how to be a volunteer basketball coach

Basketball is a fast paced, action packed game requiring a wide range of different skills and abilities. It has long been one of the worlds most popular team games, and is easy and practical to play, as it requires a minimum amount of equipment and a relatively small playing area.

The popularity of basketball abroad has undergone something of a resurgence in recent years, thanks in no small part to changing attitudes among basketball leagues and coaches overseas. Professional basketball coaches abroad have started to place more emphasis on developing players who possess a wide variety of skills and attributes, rather than simply looking at players who, literally, stand head and shoulders above the others! The days when professional basketball was reserved purely for 6 foot 10 inch giants with size 20 shoes are long gone, and this has made the game more accessible to children around the world.
Volunteering abroad by coaching basketball is about more than simply developing the sport itself. It is about engaging the children that you work with and giving them the chance of a better future, from both playing the game directly and also from ideas and notions that are developed through basketball, like teamwork, discipline and fair play.

Volunteer Basketball Coaching with Projects Abroad

If you have a passion for basketball, then you could volunteer abroad on one of our Basketball Coaching projects in the developing world. You do not have to be an experienced coach to get involved; all you need is a solid knowledge of the intricacies of the game, and a desire to impart this on others. You can volunteer overseas on a Basketball Coaching project on your gap year, career break or as part of an extended vacation.
Basketball is an incredibly easy game to pick up, but there are many complexities in the rules and tactics, which volunteer coaches can introduce to enthusiastic students, not to mention the individual skills that can be developed. The progress that your students make under your guidance will give you an immense feeling of satisfaction, particularly when you see them in competition against their local rivals!
Other cultures tend to have different approaches to coaching the same sport, and it will be very interesting for you to see the differences between Basketball in Mongolia, for example, compared to your home country. It is sure to be beneficial for your students to have some creative input from another culture, and you may find you learn a few things yourself!
You will work with a project supervisor, with whom you will decide on a structured program dedicated to the basics of basketball play. You can use your time to practice man to man marking, improve accuracy of passing or even have sessions on trying to score three pointers. The main goal is working to expand the ability of young players, whatever level each individual is at, and to make learning rewarding and fun.
In whichever destination you choose to volunteer abroad, you will be gaining experience of sports development that will be of great benefit if choose to study or work in this area in the future. Plus, you will have a fantastic time and make an impact on the children in the community you are visiting!

how to be a walk on in college basketball

The most important thing to know about walking on to a college or high school basketball team is that anything’s possible. You can make your dream of playing competitive basketball for your school a reality if you want it badly enough and follow the right steps.

 Unfortunately, the second most important thing to know is that, as a walk-on candidate, you’re behind each of the returning and scholarship players already on the team. To walk on, you must outwork, out-hustle, and out-perform these players, and prove to the coaching staff that you’re a valuable asset.
Get in Superior Physical Condition

Showing up for practice in better shape than anyone else on the floor demonstrates your commitment, work ethic, and drive. The coaches will quickly realize you’re serious about making the team. It also gives you the ability to keep playing hard — you’ll go strong after rebounds and knock down jump shots when other players are getting tired. For these reasons, getting yourself in the best shape of your life is the most important step for a walk-on player.
Run, Run, Run

A walk-on must run for conditioning, endurance, and strength. He must make up his mind that he’s going to make the team over a returning player who’s in poor condition. This means:

    Find full-court pick-up games with the best players in your area: Going up against great athletes four or five times per week will quickly get you in excellent condition, while letting you work on your game.
    Run 21 miles per week, every week: This works out to three miles per day. You must be willing to run until a three-mile run seems easy. Begin working on this goal at least six weeks prior to tryouts to have strong legs when practice begins.
    Find a hill, mountain, or gym stands to climb: Go hard up this obstacle everyday or as often as possible. Hill conditioning builds strength and endurance in the core basketball muscles. It’s the best cardio workout a basketball player can find.

Strength Conditioning

Develop a strength conditioning program and stick to it. A good strength conditioning program isolates areas of your body that are essential for basketball, and then alternates them with an emphasis on rest and recovery.

