Listen and Do Freeze Drill
Coachability
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Practice immediately responding to coach instructions by freezing and listening during active play.
What you need
- basketball
- whistle
Your focus
The most fundamental form of coachability is stopping and listening when a coach speaks. Training this habit early creates players who can receive corrections without breaking their focus. Players who respond instantly to coaching learn faster throughout their entire career.
Players move with the ball freely around the half of the space.
Coach blows whistle, all players must freeze immediately, hold their ball, and make eye contact with coach.
Coach gives a simple instruction (e.g., 'move with the ball with your left hand only') and blows whistle again to resume.
Repeat 8 times with different instructions. Grade on freeze speed and eye contact.
Helpful cues
- Freeze means freeze, not one more dribble
- Eyes to coach the instant the whistle blows
- Listening is a skill just like dribbling, practice it
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Use a clap instead of a whistle and give extra time to freeze.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add a 3-second rule, if not frozen and making eye contact within 3 seconds, do 5 push-ups.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.