8 Tips for practicing alone

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

Sometimes, attending group, or team, practices may not be enough to help you improve your skills in basketball. And also, there are individuals who can learn best when they get to practice alone. It is not, really, bad to take the time to practice by yourself. Well, except for the fact that it may not be as fun compared to playing and socializing with your teammates. However, practicing alone is still very much beneficial. You’ll have the chance to concentrate on enhancing your skills, and to experiment new basketball techniques that you can call your own.

Here are some of the tips which can help you practice basketball alone:

Are you able to organize your Practice?

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

If you want to master the many basketball skills, you have to practice to get used to them. Practice becomes the center of focus in learning new skills, but you have to remember, it does not always make you perfect. It can either make or break you. There are well conducted practices while there are also practices that are not as good. How can this be?

Have you ever been in a dance group wherein you have to prepare for a certain dance competition? Or, have you ever been a member of a cheerleading group that you have to arrange, plan, and practice movements of a certain cheer dance program. What have you noticed? The group spends so much time in organizing everything, starting from the group members up to the completion of the entire dance program. Practice is more about organizing your team, your plans, your drills, and the synchronization of movements among the players. This is the same, and should be applied, in the sport of Basketball.

Off-Season Training Tips – Part II

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The basketball season for youths is one full of energy and learning. The young athlete may not have many coping mechanisms for stress. A child who experiences stress without coping mechanisms can lead to a lack of success for him or her. This may discourage the child from reaching towards new goals.

The off season can be the perfect time to help them manage stress levels. During the off season parents are able to help the child athlete build self-confidence and leadership skills which they can then bring to the court and their game. Many parents may be concerned that children will lose skills during the months when schedules become lax. There are ways that the athletic youth can gain skills, knowledge, and maintain core abilities while still being a child and having fun.

Although it is important for all athletes, no matter what your age, to maintain aerobic fitness and muscle tone all year long, one can take advantage of good weather and time off to do a myriad of new things which can help build leadership skills, manage stress, and help to keep a fresh outlook on what can be a monotonous routine. Many leading authorities today can testify to the fact that children learn at a rapid pace when their attention can be kept undivided on the activity at hand. By adding fun to the menu of learning ones child athlete can continue to excel at top speed all year long.

Part II: Youths
It is important for developing athletes to continue to work on the fundamentals of their particular game during the summer. Standard skills drills and strength training are integral to the upcoming season. Youth’s find that they grow over the summer months and being involved in inter-mural summer leagues are a great place to make new friends and keep up conditioning to overcome any awkward stages. This involves activities which the youths have to do during the regular season. To ease the monotony of the summer months and while improving the youth’s fitness they should also participate in novel activities. Here are examples of activities which young athletes can participate in and it will carry over to basketball training.

Martial Arts like Tai’Chi and Karate assist with balance and limberness while stimulating the mind. Youths will also learn coping mechanisms for stress which will assist in the regular season.

Youth camps sponsored by the NBA or other professional leagues where fun activities are designed around basketball drills, physical fitness, and healthy eating can also be ideal. The youths get to meet people they admire and keep up their fitness while learning important techniques to improve their athleticism.
Youth nutritional classes are designed to assist children in learning about good health through eating which aides in a stronger athlete.

Day camps can often be found at local community centers designed around swimming, intermural sports like Basketball, nature walks, team building exercises, and leadership games which build communication skills while maintaining physical fitness. As a bonus for parents these courses are often very inexpensive.

Photo credit: zenobia_joy

Off-Season Training Tips – Part I

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The basketball season is an intense time of athleticism and power. Whether an amateur or professional, athletes work hard to create a body which performs with prowess and dexterity. The synergy of adrenaline, sweat, and muscle creates the ability to move with agility and grace. During the regular season daily practice combines with a high level of competition to keep the athlete in peak condition but even a championship season eventually comes to an end. This may lead one to have thoughts on how to maintain one’s fitness level during the off season.

As Sir Isaac Newton stated, “A body in motion stays in motion.” If continued without variation the routine required during the regular season can land one in a rut. The human body needs diversity to maintain its highest level of fitness an one must take advantage of the mind body connection in order to create a superior athlete. The off season is a great time to take a vacation from the daily grind and add fun to the agenda while maintaining and even improving performance levels.

Part I: Adults
Tips for adults to stay in shape during the off season are similar to those suggested for the youths with a little more emphasis on conditioning. Intermural summer leagues and competitions are great. Hiring a training coach who specializes in the area in which one wants to improve their game is helpful especially if one can receive on-on-one interaction. Also attending seminars given by professional athletes will assist you in getting feedback about your game.

Eating healthy and daily conditioning like running and aerobics are very important. Adults might also benefit from a cooking class so that they can learn to prepare the types of meals that will suit their particular body type. Participating in summer marathons keeps one in the spirit of competition while causing an athlete to maintain fitness with a focus that is separate from their usual routine. Practicing the weakest part of one’s game is important to gain competency. Many adult athletes find participating in classes such as yoga, spinning, martial arts, and Pilates will increase their flexibility and build their level of aerobic fitness. An added bonus to these types of classes is the reduction in instances of muscle strains and tears.

The off season is an excellent time to start new athletic endeavors which assist you with your flexibility and improve your basketball game. Diversity during the off season makes for a stronger athlete.

