How to shoot a Basketball

Posted by Eitel in For Players | 0 comments

The thrill of competition sings in the blood when watching a ball arc through the air. Time suspends itself with the ball as it dances around the rim. As Nike says, “Nothing but net.” Swoosh. Watching the ball hit the net is the goal of every player. There is an art to shooting a basketball and yet the actual shot is unique to every individual. Some players will shoot one handed, while others always use two. Some players spin the ball as they release. Below are a few simple steps to follow to begin learning how to make a basket. Remember that all bodies are not the same and your shot may evolve beyond these simple steps.

1. Stand in front of the basket holding your basketball.
2. Square your body. Stand facing the rim. Square your hips, feet, and shoulders so that you have a clear view to the rim.
3. Bend your knees. At this point some people will dribble the ball a few times to focus and relieve stress.
4. Always remember that the power of the shot should come from your legs and the direction of the shot from your arms. Place your weight on the balls of your feet. Holding the ball close to the hand make an L-shape. In one motion using the power of your legs bring the arms over the head, keeping your dominant shooting hand behind the ball, your non-dominant hand to the side to stabilize, keeping your shooting arm in the 90 degree angle next to your side elbow close to the hip or side. Release the ball from your fingertips to send ball towards hoop.
5. Follow through the release with your wrist. Some call this snapping the wrist.
6. Do not use just your upper body to throw and release. It should not be a jerk motion but one fluid movement. Use your leg strength. It may seem like you are throwing the ball from your arms and shoulders but a basketball shot is made using the whole body.
7. Feet, legs, hips, square, bend knees, power up, align, arms overhead, release.
8. Follow through the shot including keeping alignment with the vertical elbow and arm.

Tips for more success:

• For youth athletes you may want to start them out shooting baskets with a hoop that is commensurate with their size.
• Wear proper clothing that allows for the full range of motion of shots. Do not wear shirts or shorts that are too oversized and block the ability for good form.
• Consider the size of the ball. If the athlete is just learning and the size of the ball is not allowing for complete control with handling consider using a smaller ball especially for children. It is ok to use smaller balls when learning how to shoot since the technique does not require regulation sizes when first learning.
• Some coaches use the acronym beef to assist children in remembering the form to incorporate all the steps above:

1. B-balance 2. E-elbow 3. E- eye 4. F-follow through

Photo credit: Eddy-S

Recreational Activities for Post Game

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents | 0 comments

Post game is a good chance for all coaches to build their team’s togetherness and harness on a hard played game to further cement their team mentality. Win or a loss, you will find that players will often go out for a drink, go hang out, or do something together that is fun. The key thing here is fun; the team just physically and mentally exerted themselves, and regardless of the end game result, are looking simply to unwind with some friends. This is a chance for the coach to set up some activities that aren’t based off the game result, but simply meant to cement the team image and structure.

Some Simple Ideas

1. You could have your entire team just go out for a nice dinner somewhere and just unwind. Good food and good friends always put anyone at ease and allow them to just unwind and refuel their batteries. No matter the result of the game, the players are people, and people need entertainment and food. Fulfilling these needs together kills two birds with one stone.
2. Going to watch a professional league sports game together is another fun way to build the team. Many professional teams offer discounts, and often are even willing to put on little tours and small meet the player sessions that can mean a lot to your player. You going a little out of your way for your player’s happiness can go a long way the next time they step onto the court for you.
3. Heading out to the movies or arranging a movie night at your own house can also just melt away the game day stress. Everyone watches movies, and even if they aren’t interested in a particular movie, they likely will be interested in the companionship. They will get to know other people on the team that they otherwise may not be familiar with and it may break some ice that otherwise would remain solid.

   Sometimes these simple gestures post game can go a long way in ensuring that your team gets along and gets to know one another. Sometimes people need a gentle nudge in the right direction, and sometimes people just need to be pointed the right way. In the end people simply need to remember that basketball players are just people, and that they will feel good or bad, win or lose, without fans needing to tell them which to do or feel. Coaches are not only around to help their players grow as players, but to help them grow as people. That includes team recreation, and team building exercises. Not everything can be done on the court, and when you put together the full package that includes on and off court activities, you will find that your team will not only perform better, and feel like a cohesive unit, but they will just feel better, and without the distractions and the stress, they will be able to concentrate more on the game!

