Taunting and how to use it against the Hecklers

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents, For Players | 1 comment

Taunting is a part of any sport. It is a fan’s tool to use and to abuse, and is only as effective as any athlete allows it to be. While it is a person’s initial instinct to respond and to want to fight back with actions or with words, you will learn through advice from others and through your own experience, that the best thing you can do right as it happens is absolutely nothing. Let it roll off of you and let it frustrate them. Use it constructively and use it to your advantage.

If you find that someone specifically is antagonizing you, just tune them out. If they keep trying to hike it up another notch and try to get under your skin, you have one big tool at your disposal. Hit them where it hurts and play well. Score points, make some great defensive plays, and get the crowd in general behind you. Get the crowd to drown out the heckler and get the crowd behind you and your team. Use the negativity to fuel your competitive spirit and use it to take it to that next level.

If you find that someone on your team is the target of some aggressive heckling, let the coach know, but to help turn it around to the team’s benefit, get your teammate the ball, get him involved if possible, and get your team on the winning side of the ball. The worst thing you can do to the hecklers, and to the other team’s fans, is to win.

Playing the game with a sportsmanlike attitude is another good way to deflect undue criticism. Don’t fuel the fire by doing unnecessary, wild things that fuel the people just waiting to jump on you. Rivalries happen in every sport, and at every level. While rivalries are a healthy component of every sport and fuel interest, they can also spur some bad feelings.

Sometimes players and fans forget that everyone is a person. After the game ends if you’ve verbally or physically attacked someone, they will be affected by it. Everyone is there to simply play the game. Play the game, and leave the emotion on the court afterwards. Don’t ever let the emotions get the best of you, and never let someone else get the best of you and goad you into doing something that you might regret later on.

If you ever find yourself becoming overwhelmed to the point that you might respond by saying or doing something that you know you will regret, talk to the coach, or a fellow player, and take a break. Sit on the bench, grab a drink of water, and take a deep breath. While this may sound lame to some people, it will allow you to slow down, replenish your body, and concentrate yourself elsewhere. Even spending just a few minutes in a cool down will go a long way in restoring your composure.

As long as you pay attention to what is important to you, and stick to your own ways and your own morals, you will go a long way in becoming the player, and team mate that will make people proud.

Photo credit: Tulane Public Relations

Quitting your Basketball Team

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

If you find that you no longer want to play on your basketball team then here is how you should go about quitting. First make sure that you are not choosing to leave the team because of a conflict that can be resolved. If you have a conflict that has not been discussed with your parents, coach, school counselor, or school principal please contact the appropriate authorities to see if a resolution can be found for your issue, concern, or problem.

If you want to leave the team for health reasons please note that you do not have to disclose the health issue to your coach if this makes you feel uncomfortable. If you feel comfortable disclosing the health reason you may but it is not mandatory if you feel embarrassed. Just talk to your coach or have your parents talk to your coach. It is best to give as much notice as possible that you will be leaving the team. That way your coach can make adjustments for your absence. You can also write a letter to the coach and team staff telling them that you are leaving the team. It is good to do both if you are able to write a letter and then go in and speak to the coach. You may want to speak to the coach in his or her office privately and not quit the team in front of a group of people if you are quitting for a reason you want to keep private.

Your coach may have questions for you as to why you want to leave the team. You do not have to answer the questions but if you want to it would be good to discuss your reasoning. The coach and staff may write you a letter of recommendation for college applications or a job in the future. If you are quitting a team because you are moving to a new school or new city it might behoove you to speak openly about why you are quitting the team.

If you are open to discussing that you are quitting the team then tell your team mates and coaching staff along with your coach. You make friends when you are on a team sport and people will want to say goodbye to you and wish you well in your future endeavors.

If you are quitting a team to go to another team that is in the same area make sure to note that your old team will know that you have done this because you will probably play against them in the future.

To keep hard feelings at bay you may want to discuss this decision with your coach before quitting because it can be detrimental to your career to be known as a team hopper. It is not ethical to learn the coaching system of one coach and then go to another coach and disclose your previous coach’s methods and strategies. Coaching play books are special and private so you can share certain things but know that some information is privileged and meant to be kept within that specific team. Please keep this in mind when you are moving from one team to another. This is especially true in the same sport. Ethics is important.

Photo credit: meddygarnet

Why Hydration is so important

Posted by Eitel in For Players, Motivation & Health | 0 comments

A lot of people underestimate the element and role of proper hydration. People seem to forget that if you do not stay properly hydrated, that you will suffer any ill effects and that you will be able to just drink a glass or two of water after the workout or game and be just fine.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Proper methods dictate it’s best to hydrate yourself before, during, and after a workout or game. This includes drinking a glass or two of water a few hours before you start your activities, a few glasses worth during your activities and a few glasses after your activities.

If your body is telling you that you are dehydrated, listen to those signs and do something about them. If you feel light headed and dizzy, you muscles start to hurt and begin to cramp up, or you feel weak and your stomach is feeling uneasy, take a break. Sit down, drink a glass or bottle of water, and relax for a few minutes. This will allow your body to recover and allow it a few moments of rest so that it isn’t trying to push the envelope further.

When you are working out or are involved in a sport such as basketball, you will need to also consider outside factors when you are working on your hydration levels. If it is hotter outside, or you are playing a little harder, you might have to get a little more water into you.