If you’re a post player, concentrate on your core, back, and legs. Perimeters players should focus on fast-twitch muscle exercises, primarily from the waist down. Every player should have the upper body strength necessary to handle physical full-court play.
Lay-ups & Jump Shots

Regardless of your position on the floor, emphasize making lay-ups with both hands and jump shots from within 15 feet. A surprising number of returning players show up for practice clearly having not worked on these skills during the summer. Have the fluid motion with both hands — and from everywhere on the court — that demonstrates that you’ve been working on this part of your game.

Tryouts and early-season practices are full of three-man weaves and three-on-two drills that emphasize having a soft touch to finish the play. Don’t be the player that executes every part of a drill right and then misses the open shot to cap the drill off.
Talk to the Coach

The easiest step to overlook is talking with the team’s coach. This lets the coach know what your intentions are, and it gives the coach an opportunity to tell you exactly how you can make the team. The coach can realistically assess your chances and give you a step-by-step walk-through of what you need to excel at in order to get on the floor.

Ultimately, talking with a coach lays the groundwork for your effort and gets you pointed in the right direction. It also makes sure that you remain on his radar leading up to and during try-outs.
Play with Returning Players



Playing pick-up games with the returning players also lets you know what the team might be lacking, and the role your coaches might need you to fill. Don’t hesitate to adjust your game to fill the needs of the team — show your coaches how you can help the team win.

Contact the returning players on the team and find out where and when they play during the off-season. This gives you the advantages of getting to know the players and finding out what you need to work on.

If you believe you’re good enough to walk on to the team, you must believe you’re good enough to compete against the returning players on the team. Show them that you’re talented enough to run with them, while also learning how to improve your game.
Clear Your Schedule

Allotting enough time to play basketball on a daily basis is another vastly underrated step for walking on to a team. You must set aside the time to practice and the time to rest. The physical demands of trying out for most teams make juggling basketball, a job, a heavy academic load, and other responsibilities very difficult.

This includes being a good student and staying ahead of the game with classes. Nobody wants to miss out on basketball for academic reasons. It’s important to prepare in advance of tryouts by maintaining good grades and keeping up with assignments. Let the coach’s decision on your candidacy be based solely on your performance on the floor.
Be Confident & Have Fun

When basketball becomes an all-consuming goal, it’s far too easy to forget that it’s a game. Have fun, enjoy your time on the court, and play hard. Let the preparation and hard work you’ve put into basketball be the deciding factor, and don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself during every shot, practice, or game.

It’s important to remember that many roster decisions come down to the final days of practice or tryouts. Anything can happen — a returning player can sprain an ankle or someone’s poor conditioning can land him in the coach’s doghouse. Stay confident no matter what the situation appears to be and remember to have fun!

how to be a top basketball prospect

This article contains important fundamentals that every outside player should learn. Coaches, for breakdown drills, see Motion Offense Breakdown Drills and Guard Breakdown Shooting Drills.

Know how to jump stop off the speed dribble, and how to receive the pass with a jump stop (see Learning the Jump Stop).
Perimeter moves when you have the ball.
When you receive the ball, immediately get into "triple threat position". This gives you the three options of being ready to shoot, pass, or drive. Additionally, getting into triple-threat position helps you to see the floor, your teammates, gives you a good look into the post, and helps you to see the defense. Receive the ball within your shooting range. If you are too far out, the defender can back off of you, since you are not a threat to score from that distance. Do not catch the ball and then immediately start dribbling, or even worse, bounce the ball once and lose your dribble. You go from being a "triple threat" to no threat at all! You have lost the dribble option; shooting will be difficult with the defender closing in on you, and the passing lanes will be blocked by defenders playing "deny".
Triple threat position.
1. Catch the ball and get squared up to the basket so you can see the basket, the defender and any open teammates.

2. Have your hands positioned on the ball in the shooting position, so you are ready to shoot.

3. Keep your weight back on your pivot foot (often the left foot for a right-handed player).
    triple threat position
Learn to read the defense
Use a short jab step, or drive step, with your non-pivot foot. Jab the foot forward quickly, hold for 1 second and judge the defender's reaction. See if the defender drops back, or stays up. If he/she stays up, see which side is vulnerable to your drive.

A few tips on the jab step...
1. Read the defender... whichever foot the defender has forward is the vulnerable side and that's the side you attack. Now, we don't really want players looking at their feet... we like them to see the whole floor. So to read the defender, read his/her arm position... the arm that is up high is almost always the same side as the forward foot. So drive at the defender's higher arm... this way you can keep your head up and see the floor.