Photo credit: ricardodiaz

Involving Parents of your Youth Basketball Team

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents | 0 comments

Coaching young athletes is a rewarding endeavor. Coaches have the opportunity to mold the talent of their team into a story of success through learning. Not every team will win a championship or tournament. Yet through successful coaching all youth athletes will grow from the experience of participating in a team sport. It is important for youth athletes to have coaches who show they care about the athlete and not just about the win. A good coach has the ability to transcend the court and enter into the child’s mind as a mentor who builds self-esteem and trust in their student. The child athlete will take with them into adulthood a strong sense of self. Learned behaviors such as team work, respect, work ethic, healthy diets and exercise, clear communication, leadership, and sharing can come from a coach. These life skills will in turn promote healthy lifestyles.

So where does a coach meld the teachings of youth parents with their own coaching styles. Ostensibly speaking, coaches are the parents of youth athletes while on the road, on the practice court, and during games. What should a coach do to optimize the young athlete’s parent’s home training while still maintaining their own leadership role on their team? What does a coach do when the parents of youth athletes overstep the bounds of propriety and insist on engaging in unhealthy behaviors? Here are a few tips in involving the parents in healthy ways to participate in your youth basketball team. Included are a few ways to redirect inappropriate behavior.

• Have a meeting with the parents before the season starts. Listen to how they think their role should come into play during the season. Outline your goals for your team. Let parents know that coaching from the sidelines is not allowed. Explain that when parents coach from the sidelines it undermines the team’s confidence and creates stressful confusion. Allow for parents to volunteer for certain jobs: chaperoning, lunch/snack making, fundraising. This will allow for the parents who need to be emotionally involved with the team to feel they are contributing. By establishing boundaries and expectations upfront with your parents you start the season out with a positive path to clear communication.
• Set time aside for office hours for your parents. Even if it is 2-4 hours a month. Let them know that you are there to talk to them about their questions and concerns. Ask that if parents have concerns about the team performance, their youth athlete, or anything pertaining to the health and welfare of the team that they should speak to you in private and at the office hours unless an emergency. This will assist in minimalizing the negative comments and confusion which can arise from parents wanting to be inappropriately in control.
• If you have parents who have special talents, basketball experience, or sports knowledge plan with them to optimize their abilities. Set aside special times for them to do lectures for the team or demonstrations. Incorporate them in the curriculum and let them know when their time comes they have control during those planned moments. This will direct the energy in a positive flow.
• If you have parents who refuse to allow their student the freedom to develop at their own pace provide literature to the parents on how to raise a well balanced athlete. Remind parents that approximately 80% of all student athletes dropout of their chosen sport by the time they graduate due to pressure. Balance is needed for the mind and body to develop so studies, sleep, nutrition, and sports need to be part of the young athlete’s daily life.
• If a parent is adamant about putting too much pressure on their youth athlete have a school counselor get involved. Many parents are concerned about their student athlete obtaining a scholarship for college. Remind the parent that the student athlete that qualifies for this type of scholarship is one who shows the aptitude. Not all student athletes are able to obtain an athletic scholarship. It important to make a well adjusted, well rounded child who is focused on their own abilities. Sports can play a part in getting into college just for the experience. Having an alternate plan for the student athlete like grants, loans, and academic scholarships will take the pressure off the student athlete. Tell your parent that putting all your eggs in one basket is not the healthy or appropriate attitude.

Photo credit: FirstBaptistNashvi lle

Increasing Speed in Basketball

Posted by Eitel in For Players | 0 comments

In the game of basketball, athletic skills are just as valuable as talent and dribbling ability. They all complement each other. Having one without the other will severely diminish any hopes of having the upper hand in court. The athletic skills that we mean are particularly speed, response quickness, agility and also jumping ability.

When discussing speed, we should note that speed can be broken down into two components. These components are stride length and stride frequency. Stride length is defined as the amount of distance that can be covered in one step. Stride frequency on the other hand is the number of strides that one takes for a given time.

Building on from the definitions, we can deduce that in order to increase speed in basketball, we need to increase both stride length and stride frequency. The most fundamental aspect that athletes should look into when trying to increase speed is to increase muscular power. Next, an athlete should work hard to increase the flexibility of the body joints that are directly related to the movement. Thirdly, players should increase the mechanics of the movement.

