All sports · Sport guide
Basketball, for the parent in it.
Every read, drill, calendar, pathway, rule, and recruiting note we have on basketball. Use this as the front door.
112 pieces.
From The Drawer for basketball
Cost
What does basketball actually cost?
Pre-filled annual estimates by tier. Edit any line.
Pathway
Basketball by age
What good looks like at 7, 10, 13, 15.
Calendar
The basketball year
AAU 12U travel basketball. Practice runs October through August. Tournament season is March through July. There is no real off-season unless you make one.
Rules
Rules at-a-glance
Five-minute primer.
Reads
Basketball articles
age all-ages · Oct 26, 2026
Zone vs. Man Defense in Youth Basketball: What Parents Need to Know
For most young players, man-to-man is the better place to start, and for ages 7 to 11 it is often the only defense allowed. In man-to-man, each player guards one opponent.
age all-ages · Oct 11, 2026
U12 Basketball Practice Plan: 45 to 60 Minutes, No Long Lines
Four short blocks, a ball in every kid's hands, and no layup line.
age 11-12 · Sep 17, 2026
When school basketball tryouts and AAU practice collide
October stacks school tryouts and AAU. Nobody else will sort that out.
age all-ages · Aug 6, 2026
Youth Basketball Drills: A Parent Coach's Ready-to-Run Guide
A 45 to 60 minute practice built around games, not lines.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
Basketball's AAU-Versus-High-School Problem, and the July Choice
High school ball builds the identity. AAU builds the recruiting film. Basketball is one of the only sports that asks a 15-year-old to choose between them.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
How to Read a Basketball Recruiting Ranking Without Getting Played
Rankings sites and exposure camps all claim they can get your kid seen. Most of the real work happens somewhere else. Here's how to tell the difference.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
When Your Basketball Kid Doesn't Get Recruited
Basketball has one of the widest gaps between kids who play and kids who get recruited. Here's what the numbers actually say, and what to say to your kid.
age 11-12 · Jun 11, 2026
AAU basketball: what parents need to know
How AAU works, what it costs, and what nobody tells you before the first check clears.
age 8-10 · Jun 11, 2026
After a basketball game: what to say on the drive home
Keep it short, keep it warm, and let them lead.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
How to talk to your kid's basketball coach
When to reach out, what to say, and the conversations that always backfire.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
Basketball parent sideline behavior: what actually helps
What helps, what hurts, and the thing most parents don't realize they're doing.
age 15-plus · Jun 11, 2026
Basketball recruiting: what parents need to know
How college coaches find players, when contact starts, and what the scholarship math actually looks like.
Drills
Basketball drills
70 drills total. Most recent shown.
· fundamentals
1v1 On the Wing
· fundamentals
Between the Legs Dribble Stationary
· fundamentals
Block to Block Finish
· fundamentals
Bounce Pass Target
· fundamentals
Bounce Pass Through Defender
· fundamentals
Box Out Stance
· fundamentals
Change of Pace Dribble
· fundamentals
Chest Pass to Partner
· fundamentals
Closeout On Shooter
· fundamentals
Cone Weave Dribble
· fundamentals
Cookie Jar Finish
· fundamentals
Crossover Dribble Stationary
The Sideline File
The ACL prevention warm-up
Eleven minutes before practice. A structured warm-up that's associated with lower ACL injury rates in adolescent female athletes. Risk reduction, not a guarantee.
Concussion: protocol, return to play, your state law
What a concussion actually is, what the trainer or coach should be doing in the first ten minutes, and how return-to-play works under your state law.
Hand and finger fractures: the kid's growth plates change the math
Buddy-taping a 'jam' that's actually a Salter-Harris fracture can cause permanent deformity. The on-field triage and the X-ray threshold.
Knee braces in youth sport: what helps, what doesn't
Functional braces, prophylactic braces, neoprene sleeves. The published evidence on what each does and when to use them.
Mouthguard fit: boil-and-bite vs custom
The boil-and-bite option works. The custom option works better. The actual difference, and when paying for custom matters.
Patellar dislocation: the kneecap is not where it should be
The kneecap slipped sideways and may have popped back. The on-field protocol, the imaging that matters, and the recovery picture for repeat dislocators.
Shoulder dislocation on the field: do not put it back yourself
The kid is in pain, the arm hangs wrong, the joint is visibly out. The protocol that prevents the simple injury from becoming a complicated one.
Suspected concussion right now: same-day pull, written clearance
The first ten minutes after the hit. What the trainer, coach, or parent does in order. Sideline triage, not medical advice.
What's actually dangerous about youth basketball
Ankles, knees, finger fractures, and the head impacts you don't expect. The risk profile of an indoor sport that looks safer than it plays.