At-home basketball drills for 14 year olds and older: guard

This is a free sample week of at-home basketball training for 14 year olds and older, for a guard: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 15 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 14 year olds and older

Session 1

On-ball defense 13 minutes

Closeout and chop feet · 4 min
High hand, short steps as you arrive
Slide, drop step, slide · 5 min
Turn the hips, keep your chest in front
Shadow a ball handler · 4 min
Stay a step back, mirror their hips not the ball

Session 2

Guard: Dribble and Toss Catch 15 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 3 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Dribble and Toss Catch · 5 min
Eyes on the tennis ball, feel the dribble.
Tempo Run Blocks · 5 min
Comfortably hard, not all out. Safety: Bring water, go at a pace where you can still talk, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick or have chest pain.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Guard: Three-Player Weave 15 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 3 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Three-Player Weave · 5 min
Pass ahead, go behind. Safety: Clear loose balls off the floor under the hoop before you start, so nobody lands on one. Use the hoop and ball for your age: an 8-foot rim and size 5 ball at 7 to 8, a 9-foot rim and size 6 at 9 to 11.
Partner Band Resisted Starts · 5 min
Lean in, punch the knees. Safety: Check the band for nicks first, anchor it firmly and keep it away from your face. Only with an adult nearby.
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

Dribble and Toss Catch

Ages 14 and up · 12 min

Keep a dribble going with one hand while you toss and catch a tennis ball with the other, so your dribble works without your eyes.

Dribble with your right hand at waist height.
Toss a tennis ball up a little with your left hand and catch it.
Keep the dribble going the whole time.
Do 30 catches with each hand.

Coach's cue: Eyes on the tennis ball, feel the dribble.

Bring: basketball, tennis ball

Tempo Run Blocks

Ages 13 and up · 25 min

Run at a comfortably hard pace for 3 to 5 minutes at a time with easy jogs between. Raises how long you can work hard.

Jog 5 minutes to warm up.
Run 4 minutes at a pace you can hold but cannot chat at.
Jog 2 minutes easy.
Do 3 blocks, then jog and walk 5 minutes.

Coach's cue: Comfortably hard, not all out.

Bring: field or track

Safety: Bring water, go at a pace where you can still talk, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick or have chest pain.

Three-Player Weave

Ages 14 and up · 14 min

Pass and run behind in a weave up the court, then finish, without the ball touching the floor.

Three players start on the baseline: middle has the ball.
Pass to one side, then run behind the player you passed to.
Keep passing and running behind until you reach the other basket.
Finish with a layup; do 6 trips.

Coach's cue: Pass ahead, go behind.

Bring: basketball, hoop, 3 players

Safety: Clear loose balls off the floor under the hoop before you start, so nobody lands on one. Use the hoop and ball for your age: an 8-foot rim and size 5 ball at 7 to 8, a 9-foot rim and size 6 at 9 to 11.

Partner Band Resisted Starts

Ages 13 and up · 12 min

A partner holds a band around your waist with light tension while you accelerate for 10 yards. Teaches a strong forward lean.

Loop the band around your hips; your partner holds the ends behind you.
Your partner gives light tension, enough to lean into, not to stop you.
Drive forward with short, strong steps for 10 yards; your partner walks behind.
Do 5 reps, then 2 free starts without the band.

Coach's cue: Lean in, punch the knees.

Bring: long resistance band or belt, partner

Safety: Check the band for nicks first, anchor it firmly and keep it away from your face. Only with an adult nearby.

Safety for ages 14 and up

Plans for this age group use beginner, developing and advanced 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)