The Ultimate Youth Basketball Camp Guide

A great youth basketball camp does more than teach skills. It helps build the future of your program.

Camps get your kids excited about basketball. It gives them a chance to have fun, improve, and picture themselves one day wearing your school’s jersey. If you want your program to compete at a high level year after year, youth camp should be part of your long-term plan.

How to Fill Your Youth Basketball Camp

If your camp numbers are low, something needs to change. As the varsity coach or camp director, take a hard look at three things: format, coaches, and competition.

1. Format

The format of your camp matters. Kids do not want to sit still for long stretches. They also do not want to spend the whole camp listening.

Of course, some teaching is necessary. Players need instruction. But the best camps keep kids moving, learning, and interacting as much as possible. A fast-paced camp keeps kids engaged and makes them want to come back.

2. Coaches

Who is helping run your camp?

Some camps have one coach doing all the teaching while a large group of kids waits for their turn. That is hard on both the coach and the players.

Your high school players should be involved as assistant coaches. They should help with drills, encourage campers, and interact with the kids throughout the day. Younger players look up to high school athletes. When they get to work with them, the experience becomes more exciting and more memorable.

If campers enjoy their time with your high school players, they are more likely to tell their friends and return the next day, next week, or next year.

3. Competition

Kids love to compete.

If you teach a skill, give campers a chance to use that skill in a fun competition. It could be something simple like a dribbling relay race or a shooting challenge. It could also be a small-sided game like 1-on-1 or 3-on-3.

The goal is not always to crown a winner. The goal is to create energy, excitement, and fun while helping players improve.

Young players enjoy camps that move quickly, include high school players as coaches, and give them chances to compete. If you focus on those three areas, your camp will become more attractive right away.

One easy way to grow camp numbers is to encourage each camper to bring a friend on the second day. You may be surprised by how fast your camp grows.

If you want to run a great camp without having to figure it all out on your own, check out my Starting and Running a Basketball Camp From A-Z course.

How Much Should You Charge?

One of the first decisions you need to make is what to charge for camp. The best way to do that is to start with the basics. Before you pick a number, think through the details that affect your cost and your overall goal.

Ask yourself:

• What ages or grades is the camp for?

• How many days will camp run?

• How long is camp each day?

• Will you pay workers or use volunteers?

• What equipment will you need, such as balls, cones, pinnies, or awards?

• Will campers get camp t-shirts?

• Will you need to rent the gym or pay custodians?

• Does the school take a portion of the money, or does it all go back into the program?

• Is the camp meant to raise money for your program? If so, how much do you need to make?

Once you answer those questions, do a little research on what similar camps in your area are charging. Just make sure you compare your camp to camps like yours. College camps and camps run by pro players often charge more because of the name attached to them. Their goal is usually different. They may be trying to make a bigger profit or limit the number of campers. Your goal is usually to get more kids in the gym, build relationships, and grow your program.

After you understand your costs and look at local prices, you can choose a camp fee that feels fair for families and still makes sense for your program.

Don’t Keep Future Players Out Of The Gym

Over the years, I have had parents tell me they could not afford camp. Even when the cost was low, it still was not possible for some families.

My belief has always been this: if a kid wants to be in the gym, I want to help make that happen.

Sometimes I have asked a parent, “What can you afford?” Other times I have simply said, “Do not worry about it. Just bring them to camp.” You need to decide what works best for you, but it is worth having a plan before this situation comes up.

2. Have a Plan for Families With Multiple Kids

If a family has three or four kids, camp can get expensive fast.

Think through this ahead of time. Maybe the first two kids pay full price and the rest attend free. Maybe families with multiple children get a discount. There is no perfect answer, but you should have a plan that is clear and fair.

3. Decide How to Handle Partial Attendance

This can be tricky.

If one family gets a discount because their child can only attend part of camp, but another family does not, people may think you are playing favorites. Even if that is not true, it can create frustration.

To avoid confusion, I chose not to offer discounts for partial attendance. If a family vacation overlaps with camp, it just does not work out that year. I understand why parents ask for a reduced rate, but for me, it opened the door to too many problems.

Two Camp Formats To Choose From

In this format, you are the main teacher. You stand in front of the camp, explain drills, and lead the instruction. Other coaches or players help reinforce what you are teaching.

If you have several coaches, you can split kids into groups. If it is just you, you may need to keep everyone together.

Sample Grade Breakdown

Camp runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• 1st–2nd grade: 60–90 minutes

• 3rd–4th grade: 60–90 minutes

• 5th–6th grade: 60–90 minutes

• 7th–8th grade: 60–90 minutes

• 9th–12th grade: 90–120 minutes

Sample Schedule

• 9:00 — Daily theme, quote, split campers into two groups

• 9:10 — Warm-up and stretch

• 9:15 — Dribbling

• 9:25 — Defense

• 9:35 — Drink break

• 9:40 — Passing

• 9:50 — Shooting instruction

• 10:05 — Shooting games

• 10:20 — Dribbling games

• 10:30 — Dismissal

Type 2: Camp Director

In this format, you organize the camp, set the schedule, and let your coaches lead the stations.

