Work on the player's movement and coordination. To play center in youth basketball, a player must improve his coordination and the movement on the court. Jump rope and shuffle drills in practice are a great way to improve these skills. A center in youth basketball will need to be patient with this development because it will take time for the body to mature and be able move with fluidity on the court.
Be able to defend the basket and prevent the opponent from scoring. Often the center can use his or her height in youth basketball to make it very difficult for the opponent to score. Teaching the player how to use that height and not foul is imperative to the center's success in youth basketball.
Block out the opponent to rebound the basketball. One of the primary responsibilities of the center in youth basketball is to rebound. Too often a young player will simply jump and try to grab the basketball without attempting to shield the opponent from the rebound with the block out maneuver.
Keep the basketball above the waist. To play successfully at the youth league level, a center must learn to keep the basketball above the waist and the shoulders if possible. The lower on his body the center lowers the basketball, the more he negates the height advantage the center has on the court.