basketball?

[cory98]

im a freshman in highschool this yr n i made the freshman team for basketball but im not the fastest kid or tallest im actually 1 of the shortest on the freshman team im only 5'3" tall we been doin conditioning n drills for practice lately n its hard but im givin it 100% of wat i got in me n think im doing pretty good anybody got any tips on certain things i can do to impress the coach n hopefully be a starter even though im short n not wicked fast?

[LGCALI]

im a freshman in highschool this yr n i made the freshman team for basketball but im not the fastest kid or tallest im actually 1 of the shortest on the freshman team im only 5'3" tall we been doin conditioning n drills for practice lately n its hard but im givin it 100% of wat i got in me n think im doing pretty good anybody got any tips on certain things i can do to impress the coach n hopefully be a starter even though im short n not wicked fast?

Work on fundamentals. A ball player, regardless of they're size, can make up for what may seem like a disadvantage by being more fundamentally sound than other players.

There's a truism about the game: There are basketball players, and then there are people who play basketball. Decide which one you are. If you strive to be a "basketball player" then you have to commit to putting in the time and effort that will be necessary to make you stand out from other "basketball players."

In your age group, it is extremely rare to find a player that is fundamentally sound. What does that mean?

WATCH YOUR GRADES:

I'm a coach, and I put this first under "fundamentals" because i see (all too often) very gifted athletes, at the high school and college level, who forget that success in the classroom is what gives them the freedom, and in most cases, eligibility to play ball in the first place. I watch young men who are potential stars, try to skate by on the bare minimum academically, make the team, start to contribute, then flunk one test that kicks their GPA (Grade Point Average here in the States) in the toilet, now they can't play till the grades improve. WORK ON THE GRADES FIRST, THEN THE BASKETBALL COMES WITH A WHOLE LOT LESS PRESSURE. I hope i don't have to make the "...real reason we're in school in the first place is to get an education, not play sports..." speech. I hope that for the average Student Athlete, that goes without saying. It is a fundamental. Master it. THEN, BECOME A STUDENT OF THE GAME.

DRIBBLING:

Can you handle the rock. If you're going to set yourself apart, you've got to be able to dribble a basketball with both hands equally. That's equally to the extent that the average person sitting in the stands, watching you dribble the ball, cannot tell if you are left or right handed. In other words you don't always go to your right and you don't always go to your left. You are a threat to dribble in either direction. (Dribbling is probably going to be an important skill for someone who is your size at this point. Because you're not one of the big tall guys, your contribution to the team will have to be moving the ball, distributing the ball (passing), and shooting the ball. You won't be dunking on anybody just yet!) How do you develop this fundamental? Dribble drills, dribble drills.... then some more dribble drills. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO DRIBBLE THE BALL WHEREVER YOU WANT TO GO, WITHOUT FAVORING ONE HAND OVER THE OTHER, AND WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK AT THE BALL WHILE DRIBBLING.

MOVING:

In this case...without the ball. Learn (through coaching, and watching College and High School Ball...(notice that i'm not advising you watch the NBA to get pointers on fundamentals.) Basketball, as a team game, is played at the High School and College level. The NBA is another story altogether. Anyway... since you say you're not the fastest, or biggest, you have to work toward being the smartest. The average player in your age group does not know how to properly set a screen, does not know how to properly come off of a screen, whether it be to get open to receive a pass, or to get open to take a shot, or drive to the basket. A fundamentally sound player knows the fine points of all of this "movement." AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A PERSON THAT WORKS HARD ON "MOVEMENT WITH A PURPOSE" AS OPPOSED TO RUNNING AROUND LIKE A BEHEADED CHICKEN, THEN YOU MUST...MUST...BE IN SHAPE... CONDITIONING IS A CRITICAL EDGE THAT YOU CAN GIVE YOURSELF BY WORKING HARD AT GETTING INTO SUPERIOR SHAPE.

DEFENSE:

While you're working on conditioning, which you need for all parts of the game, be aware that there are proper ways to stand (your stance) when playing defense, just as there are proper ways to position your arm, the ball, your legs, etc. for a good, repeatable, jump shot. You have to learn basics like "Ball, you, man" "Hand in the passing lane" "Never turn your back on the ball"
"slide" so you get to the "spot" before the person you're defending does. YOU SLIDE, YOU DON'T CROSS YOUR FEET (this is how you make a ball handler go where you want them to go rather than the other way around) Do a large part of your conditioning in the proper positions, so that you're strengthening the right muscles for use during the game. Get in good enough condition to "stay low" when you're defending. Standing up straight on defense is a good way to get faked "our of your jock" on the court.

SHOOTING:

Learn how to make a lay-up from either side with either hand. Period. It's a fundamental that is being neglected nearly as much as free throw shooting. Yet both are HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS. In other words you can't afford to miss the easiest shots in the game. For the first couple of days of my camps, or first three or four weeks of my practices, I DO NOT ALLOW JUMP SHOOTING PRACTICE. We always scrimmage at the end of every practice, so we allow them to shoot then. But, i believe that the "jump shot" is a skill that a player must work on on their own. FAR MORE THAN THEY WORK ON IT WITH THEIR TEAM. In practice, i make my players work on ways to get the easy baskets. LEARN HOW TO NEVER, EVER, MISS A LAYUP. LEARN HOW TO SHOOT A HIGH PERCENTAGE FROM THE FREE THROW LINE (THERE ARE NO DEFENDERS, YOU'RE STANDING STILL, AND EVERYONE WILL WAIT FOR YOU TO SHOOT. IT'S FREE) MASTER IT. AND, WHEN YOU ARE WORKING ON YOUR JUMP SHOT START FROM SHORT RANGE AND WORK YOUR WAY OUT AS YOU BECOME PROFICIENT. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

BE COACHABLE:

Coaches notice the kid that gets to practice early and leaves late. Coaches notice the kid that is locked in on the coach when he or she is talking to the team, going over a drill, or practicing a play or set. They also notice the kid that's goofing around, being immature, and NOT paying attention. That dude will have serious "splinter" issues on most good, well coached, teams. (YOU GET SPLINTERS FROM "RIDING THE PINE" ) Coaches notice the kid that asks for extra pointers on how better to do this, or do that. Coaches notice the kid that can discuss what he or she saw while watching a College game on TV last night, demonstrating a knowledge... and passion...for the game.

I know you didn't ask for a book to answer your question, but I thought it was a great question, and wanted to give my answer as completely as I could. There's obviously much more to the game than what i've pointed out here. However, I think most "basketball players" and "basketball coaches" would agree that if you're looking for an "edge", if you're trying to improve your game; improving your FUNDAMENTALS is a great place to start.

The best of luck to you... I'm gonna subscribe to this thread and I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress.

Work hard, Play hard!!!

Coach

[kjr32legendracer]

i guess i would be one of the people that "plays basketball" just looked at this post out of curiousity but i will say that is by far the best response i have seen on this site yet wow went into great detail and really trying to help the person out :D thats what this site is all about

[Salader]

Errm, Keep the ball on the hand furthest from your marker.