob presented a coaching clinic for our community in 2006. I have been coaching basketball for 18 years at levels from Kindergarten through high school; I was very pleased and impressed by his presentation. The information and drills were very helpful and his instructions were clear and easy to follow. All those in attendance also commented to the enjoyment and the benefit they received from his clinic.” Pam Vanderkolk, Blufftin, IN

“In my 10 years as president of the Great Neck PAL, the Basketball Clinics conducted by Bob Bigelow have been far and away the most helpful sessions we have ever run. Not only has Bob has taught our Coaches how the game looks through the eyes of our kids, he has also given us a unique training program designed to help our kids improve their fundamental skills, and have fun while they are doing so. His unique approach has changed the entire nature of our basketball program, all for the better!” Howard Dorman, Great Neck, NY

“Bob recently came and gave a basketball clinic to our youth coaches. The idea of “body control” as the most important basic basketball skill and how to practice it was, certainly an eye-opener for many coaches. Bob does a great job of breaking down the fundamentals of dribbling, passing and shooting, into age appropriate drills. If you really want to improve the basketball experience for your young athletes, it starts with getting coaches to understand what and how to teach the fundamentals, and Bob’s clinic is a great way for coaches to get this information.” Steve Erdody, Milford, NH