Shooting form, ball handling, footwork, and defense, built on repeatable cues.
Our basketball clinics focus on the fundamentals that show up in every possession: shooting with repeatable form, handling the ball with eyes up, and footwork that keeps a player balanced and out of traveling calls. On defense, athletes learn a real stance, how to slide, and how to close out under control. Older athletes finish with the drills, competitive reps, and scrimmage situations common at junior high and high school tryouts.
A basketball shot is a repeated motion, and a repeated motion is only as good as its mechanics. When the elbow is under the ball, the eyes are on the target, and the legs supply the power, the shot looks the same every time, which is what makes it go in more often. A shot built on a push from the chest or a thumb flick from the guide hand might work in the driveway, but it tends to break down against a closeout or late in a game when the legs are tired.
Footwork matters just as much. A jump stop (landing on both feet at the same time) lets a player use either foot as the pivot, which keeps them balanced and avoids traveling. A low, wide defensive stance lets a defender move side to side without crossing their feet. These habits also help athletes land, cut, and stop in good body position, which is part of training safely. Any question about pain or injury belongs with a licensed health care provider.
At tryouts, coaches often see a lot of players in a short time, and they notice the fundamentals right away: a player who catches in triple threat, dribbles with their head up, finishes with either hand, gets in a stance, and boxes out. Those are coachable skills, and they’re exactly what we spend clinic time on.
Each skill is taught with the cues our coaches use at every station — short phrases athletes can repeat to themselves at home.
We build the shot from the ground up and from close to the rim outward, so the form is right before the range grows.
Handling the ball with either hand and eyes up lets a player see the floor and protect the ball.
Good footwork keeps a player balanced, legal, and ready to score or pass.
Making layups with either hand, off the correct foot, is one of the most valuable skills in the game.
Good passing moves the defense and creates open shots, and good catching makes the next move possible.
Defense is effort plus technique. A good stance and good footwork make the effort count.
Dribbling with both hands, catching and passing, stopping under control, and first shooting form close to the basket. Movement games keep it active and fun.
Correct shooting form using BEEF, two-handed ball handling, layups off the correct foot, jump stops and pivots, and a real defensive stance, with lots of repetition and feedback.
Tryout-ready skills: shooting off the catch and the dribble, finishing with either hand, handling under pressure, closeouts, and boxing out. We run the drills and competitive reps athletes are likely to see at junior high and freshman tryouts.
Speed of execution and decision-making: shooting off movement, reading screens (a teammate blocking a defender’s path), attacking closeouts, and team defensive rotations. We focus on the details varsity-level coaches tend to evaluate.
Most mistakes are habits, not ability. Here’s what we see most often in basketball — and the fix we coach.
Weekend Clinics run Days 1 and 2. The Tryout Intensive adds Day 3: tryout-style drills and game situations.
We schedule basketball tryout intensives in the 2–6 weeks before typical fall tryouts, which usually means September and October.
Full tryout calendar →This reflects the typical CIF Southern Section calendar; LA City Section schools and individual programs vary, so confirm dates with your school’s athletic department.
Clinic dates are being set for basketball. Join the list and we’ll email you the moment registration opens near you.
No. Many athletes come to us from rec leagues, school teams, or no organized basketball at all. Club and travel teams (often called AAU) are a good fit for families who want a year-round, competitive schedule; a clinic is a short, focused block of fundamentals. Athletes are grouped by age band, and coaches adjust drills to each player’s level.
Yes. Handling with both hands, footwork, passing, shooting form, and a good defensive stance are skills every player needs at every size. Kids grow at very different rates, and a player who builds sound fundamentals now is ready to use them as they grow. We coach to skill and effort, never to size.
That’s fine. Foundations and Builders sessions start with the basics, and coaches adjust each drill to the athlete in front of them. Beginners spend a lot of time with a ball in their hands, which is exactly what they need. All we ask is effort and a willingness to try the cues.
No. Elevate does not field teams, so a clinic is instruction, not an evaluation for a roster. The tryout intensive includes a tryout-style day so athletes know what to expect, but no clinic can promise a spot. Our goal is that your athlete arrives prepared and confident in the fundamentals coaches will be watching.
Join the list with your sport, age band, and city. We’ll email you when a clinic opens near you — no commitment until you register.