I'm going to take the time to show you some jumping techniques for jumping higher. By practicing these methods, you can greatly improve your basketball game or any other sport that requires a lot of jumping. Not only will you be able to dunk the ball with ease, but you'll become a better defender, a better rebounder and an overall better shooter. If you look at all the professionals in the NBA, you have to understand that most of them had to work at jumping that high. They spent a lot of time with specialized trainers that worked specifically on jumping. I'm going to show you some jumping techniques, that if used, will result in you jumping higher.
It is extremely important for you to strengthen those muscles involved with jumping. I found the best method for this is squats, even though a lot of people neglect it because they view it as an upper leg exercise. If you look at a squat, it looks like a slow motion jump. It's weight and it has been shown to increase strength. You need to have some power when you push yourself off the ground or you won't get anywhere.
Another part of the equation is my jumping techniques for remaining springy and elastic. Pushing yourself on the ground with power is important, but springing off the ground helps too. I suggest walking around on the tips of your toes for half an hour. It seems easy, but after about 5 minutes of it, you'll start to feel the burn.
Learn the exercises used by top athletes. Check out the Jump Higher Exercises.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Friday, October 31, 2008
Screw Size - The Greatest Really Small Players in Basketball History
Size has always been one of the biggest concerns in a lot of professional sports. It's always expected that football players are supposed to be brawny and bulky, marathon runners should have lean bodies built for endurance, and basketball players should be, well, very tall and extremely athletic. When it comes to stereotyping athletes, the first qualification is more often than not what what is associated with the sport. And a lot of shorter athletes are told to choose other sports like wrestling, weight lifting or competitive dance. But has this stopped the most determined and talented of players from ever trying their luck in the most prestigious basketball league in the world? Of course not!
Some of the most talented basketball players on the planet were under six feet tall. And instead of being shadowed by their gigantic teammates, they showed the world that enough talent, dedication and desire can more than make up for a little deficiency in height. Here are a few examples of their rare breed:
- Spud Webb: Standing at a humble 5'7, nobody thought Spud Webb would amount to anything early on in his career (he was drafted in the 4th round). But he would soon prove everyone wrong by averaging in double digits in five of his seasons. But his claim to fame would be beating the great Dominique Wilkins in the 1986 Slam Dunk Competition. After skying to perform some of the most gravity-defying dunks ever, Spud Webb would sky to the pantheon of NBA legends by proving little guys can beat big guys at their own game.
- Avery Johnson: You may know him these days as the coach of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, but Avery Johnson was once the championship-winning point guard for one fo the latter-day NBA dynasties: the San Antonio Spurs. As a point guard, Avery was known for his leadership, consistency and grace under fire. When in 1999 he hit the shot that eventually would clinch the title for the Spurs, we all knew that there was something special about this intelligent and talented young man that was born to win.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Otto_Kreistler
Some of the most talented basketball players on the planet were under six feet tall. And instead of being shadowed by their gigantic teammates, they showed the world that enough talent, dedication and desire can more than make up for a little deficiency in height. Here are a few examples of their rare breed:
- Spud Webb: Standing at a humble 5'7, nobody thought Spud Webb would amount to anything early on in his career (he was drafted in the 4th round). But he would soon prove everyone wrong by averaging in double digits in five of his seasons. But his claim to fame would be beating the great Dominique Wilkins in the 1986 Slam Dunk Competition. After skying to perform some of the most gravity-defying dunks ever, Spud Webb would sky to the pantheon of NBA legends by proving little guys can beat big guys at their own game.
