At-home basketball drills for 11 to 13 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home basketball training for 11 to 13 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard, or at a driveway hoop. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of basketball for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Pass and move 13 minutes

Chest and bounce passes to a wall target · 4 min
Step in, thumbs down
Overhead passes to a wall target · 4 min
Ball above your head, snap the wrists
Pass, then jog to a new spot (with a parent) · 5 min
Move as soon as the ball leaves your hands

Session 2

Ball handling: Two-Ball Dribbling 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Two-Ball Dribbling · 5 min
Keep both hands working. Slow down to stay in control. Safety: Use a smooth surface and clear space so you do not trip.
Five-Spot Shooting · 5 min
Same form every spot. Feet set before you shoot.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Shooting: Five-Spot Shooting 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Five-Spot Shooting · 5 min
Same form every spot. Feet set before you shoot.
Four-Corner Box Drill · 5 min
Plant outside foot, stay low. Safety: Use a clear, non-slip space and change direction only as fast as you can control. Stop if a knee or ankle hurts.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 basketball plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Two-Ball Dribbling

Ages 11 and up · 8 min

Dribble two balls to strengthen your off hand and your coordination.

Dribble both balls at the same time for 20 seconds, then alternating for 20 seconds.
Dribble one low and one high for 20 seconds, switch.
Walk forward and backward while dribbling both balls.
Do 3 rounds with 20 seconds of rest between.

Coach's cue: Keep both hands working. Slow down to stay in control.

Bring: two basketballs

Safety: Use a smooth surface and clear space so you do not trip.

Five-Spot Shooting

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Shoot from five spots around the key and track your makes to beat your own score.

Mark five spots: both corners, both wings, top of the key (inside your range).
Take 5 shots from each spot, rebounding your own shot.
Count your makes out of 25 and write the score down.
Next session, try to beat your score.

Coach's cue: Same form every spot. Feet set before you shoot.

Bring: basketball, hoop

Four-Corner Box Drill

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

Move around a small square using a different movement on each side: run forward, shuffle, backpedal, shuffle.

Set a square of cones 5 yards apart.
Run forward up the first side, shuffle across the top.
Backpedal down the far side, shuffle back to the start.
Do 3 each direction with rest between.

Coach's cue: Plant outside foot, stay low.

Bring: 4 cones

Safety: Use a clear, non-slip space and change direction only as fast as you can control. Stop if a knee or ankle hurts.

Safety for ages 11 to 13

Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard (or a driveway hoop). Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: basketball

A ball and hoop sized for age: size 5 ball and 8-foot rim at 7-8; size 6 and 9-foot rim at 9-11.
Court shoes that grip; ankle brace after a sprain if a doctor suggests it.
Land softly with knees over toes on every jump; a short landing and balance warm-up protects knees.
At least one day a week away from basketball, and play other sports until about 14 (USA Basketball and NBA).
Box-outs, screens and post contact: walking pace first, coach watching, light contact.
Watch packed tournament weekends: many games in a short time raise injury risk.

For every sport and age (7)

Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 29 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Basketball: governing bodies, safety and development (9)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)