At-home basketball drills for 11 to 13 year olds: center

This is a free sample week of at-home basketball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a center: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 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

Jump, land, go 14 minutes

Jump rope or quick hops · 3 min
Light on the balls of your feet
Jump and stick landings · 4 min
Land soft on two feet, knees over toes
Lateral bounds · 4 min
Push off one leg, land and hold on the other
Defensive slide to a sprint · 3 min
Short bursts, walk back to rest

Session 2

Center: Jump Timing Drops 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Jump Timing Drops · 5 min
Watch the ball, time it, explode. Safety: Do not drop from anything higher than a normal step. Keep the area clear.
Cross-Crawl Rhythm · 5 min
Smooth rhythm, opposite sides.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Center: Beat the Clock Shooting 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Beat the Clock Shooting · 5 min
Fast does not mean rushed. Keep your form.
Split Squat Basics · 5 min
Straight down, straight up. Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint 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

Jump Timing Drops

Ages 11 and up · 8 min

Time your jump to catch a ball at its peak.

A partner stands on a step (or tall surface, safely) and drops a ball from head height.
Time your jump to catch it just as it passes your chest height.
Land balanced and pass it back.
Do 15 reps.

Coach's cue: Watch the ball, time it, explode.

Bring: basketball, partner

Safety: Do not drop from anything higher than a normal step. Keep the area clear.

Cross-Crawl Rhythm

Ages 9 to 14 · 6 min

Touch opposite hand to opposite knee and foot in a rhythm. Builds left-right coordination.

March and touch your right hand to your left knee, then left hand to right knee.
Next touch behind you: hand to opposite heel.
Mix front and back in a 4-count rhythm.
Do 4 sets of 20 touches.

Coach's cue: Smooth rhythm, opposite sides.

Bring: none

Beat the Clock Shooting

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Shoot as many good shots as you can in 60 seconds, then rebound and repeat.

Set a 60-second timer. Pick a spot you are comfortable with.
Shoot and rebound your own shots until time runs out.
Count makes. Rest 30 seconds.
Do 4 rounds and record your best.

Coach's cue: Fast does not mean rushed. Keep your form.

Bring: basketball, hoop, timer

Split Squat Basics

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

With one foot forward and one back, lower straight down and up. Builds single-leg strength and knee control.

Step one foot forward into a long stance.
Lower your back knee toward the ground, trunk tall.
Keep the front knee over the middle of the foot.
Push back up; do 2 sets of 8 each leg.

Coach's cue: Straight down, straight up.

Bring: none

Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint 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)