- Avery Johnson: You may know him these days as the coach of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, but Avery Johnson was once the championship-winning point guard for one fo the latter-day NBA dynasties: the San Antonio Spurs. As a point guard, Avery was known for his leadership, consistency and grace under fire. When in 1999 he hit the shot that eventually would clinch the title for the Spurs, we all knew that there was something special about this intelligent and talented young man that was born to win.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Otto_Kreistler
Basketball Camps in the Philadelphia Area
The city of Philadelphia, home to the NBA's first franchise, the 76ers, has been a basketball town for generations. The 76ers have hosted such stars as Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley, and have inspired hundreds of Philly kids to take up the game. Boys and girls interested in improving their skills have a number of Philadelphia basketball camps to choose from:
Sixers Camps
Operating for over thirty years, the Sixers Camps are the most well known of the Philadelphia basketball camps. 76ers players and former players regularly visit the camp, and participating youngsters learn from the pros as well as take part in traditional camp activities at their overnight facility in the Poconos. Sixers camps are open to boys and girls. Campers can also enjoy boating, swimming, batting cages, volleyball, and other fun activities.
Phil Martelli's Basketball Camp
Phil Martelli was named Associated Press coach of the year for 2004 when his Saint Joseph's Hawks went undefeated for the NCAA's regular season, the most recent team to do so. Now Martelli offers boys aged 8-17 the opportunity to stay at the University and hone their skills. Camp features guest lectures as well as individual and team competition, with campers staying on campus in air-conditioned dormitories under supervision.
Future Stars Camps
Future Stars is another organization specializing in Philadelphia basketball camps, offering a special overnight camp just for girls. As head coach at Immaculata College, Cathy Rush, founder of Future Stars, led her teams to five national championships. The camp staff includes many top basketball players at the women's college level.
Herb Magee's Basketball Camps
One of the best coaches in the country, Herb Magee has racked up 41 seasons as coach at Philadelphia University and offers a one week camp each summer for boys and girls in the Philadelphia area who would like to improve their shooting skills. The camp focuses on small group instruction, with a high instructor to camper ratio.
City of Philadelphia Day Camps
Many Philadelphia basketball camps are overnight programs. For those looking for a day camp experience, the City of Philadelphia offers basketball camps Monday through Friday during the summer. The city's basketball camp provides lunch and snacks for campers, as well as a report on each individual's progress as an athlete.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a basketball camp. Be sure to look into the reputation of the camp and the staff, as well as the camp's goals and itinerary. The cost, location, and duration of the program may also play into making the right decision. Don't be afraid to contact staff to ask detailed questions, or ask for a tour of an overnight camp's facilities. A good basketball camp provides the tools to improve your game as well as an exciting week.
Matthew Finn is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Finn
Sixers Camps
Operating for over thirty years, the Sixers Camps are the most well known of the Philadelphia basketball camps. 76ers players and former players regularly visit the camp, and participating youngsters learn from the pros as well as take part in traditional camp activities at their overnight facility in the Poconos. Sixers camps are open to boys and girls. Campers can also enjoy boating, swimming, batting cages, volleyball, and other fun activities.
Phil Martelli's Basketball Camp
Phil Martelli was named Associated Press coach of the year for 2004 when his Saint Joseph's Hawks went undefeated for the NCAA's regular season, the most recent team to do so. Now Martelli offers boys aged 8-17 the opportunity to stay at the University and hone their skills. Camp features guest lectures as well as individual and team competition, with campers staying on campus in air-conditioned dormitories under supervision.
Future Stars Camps
Future Stars is another organization specializing in Philadelphia basketball camps, offering a special overnight camp just for girls. As head coach at Immaculata College, Cathy Rush, founder of Future Stars, led her teams to five national championships. The camp staff includes many top basketball players at the women's college level.
Herb Magee's Basketball Camps
One of the best coaches in the country, Herb Magee has racked up 41 seasons as coach at Philadelphia University and offers a one week camp each summer for boys and girls in the Philadelphia area who would like to improve their shooting skills. The camp focuses on small group instruction, with a high instructor to camper ratio.