2. Do not rush the jab step (give it a count of one).

3. The jab step should not be extended too far forward as this results in your weight being forward on the jab foot.
Which foot becomes the pivot foot and which is used for the jab step?
We teach that the left foot is the pivot foot for right-handed players, and the right foot is the pivot foot for lefties. We feel this is less confusing, simple and more athletic for most players.
How to get into triple treat position when catching a pass on the perimeter
There are two techniques in receiving the perimeter pass, depending on the amount of space between the receiver and the defender.
1. Situation #1. Plenty of space between receiver and the defender.
Catch the ball in a position to shoot, squared up to the hoop. As you meet the pass, you are turning your body to face the hoop. You want to receive this pass with your shooting hand, and as the pass arrives, you "jump behind it", catch it and land with both feet squared up to the hoop. Your left foot now is your pivot foot (for right-handed players), and jab step with the right foot.
2. Situation #2. Tightly guarded with the defender up close on the receiver.
The receiver should move toward the ball and catch it with both hands extended, extend the inside foot (closest to the basket and defender) with back to the defender and protect the ball with the body. Now here's where many average players go wrong... many will immediately start to dribble here, instead of making the aggressive pivot and facing the defender. Make a quick, hard pivot into triple threat position (while protecting the ball). (Note this will be a front pivot if the pass is coming from the point and you are on the left wing O3 position, and a reverse pivot if you are coming from the right wing O2 position). You can now make the jab step, and if the defender is up close on you, you can often take it to the hoop.
3. "Catch and Go"
Here is a move you can make when receiving the pass with the defender up close. I call it "catch and go". Once again, move toward the pass, and catch the ball, protecting it with your body. Quickly reverse pivot and this time, swing the ball "over the top", and make the quick step and drive in a straight line to the hoop.
Five basic outside moves from triple-threat position:
1. Jab step, jump shot.
In triple threat position, make a drive step (jab step) and read the defense. If the defender drops off, bring your jab step foot back, toes even with your other foot, and pop the jump shot.
2. Jab step, straight drive.
In triple threat position, make a drive step (jab step) and read the defense. If the defender does not drop back, read his/her arms and feet (see above tips). If the left foot is forward, take a long quick dribble to the right by extending your jab step forward. Go in a quick straight line off the defender's left shoulder to the hoop. The most common mistake players make is going too wide around the defender to avoid contact. This just gives the defender time to react. Go right off the defender's shoulder and don't be afraid to make a little contact.
3. Jab step, cross-over drive.
In triple threat position, make a drive step (jab step) and read the defense. If the defender does not drop back, read the arms and feet (see above tips). If his/her right foot is forward, swing the ball low and cross to the left. Quickly cross your right foot over to the left (do not first return your jab step back). Drive in a straight line, hard off the defender's right shoulder.
4. Shot fake and drive.
After you've hit a couple outside shots, the defender is susceptible to this fake. Make a shot fake with the ball, your arms and eyes. The ball doesn't need to get any higher than your shoulders or face. When the defender jumps up to contest the shot, drive to the hoop.
5. Shot fake - one dribble (left or right) - jump shot.
This is especially effective if the defender is "flying" at you on a close-out. When you are wide open on the perimeter and receive the pass, the defender will oftentimes "fly" at you with arms up, trying to defend your shot. Usually the defender's momentum will cause him/her to fly right past you. This often happens on a skip pass from one wing to the opposite wing when your defender is in helpside and must rotate out quickly, or the zone must shift over quickly. Recognize this situation and when the defender runs at you, make a shot fake. As the defender goes by you, make a one or two dribble adjustment and then shoot the open shot. You may even have an open lane to the hoop.

Or if you have made an outside shot or two and the defender is playing up close, you can use the shot fake. From triple threat position, make a good shot fake to get the defender in the air or up on you. Then take one or two quick dribbles right or left and hit the mid-range jump shot. Learn to make a good shot fake... you have to "sell it" to the defender.
Drive and dish...
When you drive to the hoop, read the defense. There are three options:
1. Take it to the hoop for the lay-up.
2. Pull up in the lane for the short jumper.
3. Pass off to an open post player, or to a wide open teammate on the three-point arc ("inside-out").