This is the format I use. It allows me to handle problems, keep the day moving, and take care of things behind the scenes. It also gives my high school players a chance to teach, lead, and grow.

Sample Grade Breakdown by Stations

Camp runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

• 1st–2nd grade: Station 1

• 3rd–4th grade: Station 2

• 5th–6th grade: Station 3

• 7th–8th grade: Station 4

• 9th–10th grade: Station 5

• 11th–12th grade: Station 6

Sample Schedule

• 9:00 — Daily theme and quote

• 9:10 — Go to stations, warm-up, stretch

• 9:20 — Dribbling

• 9:35 — Shooting

• 9:50 — Shooting tests

• 10:15 — Lay-ups

• 10:25 — Lay-up competition

• 10:35 — Passing

• 10:50 — Defense

• 11:05 — 1-on-1 competition

• 11:25 — 3-on-3 competition

• 11:45 — Whole camp knockout or free throw competition

• 12:00 — Dismissal

Use A Daily Theme For Camp

Most parents and kids come to camp to have fun and improve their skills. That is important. But camp can also teach bigger lessons.

At every camp I run, I use a daily theme. I usually start with a quote that connects to the theme. Then I share an example of a player who showed that quality. During camp, I ask the staff to notice campers who show that theme in action.

Later that day, or the next morning, I recognize those campers in front of the group.

I usually choose themes that are not already being stressed in every drill. For example, coaches are already talking about hard work all day. So I like to focus on ideas such as unselfishness, honesty, or being a great teammate.

This helps parents and players see that our program is about more than basketball.

Daily Theme Ideas

• Unselfishness

• Teamwork

• Competition

• Hard work

• Honesty

• Putting others first

• Encouragement

• Being a great teammate

Youth Basketball Camp Drills

Before players jump into drills, coaches should teach the basics of each skill.

I like to give my camp coaches a packet of drills to use. Most of the time, my camp coaches are high school players. Without a drill packet, some of them run out of ideas quickly or stay on the same drill too long.

Here are a few drill ideas to include.

Dribbling Drills

1. Zig Zag Dribbling
2. 1v1 Alley Dribbling
3. Dribble Tag Evasion
4. Box Ball Handling

Shooting Drills

1. Pass First Lay-Ups
2. 5 Spot Shooting
3. Utah Shooting
4. Baseball Shooting Drill

Passing Drills

1. Start, Stop, Pivot Passing
2. Partner Passing
3. Partner Passing With Dribbling
4. Machine Gun Passing

Defense Drills

1. Man to Man Defense Basics
2. 1v1 Full Court Dribbling
3. Closing The Gaps Drill
4. 2v1 Rebounding

Small Sided Games

1. 1v1 Attack 
2. 2v1 Line
3. 2v1 Continuous
4. 3v2 Line

Youth Basketball Camp Games

A great camp includes fun and competition. Skill-based games are an easy way to add both.

You can use these games during stations or with the whole camp. Depending on your numbers, you may want to separate players by age or grade level.

Here are ten games to consider:

1. Knockout
2. Sharks and Minnows
3. Hot Shot Shooting
4. Free Throw Competitions
5. Lay-Up Competitions
6. 3,2,1 Shooting
7. Thunder and Lightning
8. 1v1 Games and Tournaments
9. 3v3 Games and Tournaments
10. 5v5 League Games and Tournaments

End With an Awards Ceremony

It is a great idea to end camp with an awards ceremony.

Some camps give awards by station. Others bring the whole camp together. Since I use the camp director format, I have my camp coaches track shooting scores, competition winners, and other standout performances.

We have given awards for:

• Hardest Worker

• Best Teammate

• Most Coachable

• Most Improved

Awards help keep campers excited about basketball and eager to return.

They also impact your high school players. Camp coaches often get just as excited for the campers as the campers do for themselves. They begin to see the difference they can make in someone else’s life.

That matters. You are not just building better players. You are helping shape better people.

Meet With Your Camp Coaches Daily

Whether you have one coach helping or a full camp staff, meet with them before and after camp each day.

Talk about what worked, what did not work, what problems came up, and what the plan is for the day ahead.

I still remember what it felt like to walk into camp as a young coach with no clear plan. It was stressful. When everyone knows the schedule and expectations, camp runs better for the coaches and for the kids.

Ideas for Your Coach Meetings

• Hand out the weekly schedule

• Review that day’s schedule each morning

• Go over the next day’s schedule after camp

• Ask what worked well

• Ask what did not work well

• Collect success stories tied to the daily theme

• Remind coaches to be positive and encouraging

• Talk about drill timing and fresh ideas

• Make coverage plans if a coach will be absent

• Gather scores and names of competition winners

Final Thought

As the head coach, you already have a lot on your plate. Camp season becomes much easier when you get organized early and let others help where they can.

A strong youth camp can do more than fill summer time. It can build excitement, strengthen relationships, and lay the foundation for the future of your program.

Good luck to you and your campers this summer.

If you want help planning your camp from start to finish, my Starting and Running a Basketball Camp From A-Z course gives you the structure, ideas, and tools to make it happen.