City of Philadelphia Day Camps
Many Philadelphia basketball camps are overnight programs. For those looking for a day camp experience, the City of Philadelphia offers basketball camps Monday through Friday during the summer. The city's basketball camp provides lunch and snacks for campers, as well as a report on each individual's progress as an athlete.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a basketball camp. Be sure to look into the reputation of the camp and the staff, as well as the camp's goals and itinerary. The cost, location, and duration of the program may also play into making the right decision. Don't be afraid to contact staff to ask detailed questions, or ask for a tour of an overnight camp's facilities. A good basketball camp provides the tools to improve your game as well as an exciting week.
Matthew Finn is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Finn
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Amazing Jumping Exercises to Increase Vertical Jumping
I'm going to show you the correct jumping exercises so you can increase vertical jumping on the basketball court. A lot of people assume that star athletes in the NBA can just naturally jump high. That they just have the right genetics, while you don't have them. The fact is that many of them had to work with specialized trainers for years to get to where they are today. The average person doesn't have the money to pay for a trainer to achieve this. Luckily, all they do is tell you to do specific exercises that will help you. I'm going to show you the exact jumping exercises that will increase vertical jumping.
The first one is doing seated calf raises. It is important to focus on weight because you want to strengthen those muscles. The one thing you want to avoid is doing the exercise slow. As you increase the weight, it gets harder to do fast, but you have to always be pushing off with intensity. This is how you'll properly simulate an actual jump.
Another exercise is walking around on the balls of your feet for half an hour. This forces your leg muscles to adapt to this position of a jump. Out of all the jumping exercises, I think this one works best to increase vertical jumping. If you find that this is easy, try doing it while walking around backwards. It puts a much higher strain on the muscles, they'll grow, but they'll also remain very springy.
Rule the court with dunking skills with these Jump Higher Exercises.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
The first one is doing seated calf raises. It is important to focus on weight because you want to strengthen those muscles. The one thing you want to avoid is doing the exercise slow. As you increase the weight, it gets harder to do fast, but you have to always be pushing off with intensity. This is how you'll properly simulate an actual jump.
Another exercise is walking around on the balls of your feet for half an hour. This forces your leg muscles to adapt to this position of a jump. Out of all the jumping exercises, I think this one works best to increase vertical jumping. If you find that this is easy, try doing it while walking around backwards. It puts a much higher strain on the muscles, they'll grow, but they'll also remain very springy.
Rule the court with dunking skills with these Jump Higher Exercises.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Teaching Team Defense With Whole Part Whole Concept
Introducing a team concept like man to man defense takes preparation and planning. By using the whole-part-whole concept, players can see the entire defense first to grasp the main idea. Once this has been accomplished the parts can be introduced one at a time. By putting the team defense back together all parts begin to make sense. I highly recommend the whole-part-whole style of teaching basketball.
Man to man defense is an excellent way to using the whole concept of teaching. Here are the steps to follow with your team;
1. Show the whole concept first on the floor with just 5 players so they can seen firsthand how a 5 players look as a defensive unit.
2. Carefully and slowly have players walk through all of the slides and situations that can occur in the half court.
3. Have the defense defend some half speed offensive possessions. Go slow enough to coach them through each pass and movement.
4. Break the defense down into individual parts and drill each of these.
5. Put the parts back together and play full speed in the half court.
As soon as you play it live, you will scurry back to #1 or #2. Defensive slippage is huge at all levels, but even more at the elementary and junior high levels. An example of teaching a part of man to man defense is the flat triangle concept. The flat triangle is a term to describe the shape formed between the defender, his man, and the ball.
The best way to teach this concept is to take string and have the player with the ball and your man hold it...this represents the "line of the ball." By the way, just another term we use loosely that we expect our players to instantly grasp!!! Wrong, they are thinking about playing X Box in an hour when practice is over.
Extend the string to allow the defender to hold the string also. If he is one step off the line of the ball, the shape the string takes will be a flat triangle.
I've done this with many college teams to drive home the terminology and the idea of how this works into team defense.
