Introduction: In church basketball ministry for children, warm-up activities are essential to prepare both the body and the mind for physical activity. These exercises help prevent injuries and improve performance on the court.

Overview: Below are a series of warm-up activities that you can incorporate into your basketball practice. Start with the easier ones and gradually progress to the more challenging exercises.

• Jumping jacks - Perform 20 jumping jacks to get the heart rate up.
• High knees - Run in place, lifting your knees as high as you can for 30 seconds.
• Side shuffles - Shuffle from side to side across the court, focusing on quick feet movement.
• Figure-8 dribbling - Dribble the basketball in a figure-8 pattern around your legs.
• Suicide sprints - Sprint to various points on the court and back, simulating game-like movements.
• Free throw challenge - Take 10 free throws and track your percentage.
• 3-point shooting - Practice shooting from beyond the arc, focusing on form and accuracy.
• Defensive slides - Slide side to side across the court in a defensive stance, working on agility and lateral movement.
• Full-court layup drills - Practice full-court layups at game speed, focusing on finishing with both hands.
• Team scrimmage - Divide players into teams and play a friendly scrimmage to apply the skills learned in practice.

Real-world Problems:

• You have 5 minutes left in practice and want to fit in one more warm-up activity. Which exercise would be most beneficial for getting your team ready for the upcoming game?
• Your team is down by 2 points with 10 seconds left on the clock. Describe how the warm-up activities you practiced can help your team secure a win in this high-pressure situation.

Answers:

1. Full-court layup drills

2. Practicing free throws and maintaining focus under pressure can help improve the team's chances of scoring crucial points in the final moments of the game.

1. Problem: Calculate the total number of points scored by a team if they made 12 two-point shots and 5 three-point shots.
   Answer: 34 points
2. Problem: If a team plays 4 games in a tournament and scores 58, 62, 55, and 60 points in each game, what is the total number of points scored in all games?
   Answer: 235 points
3. Problem: If a player makes 80% of their free throws and they attempt 20 free throws, how many free throws are successful?
   Answer: 16 successful free throws
4. Problem: A team practices shooting baskets for 30 minutes. If they make a basket every 3 minutes on average, how many baskets do they make in total?
   Answer: 10 baskets
5. Problem: The coach wants each player to make at least 50 baskets during practice. If there are 8 players on the team, how many baskets need to be made in total?
   Answer: 400 baskets
6. Problem: If a team has 15 players and each player needs to run 2 laps around the court as a warm-up, how many total laps are run?
   Answer: 30 laps
7. Problem: In a shooting drill, a player takes 20 shots and makes 12 of them. What is the shooting percentage for this player?
   Answer: 60% shooting percentage
8. Problem: If a team has a total of 24 fouls during a game and each foul results in the opposing team getting 2 free throws, how many free throws does the opposing team get in total?
   Answer: 48 free throws
9. Problem: The coach wants to have a relay race as a warm-up activity. If there are 4 teams with 3 players each, how many players participate in the relay race?
   Answer: 12 players
10. Problem: If each player needs to dribble the ball around a cone 5 times as part of the warm-up, and there are 10 players on the team, how many total dribbles are completed?
    Answer: 50 dribbles

1. Start by gathering all the children in a designated area of the church gymnasium or outdoor court.
2. Explain to the children that warm-up activities are important to prevent injuries and prepare their bodies for physical activity.
3. Lead the children in a group stretch, encouraging them to reach for the sky, touch their toes, and stretch their arms and legs.
4. Next, organize a fun game of "Simon Says" incorporating basketball movements such as dribbling, shooting, and passing.
5. Divide the children into pairs or small groups and have them pass the basketball to each other while moving around the court.
6. Incorporate a brief prayer or scripture reading to center the children's minds and hearts on the purpose of the basketball ministry.
7. Remind the children to stay hydrated and listen to their bodies during the warm-up activities.
8. Finish the warm-up session with a group cheer or high-five to boost morale and unity among the children.

• Game 1: Bible Verse Relay

  Rules:

  1. Divide students into two teams.
  2. Write different Bible verses on index cards or small pieces of paper.
  3. Place the cards at a distance from the teams.
  4. One player from each team runs to the cards, picks one, and memorizes the verse.
  5. The player runs back to the team and recites the verse aloud for them to verify.
  6. If correct, the team earns a point. Continue until all verses are used, or for a set time.
• Game 2: Fruit of the Spirit Tag

  Rules:

  1. Assign each student a "Fruit of the Spirit" (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).
  2. Designate one student as "It."
  3. When tagged, the tagged player must exhibit the fruit they are assigned (e.g., show kindness by helping someone up).
  4. If successful, they are free; if not, they become "It."
  5. Rotate being "It" and continue playing.
• Game 3: David and Goliath Dodgeball

  Rules:

  1. Divide students into two teams: Team David and Team Goliath.
  2. Set up a dodgeball game with foam balls.
  3. Team Goliath has more players but must stay on their side of the court.
  4. Team David has fewer players but can cross the centerline to attack.
  5. If a player is hit, they must recite a Bible verse to re-enter the game.
  6. The game ends when all players from one team are out.