In basketball, being able to make split second multi directional movement is pivotal. Often, players will have to move forwards, backwards and sideways fast. When trying to increase speed in basketball, one should focus on developing a powerful stride length. At the same time, one should also try to maintain ones’ stride frequency.

One should also realize that speed is also dependent on the maximum speed at which the muscle is able to contract. Also, when trying to increase speed, one should be sure that he is not overweight. Being overweight simply means that there is more mass that needs to be moved. This significantly reduces the potential to move fast. Therefore, if players are overweight, coaches should make sure that the player undergoes a realistic fat reduction program.

There are various activities that can be done in order to increase ones’ speed in basketball. Among them is jumping rope. Jump ropes are helpful in toning the leg muscles to be able to deliver bursts of power when sprinting up and down the court. While jumping rope, the muscles will have to rapidly contract.

Thus, with proper training, the maximum rate at which leg muscles will be able to contract will increase. This will definitely increase ones’ basketball speed. Also, consider doing speed jumps as well.

Power skips are also helpful in increasing speed in basketball. This drill increases the flexibility of muscle joints and muscle power as well. As mentioned earlier, longer strides mean better speed. Power skips train the body to be able to perform longer strides.

The traditional sprinting is also a great way to increase basketball speed. What sprinting really does is to make the related muscle stronger. This will result in a higher muscle contraction rate which means better speed.

These are just some from a huge number of drills that can increase basketball speed. Both Players and coaches should look into these drills and implement them on the team.

Photo credit: Tulane Public Relations

Instill Passion in your Players

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches | 0 comments

Passion and purpose goes hand in hand with each other. When a person is very passionate towards a purpose, he will be willing to always go the extra mile just to see that the purpose is fulfilled. When passion lives within oneself, his work, commitment and love becomes one. At this point, he will see that no obstacle is too big to overcome.

Passion is what separates losers and winners. It is passion that drives players to keep getting up no matter how many times they fall flat on their face. A team that consists of passionate players can go a long way towards achieving success. But then, how do you develop passion in the players?

The passion that we mean in this context is the undying love for the game of basketball, the team and other teammates. The question that we asked ourselves is actually a very difficult question to answer. There is no black and white answer to it. When dealing with developing passion, we are actually trying to make someone love something; remember, love cannot be forced.

All this while, experts have only provided us with suggestions and case studies of successful “passion-building” programs. However, we should never forget that what works for some may not work for others. The key essential that you should look into as a coach is the attitude of your team as a whole and also the attitude of your individual players.

Developing passion is synonymous with motivating players. Coaches usually have a narrow view towards motivating the team. They usually view motivation as a means to simply improve the teams’ performance. Instead, as coaches, we should try to see motivation as a way to make our players better people.

Motivation and passion is directly related to the self image. The self image is how players see themselves. The way they see themselves depends on many internal and external factors. Internal factors towards self image include childhood experience, previous success, personal conflicts and also physical appearance. External influence on the other hand includes comments by teammates and the coach, reaction of the crowd towards them and the way other people treat them.

As a coach, there are five major things that you can do to improve your players’ self image and subsequently develop passion within them. First of all, you have to always expect the best from your players. Show your players that you believe in them and are confident that they can overcome any obstacle.

You should also tell your players to see themselves beyond their actual physical being. Inspire them to imagine themselves not as the way they are now. Instead, tell them to imagine them being as the way they want to become. This will motivate them to act to achieve their dream.

Next, you should protect your team from negative talk; especially from yourself. If you show to your players that you are passionate about the team and about them, chances are, you passion will infect them as well.

Also, you should discuss with your players about the goals that they want to achieve. Always remind them of these goals during training, before matches and even after that. When one is constantly reminded of the goal that he wants to achieve, passion will naturally flow in his veins.

Lastly, develop a sense of belonging among your players. Make them feel as if the team is their second family. Having deep affection towards something will make a person as passionate as he can be.
Essentially, developing passion in the players is not an easy thing to achieve. However, if you successfully develop passion among your players, you will have a fully committed team that will always take the initiative to go the extra mile. Also, you will see that your players will turn into better persons.

Photo credit: Tulane Public Relations