Moving too fast with your team is a characteristic of poor coaching. Pieces of basketball must be broken down, explained and practiced. A coach cannot afford to assume their players know how to execute the many parts of the game. By using the Whole-Part-Whole method you will help your players see the game in a different, less confusing way. In the end, execution on the floor will be the by product of teaching basketball in this organized manner.
I encourage you to take the big teaching concepts and breaking them down into their smallest form. Perfecting the part will make your team tough to beat on both ends of the floor. Take this concept and apply it this season to with your team for excellent results.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
Man to man defense is an excellent way to using the whole concept of teaching. Here are the steps to follow with your team;
1. Show the whole concept first on the floor with just 5 players so they can seen firsthand how a 5 players look as a defensive unit.
2. Carefully and slowly have players walk through all of the slides and situations that can occur in the half court.
3. Have the defense defend some half speed offensive possessions. Go slow enough to coach them through each pass and movement.
4. Break the defense down into individual parts and drill each of these.
5. Put the parts back together and play full speed in the half court.
As soon as you play it live, you will scurry back to #1 or #2. Defensive slippage is huge at all levels, but even more at the elementary and junior high levels. An example of teaching a part of man to man defense is the flat triangle concept. The flat triangle is a term to describe the shape formed between the defender, his man, and the ball.
The best way to teach this concept is to take string and have the player with the ball and your man hold it...this represents the "line of the ball." By the way, just another term we use loosely that we expect our players to instantly grasp!!! Wrong, they are thinking about playing X Box in an hour when practice is over.
Extend the string to allow the defender to hold the string also. If he is one step off the line of the ball, the shape the string takes will be a flat triangle.
I've done this with many college teams to drive home the terminology and the idea of how this works into team defense.
Moving too fast with your team is a characteristic of poor coaching. Pieces of basketball must be broken down, explained and practiced. A coach cannot afford to assume their players know how to execute the many parts of the game. By using the Whole-Part-Whole method you will help your players see the game in a different, less confusing way. In the end, execution on the floor will be the by product of teaching basketball in this organized manner.
I encourage you to take the big teaching concepts and breaking them down into their smallest form. Perfecting the part will make your team tough to beat on both ends of the floor. Take this concept and apply it this season to with your team for excellent results.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
How to Increase Basketball Speed and Power
A strong with the ball player is one that is responsible with the basketball. At no point in time is that player going to have the ball taken from them, which is the most embarrassing thing that could happen on a basketball court bar none. I call this particular occurrence, "my ball" and I tally them for every team I coach. If you coach, maybe you should too! It opens up a door that is often ignored and will give you the ball for three to five extra possessions a game. Think about how valuable that is in a close game!
Being strong on the feet simply means that a player understands his body awareness, has coordination, and can move strong at will. A lot of this confidence is developed over a series of years and within specific athletic movement.
Hey, what about clumsy, heavy footed players? They dont have years of practice because the season is right around the corner?
Well, that is an obvious factor that warrants a specific solution. I know you have read it before but I have to reiterate it; swamp lunges. This movement builds coordination, joint integrity, muscular endurance, and bodily stability at the same time within anything dangerous getting in the way. Another huge advantage of this exercise and they way I designed it is that the participant begins by mastering his or her own bodyweight with it. This means that absolutely no resistance is added until certain prerequisite levels are achieved.
These reasons alone will keep dynamic movement training will stay on top of the athletic training world because its safe methods as opposed to the ones you can see inside some popular fitness magazines. An example would be the Bosu, which is a jelly-like structure that athletes are asked to balance and exercise on. At some point, things needs to be simplified and people should be able to balance themselves before embarking into advanced challenges.
Now correct if I am wrong but why would anyone ask an athlete to train motor movement using a jelly-like surface that will never be played on?
Why would a trainer ask an athlete to work on a synthetically developed surface where only the high level stable athletes can succeed?
I dont have those answers but I believe it may be due to a lack of safer options for the same desired result. Trust me; I have worked with countless athletes that were heavy footed and needed work on coming strong on the feet. The last thing I would ever do is put them on a Bosu and it's because it would be a recipe for disaster. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but why even take the chance?