Also cool drinks are the way to go, if they are too cold your body will not process them as fast, and will end up leaving you with a potential bloated feeling which can be a nuisance or even affect your output. If you are doing a short burst workout that is about 45 minutes or less, then water is your best choice to drink. If you’re looking to do an extended workout that is over a 45 minute limit, sports beverages might assist you in having a good workout by providing a bit more endurance.

DO NOT go overboard on the sports drinks, and if you include them in your workout regimen, ensure that you consider that when you are working on a specific diet plan as sometimes daily allowances for sugar/carbs/sodium can be exceeded without even realizing it.

In the end a lot of people take for granted carrying a few bottles of water or sports drinks in their bags or keeping them in their lockers, but it will go a long way when you find yourself needing to stay hydrated. If you abuse your body and do not provide it with the proper and necessary fuel to keep it functioning, you can find that you are prone to potential injuries that can be anywhere from very minor to very fatal. There have been incidents where athletes overheat during exercise or games because they do not take care of this vital element of their training and gaming.

Ensuring that you stay hydrated before, during, and after any games or workouts will go a long way in keeping you functioning at your peak!

Photo credit: Raymond Brown

Corporations, Business and Basketball

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches | 0 comments

Basketball has many different playing levels and different styles of leagues all around. From the professional competitive leagues, to recreational leagues, and even youth, it all comes down to money in the end. You need money to travel, to afford equipment, and to do a wide array of other tasks that aren’t listed here. Most of the time the fund raising efforts depending on the level of play are handled by the team, or specific staff members that work for them team, but often one aspect that is left completely out of the loop are corporations and businesses that make donations.

Donations of any sort are an absolute essential part of any sports team. You require money to cover your costs, weather you are a professional team paying your players a salary, or a recreational team just looking to cover equipment and other costs. Without a certain amount of money coming into your team, you would quickly find yourself in a hole that could cause your team’s performance to drop, or even cause your team to not exist.

When you approach a business or corporation for money, it is ALWAYS best to have a proper plan laid out for how much money you need to take care of your costs, and show how you would spend any money’s that were given to you. Without the plan, and without a proper presentation, you will likely strike out in your attempts to gain funds. Many teams, charities, and other groups are looking to seize the funding that is out there for grabs, so if you come to the table unprepared, you will be setting yourself up for nothing but rejection and negative images. If it is your first time fundraising for a team, just think of what it is that would have you giving money to an organization if you were approached. Would you give money to someone who walked up simply with their hand held out, or would you give to the people that explained why they need the money, and how they plan on using the money.

With the current costs of operating a team at all levels of sport sky rocketing, you cannot rely on the old fundraising techniques. While you previously may have been able to rely solely on the donations from the private sector, you may now have to seek places willing to sponsor your team to provide you with the money.

While some people will shy away from trying to get corporate dollars, and don’t want to look like they are begging, businesses and corporations are frequently willing to sponsor teams and players of all skill levels and play levels. If you offer them some advertising in return for their investment you will even be able to form long term relationships that will go that extra step in ensuring that your team will be financially stable for years to come.

Not every team has to fund raise, some have owners or coaches that are able to afford the daily fees out of pocket, but for those that need to get outside sources of funding, don’t count businesses and corporations out of your equation, they can play a big role!

Photo credit: pittaya

The Importance of Communication

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches | 0 comments

Communication is an essential part of the complete team mechanic. If you don’t tell your coach something important, they are not going to know. Coaches are not physic and can’t read your mind. Coaches also need to make sure the communication is a two way street.

When coaches are interacting with players, they need to take advantage of every possible second they have. They need to guide the players, shape their playing styles, and guide them through their professional and personal lives any way possible. While a lot of people assume that coaches aren’t involved in personal lives, coaches are in a position of power and respect, no matter what level of play the league is at. The coach is in an ideal position to assist a player with issues that are private and sensitive. Coaches will respect privacy, and players should do the same. Keeping the gossip and such to a minimum will make things go a lot smoother.

When you get into semi-pro, and professional leagues, you will find that a lot of your privacy will be stripped away, and that you will not enjoy the level of privacy that you had when you were in high school and other leagues. This will put a whole new level of pressure on player and coach, but as long as the player is open with the coach, and doesn’t bottle things up, everything will be great.

Now what players need to understand is not everything will be perfect, and while the coach is there for a lot of situations, you have to remember that the coach has other players to deal with and that you cannot monopolize his time for trivial reasons that could be taken care of in other ways, and with other people.

Coaches also need to keep an eye on and off the court for problems, or on the positive side, for reasons to praise players. On occasion a coach will see something that can be corrected by simply pulling a player aside and having a quick word, in game a quick seat on the bench beside a player can correct on-court issues.

Players also need to use the coach for very positive and productive purposes. Instead of waiting for advice, seek it out. Go to the coach and ask for certain ways to better your practice and warm-up routines. Take advantage of the knowledge of your coaches, but also take advantage of your fellow players. Your team is one of your most important resources that you can tap when you are developing as a player and as a person in general. Never underestimate the tools and resources at your disposal.

Never let someone tell you what is best for you against your wishes. If you want to do something that is within reason, and that isn’t illegal, do it. Don’t let someone dictate your life for you against what you want to do. If you seek advice or guidance from someone it is just that, it’s up to you to choose what you want to do with it.

Photo credit: SD Dirk