The first option is the best if the lane to the hoop is open. But the interior defense may set up to take the charge. You must recognize this, jump stop and pull-up for the short jumper in the lane. Thirdly, a good, defense's helpside post defenders will pick you up as you drive. As the help defense comes up to defend you, find the open teammate where the help came from, and dish the ball to your teammate for an easy assist. Remember, a penetrating guard who is willing to make the extra pass to an open teammate under the basket is one of the most difficult situations for any defense to stop.

Also read the perimeter player info on the "Basic Concepts of Motion Offense" page.
Perimeter moves when a team-mate has the ball... reading the defense... getting open.
Learn to read the defense. There are three situations to recognize:

1. You are one pass away from your team-mate and the defender is denying the pass to you.
Make a fake outside, and then a quick, hard backcut. The low post on that side should learn to read this situation also and clear out to the opposite side, to make spacing for the backdoor cut. See Diagram B.
2. You are one pass away and the defender is sagging off you.
Make a V-cut inside and come back out for the perimeter pass. See Diagram C.
3. You are one pass away, and the defender is playing good defense and you can't get open.
Set a screen either for the ball-handler or the low post. This is often a good way to get yourself open. After setting the screen, seal the defender and roll. The defense often switches this and you get open for the pass.

See "Setting Screens", "Cutting and Faking".
    defender overplaying, use the back-cut
use the V-cut to get open

Here are additional things to work on, to become the complete outside, perimeter player.
Work on your outside shooting, especially "catch and shoot" drills.

Work on your dribbling and ball-handling for 15-20 minutes each day. Challenge yourself with even the more difficult drills... don't just do the easy ones. You want to make some mistakes, otherwise the drill is too easy. Twenty minutes every day using both right and left hands, and you will definitely be a better ball-hander and dribbler in just a few months. See the video clips of ball-handling and dribbling drills.

See: "Ball-handling", "Dribbling", "Stationary Dribbling Drills", "Sideline Dribbling Drills", and "Full-Court Dribble Moves Drill".

Learn how to set screens, pick 'n roll correctly and how to back-cut. Look at this page to learn fundamental cuts and moves for perimeter players as they apply to all motion offenses: "Motion Offense Drills"

Also, learn the basic principles of good man-to-man defense, on-ball defense, deny and help-side defense. If you learn these concepts, you will have no problem learning to play various zone defenses. See "Basic Defense".

This is a lot of stuff but are all "musts" for any complete player.

how to be a successful basketball team

This article discusses some thoughts how to build a basketball program for your school and community. This is not the same as building a college program, which involves many other things not discussed here, such are recruiting, fund-raising, program promotion and others.
Before taking on that new head coaching position, ask yourself these questions:

    How will it impact my family?
    Will I have the support of the school's administration, faculty, and the community?
    Do I have a passion for the game?
    Do I have the energy, the desire, and good health to take this on?
    What will I get from doing this? How will this benefit me?
    What can I give to others by doing this?
    What are my priorities and goals? What's important?
    What is my coaching philosophy?

   


These questions are not meant to scare you away! We need dedicated coaches willing to help young people down the right path, while teaching the game of basketball. But these are things you should consider.
Taking over a program
First, make sure you have the support of administration. Hopefully, they feel that what you want to accomplish is important for the school and their students.

Taking over a successful program... perhaps the old, beloved coach just retired. You are the new guy or girl in town. You may feel more pressure to win in taking over this kind of a program. You may feel more strapped into following a certain style of play... the style that has been successful here for the past number of years. I know of a nearby town that won the State Championship over 30 years ago, playing 2-3 zone defense. Well, the 2-3 zone has been played there every year since then, and I think if a new coach tried man-to-man defense, he'd be run out of town (not unlike the movie "Hoosiers"). Of course the advantage of taking over such a program is that much is already in place. Talent is there, community pride and support, and that winning attitude are already on board. Players know what it's like to work hard, and will work in the off-season.

Taking over a win-less program... in this situation, usually there is less pressure to be immediately successful, and you can insist on being in charge of things. But the school and community must know that things do not improve in one season (usually), and that you need a time commitment of several years to bring the program along.

Having a "system"
Here we are talking about your basketball coaching philosophy. How do you want to play the game... fast tempo, full-court pressing, or more of a slow-down deliberate style. Or are you willing to completely change from year to year based on the talent you have? Whatever is your style, you must have your own "system". Teach this system all the way through your program, including at the junior varsity and freshmen levels. But don't be over-bearing. Allow your other coaches to put in some of their own plays too.

