What's inside

You said yes to coaching. Every practice is already planned.

A print-and-go playbook for first-time youth basketball coaches, ages 7–11. Twenty one-page practices, timed to the minute, plus game-day plans and ready-to-send parent messages. No basketball experience needed. Walk in like you've done this before.

Get the Playbook — $47

Instant PDF download. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Cover of The First-Time Coach's Basketball Playbook A one-page practice plan from the playbook, timed minute by minute

This is week 1, ages 7–8Here's your first Saturday.

Every practice in the playbook is one page like this. Six blocks, timed to the minute, with the words to say and a plan B when something isn't working.

No email needed. This is the real page from the playbook.

The roster came in. Now what?

It's Friday night. Practice is at 9 tomorrow. Ten kids, one ball each, and a row of parents in the bleachers. You've watched a few drill videos, and you still don't know what to do first, how long it should take, or what to say when they all run in different directions.

  • Ten kids, one hoop, an hour of gym time, and no idea what to do first.
  • Plenty of drill videos online, but none of them tell you how to fill a whole practice.
  • Parents in the bleachers watching you figure it out, then asking about playing time.
  • The kid who cries, the kid who never passes, the parent who coaches from the sideline.

Free drill lists tell you what a drill is. This tells you what to do at 9:05 on Saturday.

And the Saturday after that, for the whole season.

How it works

  1. Download the PDF

    It arrives right after checkout. Save it to your phone or computer.

  2. Print this week's page

    Read it once the night before. It takes about five minutes.

  3. Run practice

    Follow the clock on the page. The next week's page builds on this one.

Picture 9:45 on Saturday.

Practice ends right on time. The kids are laughing and asking if they can play Sharks & Minnows again next week. A dad stops you on the way out: "She wouldn't stop talking about it." You walk to your car feeling like a real coach, and next week's page is already waiting.

Get the Playbook — $47

What's inside

One 50-page PDF that covers the whole season, not just the drills.

A 60-minute practice for ages 9–11
20 practices

A full season for two age groups

Ten practices for ages 7–8 (45 minutes) and ten for ages 9–11 (60 minutes), in order, each on one page.

  • A court diagram for the main drill
  • "If it's not working" fixes on every page
  • Three short lines to say to the kids
Equal playing time rotation charts
Game day

A calm plan for game day

What to do before, during, at timeouts, at halftime and after the game, plus four simple plays with diagrams.

  • Ready-made equal playing time charts for 7, 8, 9 and 10 players
  • Huddle scripts, word for word
Ready-to-send parent messages
8 messages

Parent messages, ready to send

Fill in the blanks and send by text or email: welcome, weekly reminder, game day, schedule change, after a tough loss and more. Plus a 10-minute parent meeting script.

What to do in tough moments
10 situations

What to do when…

Step-by-step answers for the moments no drill book covers.

  • A child is crying
  • One player won't pass
  • A parent is coaching from the sideline
  • A possible head injury
The drill and game library
40 drills & games

Drill library and printables

Swap any activity or build your own practice. Then print what you need.

  • Skills checklists for each age group
  • Blank practice planner and rotation sheet
  • An end-of-season certificate for every player

Everything for one season in a single PDF: 20 practices, 40 drills and games, the game-day kit, parent messages and printables. Over a 10-week season, that's less than $5 a week.

Get the Playbook — $47

Why not just use free drills?

You could piece a season together from a dozen websites: find drills, check the rules for your age group, build a practice that fills the hour, then do it again next week. Or you could open page one.

What you getTypical free drill listThe Playbook
Drills explainedYesYes
A full season, in order, week by weekRarelyYes
Every practice timed to the minuteNoYes
Equal playing time charts for game dayNoYes
Parent messages you can copy and sendNoYes
What to do when a kid cries or a parent yellsNoYes
Works on paper, no app or loginVariesYes

Built on the official youth rules

Practice length, ball size, rim height and game rules in the playbook follow the NBA & USA Basketball Youth Guidelines for each age.

Size 5 ball for ages 7–88 ft and 9 ft rimsEqual playing timeNo zone defenseNo full-court press for ages 7–8

Saturday Coach is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NBA or USA Basketball. Your league's rules always come first.

The game-day plan page

Why I made this

When I volunteered in youth sports, I saw what happens to new coaches. You get a roster, a gym time, and a whistle. Then you're on your own.

There's plenty of free stuff online. A drill here, a video there. But nobody hands you the season: what to do this Saturday, how long each part takes, what to say when a kid cries, how to keep playing time fair, what to text the parents. You end up spending your evenings stitching it together, and you still walk in unsure.

So I built the kit I wish every volunteer got on day one. Every practice planned, in order, on one page, so your time goes to the kids instead of the planning.

Rafael G., founder of Saturday Coach

Is it right for you?

It's for you if

  • You're a parent who volunteered to coach
  • Your team is ages 7–8 or 9–11
  • You've never coached, or never played
  • You want to walk into the gym with a plan

It's not for you if

  • You run a travel or competitive team
  • You want video lessons (this is a printable PDF)
  • You already have a full season planned

Try it for 30 days

Run a practice or two. If the playbook isn't right for you, email [email protected] within 30 days of your purchase and we'll refund you in full. No forms, no hard feelings.

Questions

I've never played basketball. Will this work for me?

Yes. It was written for parents who have never coached or played. Every page says what to set up, what to say and what to do if a drill isn't working.

What ages is it for?

Ages 7–8 and 9–11. Each age group has its own 10-week season with practice lengths that fit that age.

How do I get it?

Right after checkout you'll get a download link on screen and by email. It's a PDF, so there's nothing to ship and nothing to install.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. Open the PDF on your phone, or print the pages you need. Most coaches print one page per practice.

My league has different rules. Does that matter?

Your league's rules always come first. The playbook follows the national youth guidelines, and changing a practice to fit your league is simple, like using a different ball size or practice length.

We practice twice a week. Is that covered?

Yes. Ages 9–11 are planned for twice a week: run each page twice, and the second time goes smoother. The guidelines recommend once a week for ages 7–8.

Can my assistant coach use it too?

Yes. Print as many copies as you need for your own team, players and assistant coaches.

What if it's not what I expected?

Email [email protected] within 30 days of your purchase and we'll refund you in full.

Saturday's coming. Walk in with a plan.

The whole season, planned for you, for $47. That's less than $5 a week.

Get the Playbook — $47

Instant PDF download. 30-day money-back guarantee.