Engaging youth practices
Who it's for
Coaches of young and beginner players.
Takeaway
How to keep youth practice fun and active while still developing real skill.
Transforming Clinician
George Vaz
Coach educator & host of The Transforming Basketball Podcast
Goiânia, Brazil
George Vaz is a basketball coach consultant and the host of The Transforming Basketball Podcast. Based in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, he works with coaches, players and organizations — and as podcast host he explores the ideas behind modern, evidence-informed coaching with guests from across the game.
- Youth practice design
- Representative learning
- Conceptual offense
Experience at a glance
George's coaching background
- Basketball coach consultant
- Works with coaches, players and organizations on modern player development.
- Host of The Transforming Basketball Podcast
- Leads the conversations on the official Transforming Basketball show.
- Based in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
- Coaches and consults from Brazil, working with groups internationally.
George's work
Youth practice· 10:24
What YOUTH PRACTICES Really Need to Look Like — U11 Dribbling Activities with George Vaz
George leads a U11 practice built around engaging, game-relevant dribbling activities.
Watch on YouTubeWhat you can learn
What you can learn with George
Representative learning design
Who it's for
Coaches designing practice that transfers to games.
Takeaway
How to design activities that represent real game demands so learning transfers to play.
Introducing conceptual offense
Who it's for
Coaches moving a team toward a conceptual, principles-based offense.
Takeaway
How to introduce conceptual offense, work through the messy phase and earn buy-in.
Coaching in practice
Leading a U11 dribbling practice
Context
In this Transforming Basketball video, George leads a U11 practice built around dribbling activities designed for young players.
Approach
He uses playful, representative activities that keep young players engaged while still challenging real ball-handling and decision-making.
What coaches can explore
How to design youth dribbling practice that stays fun and game-relevant, and how activity design shapes what young players actually work on.
Learn with George
More from George on Transforming Basketball
Official Transforming Basketball videos and podcast episodes featuring George.
Podcast episode · 15 min
EP136: Traditional vs CLA Drills
George explains representative practice design and coaching to the demands of the game.
Listen on SpotifyPodcast episode · 13 min
EP158: Transforming Team Offense — Implementing the CLA and Conceptual Offense
George on transitioning to conceptual offense, the messy phase and stakeholder buy-in.
Listen on SpotifyAs a Transforming Clinician and the podcast's host, George brings youth-practice design and conceptual-offense ideas to camps and clinics, and helps coaches connect the show's conversations to what they run on court.
Articles by George
Showing 37–45 di 65 articles
Player development
Constraints-Led Approach Basketball: Teach Lay-Ups
What Is the Constraints-Led Approach Basketball? We had a member of our Transforming Community post this very interesting question: "How do I teach a beginner to do a lay-up—without boring them or killing their joy?"
Oct 20, 20254 min read
Team offense
Understanding the Ghost Cut in Basketball
What is a Ghost Cut? Put simply, a ghost cut is a cut where the offense disappears and reappears in some place spooky, like under the basket.
Oct 13, 20253 min read
Player development
10 Ideas for Improving Ball Handling
How can we add repetition without repetition to ball handling? So instead of asking a player to repeat the same dribble move 20 times in the same spot, we offer…
Oct 6, 20253 min read
Practice design
How to Add Practice Variability To Build Smarter, More Adaptable Players
In the quest to develop well-rounded basketball players, embracing variability in practice is CRUCIAL. But why should coaches move away from rigid, highly-structured drills and incorporate more dynamic, unpredictable scenarios into their practice sessions?
Sep 29, 20252 min read
Practice design
Small-Sided Games for On-Ball Defense
A lot of coaches talk about their base defense; principles such as no middle, trap the box rotations, etc. One of the golden principles of defense in youth basketball is “staying in neutral.
Sep 22, 20252 min read
Team offense
4 Creative Ways to Beat a Zone Defense in Youth Basketball
One of the most frequented questions we receive at Transforming is how to beat a zone offense. Within our membership community, we posed the question to our members in one of our monthly challenges.
Sep 15, 20252 min read
Team offense
How to Practice Blast Cuts in Youth Basketball Offense
At Transforming Basketball, we are a big believer in using blast cuts as a primary trigger for U12 and U14 youth teams.
Sep 8, 20251 min read
Team offense
Two Side Break: Transition Principles
Looking to generate quality shots within the first 6–8 seconds of the shot clock? The 2-side break could be the key to enhancing your team’s transition offense.
Aug 18, 20253 min read
Practice design
Top 5 Favorite Small Sided Games (SSGs)
Are you searching for the best small sided games (SSGs) to improve your basketball practices? Want to replace boring, low-transfer drills with competitive games that actually develop player decision-making and in-game skills?
Aug 4, 20254 min read
Host a camp
Enquire about hosting GeorgeEnquire about hosting George
Bring George to your club, academy or federation for a Transforming camp or clinic. Dates and clinician availability are agreed with our team when you enquire.