Selecting coaches, assistants, creating your organization
Hopefully your school's administration will allow you to have major input in selecting the junior varsity and freshmen coaches, and will allow you to select your own volunteer assistants. A very large part of developing a successful basketball program is surrounding yourself with good people who share the same coaching philosophy, the same passion for the game, are knowledgeable, and above all, are loyal to you and want to help you succeed (see "The Assistant Coach"). You certainly don't want an assistant or a JV coach who tries to undermine you and your authority, in hopes of getting your job. Such a person should be gotten rid of immediately.

You are the leader of the program and must provide that leadership. Tell people what you want, what you expect, what type of basketball system should be taught to younger players, etc. But don't try to do it all yourself! You would be surprised how many people are willing to help you as volunteers. Use your resources, involve others. You need assistants, managers, and statisticians. You will probably need a person who films games and will edit them for you. You need someone to run the clock and the scoreboard, and someone to do the scorebook. You need an announcer, and someone to organize the music at games. Who's going to sell the popcorn and pizza?

Get your middle school coaches on board and involved. Meet with them before the season starts and point out some things that you would like taught to the younger kids. But don't stifle their own coaching creativity. Part of the fun in coaching is putting in a few of your own plays and strategies. So don't be over-bearing and take that away from them. In fact, be open to ideas and you might learn a trick or two from them.

There will be some knowledgeable parents who want to help. Oftentimes, they will be willing to help in coaching youth teams in your community. Meet with them and explain what you would like the kids to learn. Put on a coaching clinic to help them. Don't worry about them teaching the wrong things... just getting the kids in the gym and playing is helpful. If you acknowledge these youth coaches as important to the success of the program, you will make them feel that they are a part of the team, and they will be less likely to become your critics instead.

Developing talent and work ethic
It starts with teaching fundamentals and having a good work ethic. In youth and middle school practices, probably 80% of practice time should be devoted to learning fundamentals. As kids get older, the percentages change a bit with more time spent on team skills. But even at the varsity level, we spend at least 50% of our practice time working on fundamentals. Planning practices is vital.

Each player (and coach) owes it to the others to practice and play as hard as he/she can. Players must be willing to work in the off-season. Players must develop the discipline to do every drill in every practice the right way, and to compete every day in practice. Of course this doesn't always happen... but it's a goal.

We start with little kids clinics, 2nd-4th graders (boys and girls). We run 90-minute sessions every Saturday morning for six weeks during the season, teaching fundamentals. A few of our varsity players come in and help. This is good for our varsity players to "give something back", help kids, and to be involved in building the future. The young kids benefit from their instruction and example, and of course, there is the "hero-worship" thing too. Being around their heroes, they want to become basketball players. The campers all get to play at the halftime of a JV or varsity game, and this is fun for them, their parents, and the fans.

Summer camps, team camps, individual camps are all important. We encourage the kids to just get out in the driveway and practice outside when the weather is nice.

Changing attitudes
A team that loses a lot expects to lose. Winning teams expect to win. When taking over a program that has not been winning, attitudes have to change... and this can be a huge obstacle. Changing attitudes involves many things and takes time. Losing will no longer be "accepted", but something to learn from. Players, parents, and the community must believe that with hard work, learning fundamentals, and good coaching, things can and will change. There must be a dedication to the cause, a belief in the "system", a commitment to the "team" (rather than the individual), and a singleness of purpose. Use motivational quotes if you find that helpful. Celebrate victories, large or small, team or personal. Impart a positive, upbeat approach. Be someone the kids like being around. Have fun. Make everything competitive... games, practices, drills, etc.

Develop pride in your system and your school. We call ours "Rayder Pride". There is pride in representing your school and community. We expect all players to exhibit sportsmanship, respect others, be of good character, and follow the rules. Kids make mistakes, but that's what we strive for.

Dressing up for games is important. We have our boys varsity players and our coaches wear our school sweater vest with logo, a white shirt and tie, and khaki slacks. It's an honor to wear that sweater vest. Players feel a sense of pride when they dress up for games. Each player also gets his own shooting shirt with his number. I have been told by an opposing fan that we always look very "professional" when we walk into a gym. Our girls varsity teams also dress up with skirts and logo-ed polo shirts.

