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.

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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.

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Tips on playing Defense correctly

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Defense is a very important and occasionally overlooked component of the game. It doesn’t have the glory of scoring points, or magnificent showboating slam dunks, but it does make or break a game. What people do not realize is that without defense, the game would essentially be a boring back and forth scoring festival where you know exactly where the points would be. With a defence involved you really never know what is going to happen next.

Conditioning is one of the first elements that a defensive player should work and work hard on. Playing defense at the start of the game is one thing, but being in good enough shape to play that same defense by the end of the game makes the difference between good and great players. Things like proper diet, aerobics and light weight training will go a very long way in extending your endurance and providing you with the battery life that you’ll require!

Knowing yourself goes a long way. While every player has strengths and works on them to keep them in tip top shape, it takes a unique and special player to identify and admit their weak points, and work on those. Weak points will never improve unless you work on them. If you find yourself winded as the game goes on, aerobics and cardio are going to be a focal point for you.

Variety is another weapon of the team defence. If your team always plays the same defense, opposing teams will identify it and find ways to easily beat it and score. Where adding in new formations, switching player’s to different positions and just shaking things up will go a very long way in keeping an offense guessing as to what you are up to.

When you are defending a player one of the most underutilized tools are a player’s hands. Get those hands up when a shot is being made as the slightest touch can alter a balls trajectory and send it just enough off course to cause a shot to miss, or even cause the ball to come into your team’s possession.

Listen to your teammates and listen often. Communication is crucial with teammates, and they will often tell you the information that you need to know, even if you can’t see it. They will be your eyes, so trust them! Also on the sidelines be open and talk with your teammates, someone may have noticed something about the other teams tendencies that may give your team the upper hand, and without communication would just go unnoticed.

One final point to help hone your defensive game and help improve it is the use of fakes. While players on offense frequently fake, players on defense do not utilize fakes as often as they should. Faking an offensive player can force him to make an unplanned move and can cause the offensive plan to go out the window. This can cause mistakes and miscommunication and open a window for the defence to get the ball!

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Dealing with an Injury during a Basketball Game

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Injuries happen, you cannot predict them, nor on occasion can you prevent them, but you will need to know how to deal with them even before they happen or you could without thinking about it make them even worse. This is not to say that you need a medical degree to play basketball, or even any other sport. This is simply to suggest some general knowledge that will assist you when these situations should happen to yourself or your teammates.

One thing you do straight off the bat is to admit you are injured. Some players will attempt to gut injuries out and hide them from fellow teammates and coaches in an attempt to avoid loss of play time or potential demotion. When you fail to admit injury your quality of play not only can be affected, but you risk not only further aggravating that existing injury but you risk creating more severe injuries as a result of putting strain on other parts of the body.

When you suspect an injury has occurred, immediately consult the team medical staff, and if no one is available in that capacity, then you may need to go to your local hospital for tests to see if the injury may be severe enough to affect your game play.

With identifying a potential injury on the court, some simple measures like heat, or cold could be applied. Even simply staying off of it for the rest of the game could be best. Usually with minor injuries people try to work through them, but it would be best if there is any pain even a small amount to get it checked out at a local medical facility before you resume your normal game play.

When you have visited a medical facility and received treatment along with instructions on how to care for the injury, be sure to follow them to the letter. Not doing so can aggravate the existing injury or even worsen it. While it is tempting to be the hero to your team and play through your injury to try to win a game, sometimes it is in the best interests of the team to do what’s best for you and not be out on the court performing at a lower quality of play than normal.

To try to avoid injuries and do all that you can to ensure you minimize your chance of injury, proper stretching before the game is absolutely essential. A lot of players like to stretch periodically throughout the game to ensure that their muscles remain warmed up throughout the game. Preventative measures like stretching and proper exercise are absolutely crucial to avoiding unnecessary injuries.

The days of player’s acting big, strong, and macho have started to wane as players are becoming increasingly aware of injuries and the long term affects they can have on the body if not properly cared for. They can more than just affect your game; they can affect your life.

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Eating the Right Stuff – Providing the Right Fuel for the Basketball Machine

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Another aspect of basketball that occasionally goes unnoticed is the nutritional aspect. Some players will forget that anything they put into their bodies can short term or long term affect them. If you eat too much of the wrong items you can negatively affect not only your game play, but even your overall health. That is why it is absolutely important and crucial to be aware at all times of what is going into your body, and to make sure that you know the signs and signals that your body gives off if something is wrong.

Starting with nutritional supplements, know what you are getting yourself into. A lot of athletes will find themselves taking questionable substances without knowing just because they are trying to get better. If you are going to put something in your body, make sure that you know what it is. If you wish to start using a supplement, research it online, and ask not only nutritional store staff, but even health care professionals. Make sure that what you are looking to intake is in fact going to benefit you and not harm you in the long run.

Fast food is another hazard. While fast food is a quick fix when you`re hungry, and will tide you over until the next meal time, it is also going to fill your system with junk that has no real nutritional value. Fast food is enjoyable and in moderation is absolutely fine, but some people will become reliant on it because of its convenience and forget its lack of nutrition.

While a lot of people will pitch perfect diets and claim they have the secret to unlocking your bodies potential, moderation is the secret you need. No one knows your body better then you do, and you know what you can eat, and what you cannot eat. Common sense is all you really need when eating, you know if something is good for you or isn`t good for you, and if you are unsure, then don`t eat it until you`ve done some research and consulted the proper people.

This also comes down to drugs and anything that can artificially enhance your performance. While the benefits seem worth it now, down the road the side effects and downfalls can and will hit you hard. Just read up online about some of the cases of people taking steroids and other enhancers, and see how they are health wise now. While the advantages are tempting in such a competitive age, it’s definitely not worth it.

Getting into your own personal habit is a good thing, and getting advice from knowledgeable nutritional experts is an asset, just never fall into the fad diets and never fall for these get results quick schemes. There are plenty of normal ways to have an excellent diet that will provide you with all the essential vitamins and balance that will keep your energy high and your body in great shape!

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