Two balls at once
Ready when: Dribble with the head up (b2) done; the child dribbles with each hand without looking.
What you are learning
Dribbling two balls at once, together and in turn. It makes the weaker hand work and the eyes look ahead, because nobody can watch two balls.
Words on this card Dribble
- Dribble
- Bouncing the ball with one hand while moving or standing.
Set up
Two balls of the same kind (any two that bounce) and 6 m of flat ground.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- A ball in each hand, knees bent.
- Bounce both together, at waist height.
- Then bounce them in turn: left, right, left, right.
- Look ahead, not at the balls.
Your part while they practise
Stand where you can catch a runaway ball. Count clean runs.
Step by step
- On the spot: 20 bounces together.
- On the spot: 20 bounces in turn.
- Walk 6 m bouncing together.
- Walk back bouncing in turn.
How much: 20 together, 20 in turn, then the 6 m there and back 8 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: 30-second count
Bounces together in 30 seconds without losing a ball.
Who plays: the child, with you counting; or two children taking turns.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Stand ready with both balls
- On "Go", bounce both together for 30 seconds, counting each pair
- If a ball runs away, fetch it and carry on; the clock keeps running
- Fair play
- A younger child may count in-turn bounces instead.
- Points
- 1 point for each pair of bounces together.
- Fouls
- That bounce does not count
- The two balls are out of time
- A ball is caught or held
- Winning
- Beat your best score.
- 20 bounces for 1 star
- 35 bounces for 2 stars
- 50 bounces for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Stand still only.
Jog the 6 m.
What you will see, and what to say
- the weaker-hand ball runs away
Weak hand first, slow down
Slow everything to the speed the weaker hand can manage. - eyes on the balls
Look ahead, feel them
The fingers do the work; the eyes look forward.
Self-check
6 m there and back with no ball lost.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains both hands, coordination, eyes off the ball.
awiseathlete.com/sports/basketball/basketball-i6