Building a "legacy"... after you begin achieving some success and have a few winning seasons, you want to promote this from year to year and keep it going. We talk about developing our legacy... not just one or two good teams, but good teams year after year. Former players will come back from time to time to watch a game, or to practice with us, or scrimmage against us. They are encouraging and helpful to our players, and help instill that sense of pride. Sometimes they give us a good laugh and tell stories about the time coach did this or that, etc.

Setting goals
Set challenging goals for your program, your teams, and individual players. Then have a plan to accomplish each of these goals. These goals will depend on where you are with your program. Winning the state championship...maybe not. Winning the conference... maybe. Winning over 50% of your games this year, conference title next year... yes! Whatever they are, have something you are looking to achieve.

Communicate
Rumors and suspicion oftentimes start because of poor communication. Let people know what you are thinking (in general, without a lot of specifics).

Communicate with your players as a group and one-on-one. The coach-player relationship is a vital aspect of your entire program. Players need to know that you care about them, not only as players, but as individuals. Maintain an "open door" policy. Before the season starts, meet with each player individually about goals, expectations, etc. Have occasional team meetings to discuss "issues". Ask players for their input.

Communicate with your coaches and assistants. Encourage them to offer their ideas, but not to be offended if you stay with your own thoughts. You don't want "yes men"... you want assistants who come up with ideas, but at the same time realize that what the boss says goes, and are willing to support you and accept your decisions.

Communicate with your school's administration and athletic director. Keep the faculty informed and gain their support. Ask them to inform you of players not attending class or not completing assignments. A motivational talk from you and a few extra sprints and lane slides, or some bench-time, can help revive a student's classroom attitude.

Get the student body involved by speaking at pep rallies and student assemblies. Let them know how important their support is to the success of the team... they are the "6th man". But reinforce the importance of good sportsmanship.

Keep the lines of communication open to parents. We have a parent meeting just before the start of every season, and a banquet at the end of the season. At the initial meeting, coaches are introduced, expectations, goals, policies, rules, etc are discussed. We explain that the only thing that is not "on the table" is discussing playing time, because parents can seldom ever be objective in this regard. 95% of parents are good people who care about their kids. Always respect that, and try to be on good terms, always showing concern and caring for their child, whether he/she is a great player or not. Unhappy parents can make you unhappy.

Keep the community informed. If you are asked to speak at a local service organization, do it. Don't ignore the media. Before or after a game, radio commentators often want an interview. Make yourself available. Keep all comments positive and upbeat, even after a loss. As you become more successful, television reporters may come knocking on your door. Do the interview. It's an opportunity to promote your program, school and community. If they want to interview a player with you, allow it. It's a good learning experience for the player on how to respond "on camera", and this interview may give him/her some exposure, especially if a college scholarship is a goal.

Maintain balance
The late coach Al McGuire once said, "Don't let coaching become your mistress." In other words, maintain balance in your life and don't always choose basketball over your family, and everything else. Also remember that at the high school and middle school levels, kids and parents may not be as fanatical, or "gung-ho", about basketball as you are. It's not like a college program where players must "love it" or hit the road. I have seen a young coach come on so strongly and intensely, that he frightened away several good athlete's, and they opted to play other sports instead. Allow them to be kids and have balance in their own lives.

how to be a starter in basketball

In this article today I'd like to talk about several tips, tricks, and techniques that anybody can use to become a starter on their basketball team.

Basketball is the most exciting game in the world, unfortunately there are only five spots on the team and everybody else sits on the bench. Competition for those five spots can be fierce, so how do you make sure that you are one of the starting five? That's exactly what I'd like to talk about in this article today.

Basketball coaches are looking for just a couple of things when they pick their teams. First they're looking for athletic ability and second they're looking for skill. Anything you can do to improve your ability in these two areas can help guarantee your spot on the team.

Over the years I've developed a near foolproof method that people can use to become a starter. It takes an incredible amount of work, but it's worth it.

In lower levels of basketball such as junior high and high school, athletic ability is not as prevalent as it is in college basketball and in the NBA. So if you can stand out as an incredibly athletic person then right away you've got a better chance than everybody else on your team. There's a fairly simple way to become more athletic and that is through distance running.

