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Resources & Drills

Resources & Drills:

The following items are resources and drills to help young players develop their basketball, athletic and leadership abilities:

1. 360 Ball Handling Warm-Up & Practice Drills

2. 360 League Training (Physical Fitness Circuit)

1. 360 Ball Handling Warm-Up & Practice Drills

Ball handling is one most important skill that young players must develop to ensure improved play on the basketball court.

We have provided below a warm-up and ball handling practice routine that can help you unleash your potential as a basketball player.

Remember to apply the 360 P.D.I.F.F principle while completing this 25-30 routine at least three times a week.

Ball Handling Warm-Up:

SLAPS: Slap ball as hard as you can with one hand as the other hand holds the ball. Rotate hand on every slap. This is good way to start off the ball-handling drills. Slap the ball hard. Pound it!

TIPS: Extend arms out and push ball back and forth with your fingertips. Once you feel comfortable with the ball extended out in front of you, move the ball high above head and low in front of your ankles working the ball in the same way. Do it out in front, up high over your head, and down low by your feet.

SQUEEZE IT: With the ball up in front of your face, forcefully squeeze the ball from one hand to the other. Make your fingers work hard to squeeze.

CIRCLE LEGS: Pass the ball as quickly as you can around the right leg, with the leg extended forward. Switch over and circle the left.

FIGURE 8 LEGS: After doing the circle drills around each leg, now combine it into this “figure 8” drill. Challenge yourself to go as fast as you can!

CIRCLE WAIST: Pass the ball around your middle as quickly as you can!

CIRCLE BOTH LEGS: Put your feet together, bend at the waist and pass the ball as quickly as you can around both legs (30 seconds).

CANDY CANE: After doing the circle drills around each leg, around both legs, and around your waist and neck, then put it all together and do the “candy cane” drill (30 seconds).

DROPS: Put the ball between your feet and grab it with both hands. Start with the left hand behind your left leg and your right hand in front of your right leg. Drop the ball. Quickly, move your left hand in front of your left leg and your right hand behind your right leg, and catch the ball before it hits the floor. Drop it again and switch your hands back to the original position (30 seconds).

FIGURE 8: Wrap ball around legs going in front in between your legs first then wrapping behind one knee. Then bring ball back in front in between legs then behind alternate knee. Continue that motion continuous (30 seconds). 

5 Dynamic Ball Handling Drills:

  1. High & Low Pound Dribble (1 Ball) – Dribble the ball as hard as you can with one hand, not allowing the ball to go higher than just above your knees. After 30-45 seconds, rotate hands.

First Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: with low pounds (10), then knee pounds (10 seconds) and then shoulder pounds (10 seconds).

Second Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Start with three low pounds, then three knee pounds, finish with shoulder pounds (all three dribble cycles over a 30 second time and then

  1. Protection Pound Pocket Dribble (1 ball) – Dribble the ball as hard in front then bring the ball back without flipping the ball up and carrying.

First Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Dribble the ball over a line with two front dribbles, then bring it back, continue this cycle (30 seconds).

  1. Manipulation Pound Dribble Over a Line (1 ball) – Dribble the ball over a line by hand pound over the ball back and forth.

First Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Dribble the ball over a straight line (I) to your side with hand over the ball back and forth going north/south (30 seconds).

Second Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Dribble the ball over a criss-cross (or +) line to your side and front with hand over the ball back and forth going north/south and east/west (30 seconds).

  1. Quickness Pound Dribble (1 ball) – Dribble the ball back and forth with various quick dribbles and directions.

First Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Cross-over dribble (back and forth from right to left) with the ball in front and using finer tips to pound the ball hard and quick in between knees.

Second Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Dribble the ball through one leg (back and forth) as quick as possible and using finger tips to pound the ball hard and quick through leges (switch legs after 30 seconds).

Thirds Rep. Start hips dropped, back straight and looking up: Behind the back dribble (back and forth from right to left) with the ball behind and using finer tips to pound the ball hard and quick behind the back.

  1. Chaos Pound & Quick Dribble – This final drill will include all the 4 drills mentioned above in randomized sequence, going as fast, hard and quick as possible (30 seconds).

2. 360 League Training (Physical Fitness Circuit):

360 League Training:Workout (Physical Fitness Circuit)

Click on image below to download

Our Coaching & Learning Philosophy:

We employ a full-circle or 360-degree approach to learning, sports and leadership development with the aim of helping young people learn how to make sound choices and to strive toward excellence in character, competence and collaboration – within and beyond the game!

Our comprehensive approach recognizes that young people are best supported when they are not just challenged and supported to learn and develop their minds (IQ – intelligence quotient) and bodies (PQ – physical quotient), but also learn how to reflect and consciously lead with their hearts (EQ – social/emotional quotient) and spirits (SQ – spiritual quotient).

This holistic approach to challenging and nurturing young people’s multi-dimensional capacities is support by today’s contemporary social science research but also acknowledged by the pre-modern traditions, philosophies and religions of the past.

As Aristotle reminded us over 2000 years ago and today’s neuroscience research confirms: “We are what we repeatedly do [and why/who/what we surround ourselves with]. Excellence [in character], then, is not act, but a habit”.

(Image above: former 360 player and Head Coach Cienna Walker (Academic Honour Roll Pickering High School, GTA’s Fab 50 Female Players & University of Minnesota (NCAA) helping young players at 360 basketball camp).

Beyond The Game….

The duration of a well played game is only a few minutes, while the journey for it may take many years of hard work and excellent character. Remember the real value of sport is not in winning or performing in the limelight of applause but by the virtues learned, practiced and lived within and beyond the athletic realm. The applause soon fades away, the statistics forgotten, the trophy is left behind, but the character, friendships and legacy you build are yours forever.

(Image above: former 360 player and now 360 League & Camp Head Coach Drazen Jerkovic (Academic Honour Roll Pine Ridge, Two Time Ontario High School Champion (OFSAA) and Dalhousie Tigers forward (CIS) helping players develop their form shooting at 2023 Summer Basketball Camp).