first time basketball coach

Mike - since your court time is short, you need to be highly organized. This means that you need to have a plan of action for every practice. Written down, with a time frame for every segment. Try having your team meeting before the practice starts. Do your paper handouts, parents announcements etc. before you enter the gym. Tell the kids what they can expect at each practice. ex. 'we're short on time, so tonight we need to get right to work. Tom you take 4 players and go to the far end of the gym to loosen up with shooting. The other five take the near end. 3 mins only. then we will have 3 mins to stretch. 5 mins to practice fouls shots (split the group into 2 and compete against each other. This does well in every drill. air balls get a lap around the gym. Individual drills first (basics) then 3 vs 2(or 1) then full squad routines (first no defense then scrimmage). Give each of the kids very specific things to do on the floor and places to be. Running out of time and space myself. Good luck and keep in touch. Oh, ask any high school or college coach for help or drills, I am certain they would be more than happy to give you some more advice. . . Vince... also solicite some help from an interested parent. Short lines for every drill. use your helper and the entire gym. nothing is worse than having 10 kids standing in line waiting to shoot and the coach is rebounding. get as many kids involved in every drill as much as possible.
practice the basics at every practice (passing, receiving, shooting, footwork) set goals and try to reach them, but do not spend forever trying to get 10 left-handed layups in a row, or right handed for that matter. set the goal try to reach it but keep your time limit set for that drill whether you reach the goal or not. Use your more skilled players to show your lesser skilled players how to do something. This will help to keep them involved. Always split you talent up for group contests, so that your talented players are always rooting for and helping the lesser skilled kids. Got to go now. Let me know if this has been of any help to you . . .