You should get in the habit of jogging every morning before school. Ideally you should focus on 4 mile jogs but it may take you a while to build up the strength for that so begin by jogging 2 miles and slowly build up to three and four or even five miles. This can be incredibly difficult for most people but if you stick to it you'll be amazed at the results. If your school has a cross country running team then I suggest you join. Cross country season is usually in the fall before basketball season starts making this a great way to gear up for the season and get in shape quick.

Next you need to focus on your skills and this means practicing everyday. You should focus on shooting for at least 2 to 4 hours every day after school. Pick 10 spots on the basketball court and shoot baskets at those spots until you make 10 in a row at each spot, then move on to the next spot. This may be very difficult to begin with so you may have to start out making only five in a row from each spot and then gradually upping it to 10 in a row. Choose a variety of different spots all over the floor including three pointers. You should also make 50 free throws every single day to bulk up on your free-throw shooting skills.

These two things; building your stamina through cross country running and building your shooting by practicing making 10 baskets in a row from various spots on the floor will have an amazing effect on your overall game and almost guarantee you a starting spot on the team no matter what. The hard part is having the discipline to stick to the plan but as long as you do good things will happen.

Tim Breundle runs a bath towel sets web site where he also reviews the best floral bath towels for the ladies. He has been an article writer online for well over 14 years and also enjoys fishing and racing.

how to be a slasher in basketball

Basketball players score points in a variety of ways. Some stand behind the 3-point line and bomb away. Others exploit their size advantage and post up under the basket. Slashers use their athletic ability to score. They are fast and able to dribble through the tightest defense and attack the basket. Slashers do not shy away from physical contact, and the good ones draw fouls and rack up points at the free-throw line.

Straight Ahead

A slasher can handle the basketball or take a pass on the move. Unless the defensive pressure is suffocating, the slasher dribbles right to the basket and weaves around defenders. Slashers take most of their shots from close range, and you will see the gifted athletes drive in and dunk the basketball.

Draw the Foul

Slashers typically start dribbling from the perimeter, and they have to go through multiple defenders before reaching the basket. Fouls are common, either on the floor or in the act of shooting. The slasher has to be in top physical condition to continuously absorb contact and stay effective. Slashers can make the defense pay for fouling by making free throws.

Draw a Crowd

Slashers are big scorers, and they attract multiple defenders when driving to the basket. Forcing up shots is counterproductive. Skilled slashers draw a crowd of defenders and are aware of their teammates. With two or three defensive players collapsing on the slasher near the basket, other offensive players are wide open. Slashers that can pass off and get their teammates wide-open shots are doubly dangerous.

Physical Contact

Slashers have to be tough and fearless. They are pushed, shoved, slapped and tripped when driving to the basket. Slashers are often knocked to the floor, and they absorb hard fouls. Slashers need to bulk up in the weight room to add the physical strength needed to take a pounding. They also need to run and work on conditioning to gain the speed and endurance necessary to handle the important offensive role.

References

• Slam; From Dr. J To Kobe Bryant: The Evolution Of The Slasher Past And Present; January 2008
• Basketball Tips: How to Attack the Basket

how to be a sharpshooter in basketball

Ask any pro and you will need to spend hours in practice to become a basketball superstar. But there are some other special tips you will need to work on to achieve your goals.
Form: The first thing you need to to if you are a beginner is get your form right. You can go to the library and check out books on proper basketball shooting form. There are also many videos on YouTube that you can browse that show the right form. The important thing here is to learn proper form right from the start.
If you start shooting using improper form at first, it will take a long time for your muscles to learn the right form. This is because your muscles are already trained, so they will have to 'forget' the improper way first and then learn the proper way later.
Practice Time: You should practice shooting hoops between one and two hours day. Anything more is not advised because there is only so much your muscles and body can learn at one time. If you want to maximize your day, you should practice an hour in the morning and another hour in the afternoon. This gives your body and mind some rest between practices.
Rhythm: Your goal is to eventually end up gliding across the basketball court when your shoot. You do not want to shoot like a mechanical robot. You want to work with the ball and transfer your body's natural energy to the ball. This cannot be done by being a mechanical robot.
Repetition System: What does Karl Malone say before he shoots a free throw? It's not what he says that is important but the fact he has established a certain system when he shoots a free throw. Some people calm their nerves and return their body to their state of shooting by repetition systems. This may include thinking about a certain phrase before you shoot free throws, bouncing the ball two times before shooting or rolling your eyes. The point is to have a starting point that reminds your body you are going to shoot a ball.