Movement Warm-Ups Raise the heart rate and loosen muscles before picking up a ball.
Players jog baseline to baseline with exaggerated high knees — bringing each knee up to hip height on every step. Add arm pump for full activation. Repeat 3 lengths.
Stationary warm-up sequence: 10 small arm circles (each direction), 10 big arm circles, 10 trunk twists left-right, 10 shoulder rolls. Repeat twice.
Front-to-back leg swings (10 each leg), side-to-side swings (10 each), then hip circles in both directions (10 each). Loosens the hip flexors critical for basketball movement.
Want these warm-ups automatically sequenced into your full practice plan?
Build a Plan Free →Get Hands on the Ball Reactivate touch and feel before drills begin. Low intensity, high reps.
Rapid alternating hand slaps on the ball — fast and loud. Then finger taps around the ball (top, sides, bottom). Move to between-legs tap and behind-back tap. Good for waking up the hands.
Stationary progression: 20 hard right-hand dribbles (knee height), 20 left-hand, 20 alternating, 20 crossovers. Stay low. This is the foundation warm-up for every practice.
Dribble two balls at the same time: together (both hit at once), then alternating (right down, left up). 20 reps each. Advanced: add crossovers with both balls.
Pass the ball in a figure-8 pattern between and around your legs without dribbling. 10 reps forward, 10 reps backward. Forces players to bend knees and stay low.
Warm-ups are just the start. See our full drill library — 15 youth basketball drills organized by age group (6–8, 9–11, 12–14) with setup instructions and coaching tips for every drill.
Basketball-Specific Movement Footwork patterns that carry directly into practice skills and game situations.
Low defensive stance, slide baseline to elbow and back. Never cross feet. Coach calls direction — left, right, sprint forward, retreat. 3 rotations, 30 seconds each.
Players jog the length of the court. On coach's whistle: jump stop on two feet, balanced and low. Hold position 2 seconds, then continue. Teaches controlled stops before catching a pass or driving to the basket.
From a stationary stance: front pivot left, front pivot right, reverse pivot left, reverse pivot right. Coach calls each direction. 10 reps each, both pivot foot options. Critical skill that most young players skip entirely.
Player starts under the basket. Coach places a cone at the elbow or three-point line. Sprint to it, break down into defensive stance (short choppy steps), arrive under control with hands up. Builds the habit of not flying past your man.
Build a Full Practice Plan with These Warm-Ups
CourtPlan automatically builds your entire practice — warm-ups, skill drills, game time, and cool-down — with timing and coaching cues for every drill.
Build My Practice Plan →