I got a wobble board the other day and juggling on it is giving me the balance of a mudfooted flamingo in a dead wind.

The kids are developing scary balance as well. I spent an hour the other day shooting passes at my eight year old, trying to extend his reach while he fought with his footing--a great exercise for any ball sport coach who wants to train players to keep their heads up and bodies rooted--also a good way of teaching kids to catch with their hands instead of their bodies. (Body catching seems to throw my kids off balance).



At one point I circled my eight year old sidekick and peppered him with quick passes as he swung the wobbleboard around like a surfer on a lazy susan.

In our typical routine, I’ll throw him a medley of passes with a 2 lb weighted ball (which really forces him to adjust his balance).

Straight pass
Reach (to either hand)
Lob in front
High pass


As we play, sidekick practices fancy return passes...

Behind the back (alternate sides)
Through the legs
Granny style straight legged
Granny style with squat

A granny style pass is a two handed pass in front of the legs that requires a quick hip snap to move the ball forward.