Ruth Nelson, former collegiate coach and youth (6-18 years) training specialist, finds a creative way to incorporate parents into the practice environment while warming up her players and working on passing and defense fundamentals.

Players partner with their parents to complete a passing and defense progression. By listening to Ruth’s cues and practicing each skill themselves, parents experience firsthand what their children are learning.

This drill is a creative way to engage parents and help them stay involved in a healthy, controlled way — all while training athletes in the basics of passing and defense. Check out this video to see Ruth’s parent-partner ball handling warmup progression drill in action.