Other off season training tips:

• Participate in pickup games at local parks and recreation centers.
• Charity basketball clinics held in your local area by professional basketball players.
• See a nutritionist for the proper eating plan to build muscle and maintain proper weight.
• Keep a daily journal of your physical progress and make goals to reach during the summer.
• Watch videos on how to improve specific parts of your basketball game and learn new techniques to use during the regular season.

Photo credit: duchamp

Planning a successful Basketball Practice

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As a basketball coach it is important to be organized as this will optimize the time spent in practice. Competition is fierce and preparation can be the difference between winning or losing. Raw talent is great but even the most talented professional athlete needs to have good practice habits in order to maintain performance and improve on any weaknesses. The members of FIBA and NBA plan weekly and sometimes daily personal and team practices which not only hone their skills but assists them in building cardiovascular health, muscle strength and tone.

The most important thing to remember in planning a successful practice is to make a list of the things that you want to cover with your players. Go over this list weekly and keep it up to date. Verbal and written communication between yourself, your coaching staff as well as your players is important.

Everyone learns differently. Enlisting different styles of communication during practices will help you to communicate effectively. This will ensure that everyone on the team understands your instructions. This will also develop your team and open the door to greater effectiveness on court.

The basic styles of learning are:

• Visual –This person needs to learn through images, charts, and to be taught through spatial understanding.
• Aural – This person needs to learn through sound and music.
• Verbal –This person need to learn using words, both in speech and writing.
• Physical- This person needs to learn using their body, hands and sense of touch.
• Logical-This person needs to learn through logic, reasoning and systems.
• Social- This person needs to learn in groups or with other people.
• Solitary- This person needs to learn through working alone and use self-study.

Plan to incorporate all methods of learning in your practices. If you have players who are solitary learners then make sure to give them space to learn on their own. By building their confidence through acknowledging their own learning style you gain the student’s trust. Allowing each student to master skills using their own learning style will encourage their confidence to grow. This will create an atmosphere of confidence and assist in the next step of incorporating teamwork.

If the player’s skills develop then they can trust themselves to be successful and so can their teammates. It is important that your players know what their own learning styles are and encourage them to use this knowledge to help them in practice. Explain to the player what it means to them if they are an aural learner. Let them know that if graphs or pictures are confusing to them that they need to listen more careful to your verbal instruction.

Have music at practice for them so that your aural learners have the part of the brain that makes them learn activated. Classical music has been shown in studies to assist in making lesson plans more intelligible for many students. Music causes both sides of the brain to engage when new things are being learned. Make sure that you provide constructive criticism in a positive manner to your players and staff. At every practice let your players know what they are doing correctly. Positive reinforcement always reaps better results. If you find yourself repeating the same lessons to a player you should reevaluate their learning style as some people learn using a combination of the methods listed above.

A player may learn one skill in the logical learning style but another skill in the social style. An athlete may learn defensive skills using visuals but when it comes to free throws the athlete may need to learn in the solitary style. Below is a sample of planning a successful practice. To learn about each individual’s learning style you can obtain a book on-line at places such as Borders.com or Amazom.com. Each player can take the questionnaire that you obtained from the book; their answers will help you to evaluate their learning styles. Keep individual files for each player on your team with their learning style evaluations, their skills, goals, and comments on their progress.

Here is a sample of the layout of a practice. Incorporated in the sample you will find organizational steps a coach can take to create successful practice and enhance their player’s performances on court and even in the classroom. You will need to obtain a bound journal, file folders, software where you can make graphs/charts, and visuals for certain learning styles. You may also want to have a portable cd player for music.

1. Make a list of goals for your team and for each individual player. Write them down.
2. Keep a journal where you can take notes during games and practices. Something where you can jot down quick notes in one place. You can then go back and incorporate this information into your players’ profiles.
3. Incorporate a variety of learning styles into your lesson plans and curriculum.
4. Make a file for each player. This is where you will organize the information about your players and keep such items as practice notes, their learning styles, goals and accomplishments.
5. Make a timeline of each drill and exercise that you want the team to accomplish.
6. Set a time for a team meeting to go over the goals.
7. Plan for warm up exercises. Make visuals of the warm- ups and pass it out. This is so that your players can practice on their own time too. The warmer a player’s muscles are for practice and games the better their body’s flexibility. This will make for excellent habits and less injuries. The warm up exercises can be used during the athlete’s strength and conditioning sessions as well. Set a goal for a twenty minute warm up.
8. Organize several drills to work on skill sets. Have the team work together. If one player is weak in one area have them drill with a more dominant player. Make sure that you explain the purpose and have the dominant player assist with progression. Time varies on drills because all skills are learned at different paces. Spend more time on problem areas. Most drills should last at least 10 minutes unless you have very young athletes.
9. Plan scrimmage time to use your acquired skills. Practice of skills is necessary for competition.
10. Be sure to be positive. Even when delivering constructive criticism. Always follow up with a positive on what the player is doing correctly.
11. Always plan for a cool down. Take at least 10 minutes to cool down with stretches and breathing exercises.
12. Ensure that your players stay hydrated during and after practice.
13. Have a 2 minute round up after practice to go over what you think of the practice session and the goals you have accomplished. Briefly suggest something to have in the minds of your players for the next practice or game. Use your journal to takes notes, write down questions, and comments from the team and yourself during your roundup. That way you can refer back to one place when you update your player’s files and your goal lists.
14. Go over your list and add and update the needs of each player. Use your player’s files and learning profiles to plan the next practice.

Photo credit: donjd2