The best way to develop strength on the feet is to train on the feet. You need that physiological connection with the ground through specific movement patterns in order to build adequate muscle memory. That muscle memory demonstrates itself outside of training and during competition in a short period of time when using the swamp lunges and their progressions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
Being strong on the feet simply means that a player understands his body awareness, has coordination, and can move strong at will. A lot of this confidence is developed over a series of years and within specific athletic movement.
Hey, what about clumsy, heavy footed players? They dont have years of practice because the season is right around the corner?
Well, that is an obvious factor that warrants a specific solution. I know you have read it before but I have to reiterate it; swamp lunges. This movement builds coordination, joint integrity, muscular endurance, and bodily stability at the same time within anything dangerous getting in the way. Another huge advantage of this exercise and they way I designed it is that the participant begins by mastering his or her own bodyweight with it. This means that absolutely no resistance is added until certain prerequisite levels are achieved.
These reasons alone will keep dynamic movement training will stay on top of the athletic training world because its safe methods as opposed to the ones you can see inside some popular fitness magazines. An example would be the Bosu, which is a jelly-like structure that athletes are asked to balance and exercise on. At some point, things needs to be simplified and people should be able to balance themselves before embarking into advanced challenges.
Now correct if I am wrong but why would anyone ask an athlete to train motor movement using a jelly-like surface that will never be played on?
Why would a trainer ask an athlete to work on a synthetically developed surface where only the high level stable athletes can succeed?
I dont have those answers but I believe it may be due to a lack of safer options for the same desired result. Trust me; I have worked with countless athletes that were heavy footed and needed work on coming strong on the feet. The last thing I would ever do is put them on a Bosu and it's because it would be a recipe for disaster. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but why even take the chance?
The best way to develop strength on the feet is to train on the feet. You need that physiological connection with the ground through specific movement patterns in order to build adequate muscle memory. That muscle memory demonstrates itself outside of training and during competition in a short period of time when using the swamp lunges and their progressions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
Monday, October 20, 2008
Remarkable Exercises For Jumping
I'm going to show you some great exercises for jumping that can help you improve your abilities in basketball. Being able to jump higher is an important aspect of this sport. Most people are led to believe that the athletes you see on television naturally jump like that. The fact is that most of them had to train extremely hard with a personal trainer for years to achieve what they can. The fact is if you want to achieve the same thing, you can, as long as you're willing to put the necessary work in with the proper exercises for jumping. I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to need to do.
Squats are probably one of the most underrated exercises you can do. The reason people neglect it is that they think it focuses on the upper legs. It's true, it does, but it works the entire leg. Most importantly, it works the primary muscles of jumping. If you watch a squat, it looks like jumping in slow motion. This exercise will help your jumping muscles to get strong.
Strong isn't always the best thing to have. You need a balance between strength and that springy, explosive push off. The best exercise for jumping in that regard is walking around on the balls of your feet. This keeps you in a consistent state of pouncing. You're right in the middle of a jump basically. You should try to do this for 30 minutes. It's a lot harder than most people anticipate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Squats are probably one of the most underrated exercises you can do. The reason people neglect it is that they think it focuses on the upper legs. It's true, it does, but it works the entire leg. Most importantly, it works the primary muscles of jumping. If you watch a squat, it looks like jumping in slow motion. This exercise will help your jumping muscles to get strong.
Strong isn't always the best thing to have. You need a balance between strength and that springy, explosive push off. The best exercise for jumping in that regard is walking around on the balls of your feet. This keeps you in a consistent state of pouncing. You're right in the middle of a jump basically. You should try to do this for 30 minutes. It's a lot harder than most people anticipate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Four Winning Strategies For the New Season
Each new basketball seasons brings with it a different set of challenges. To stay sharp, I encourage coaches to look for new ways to maximize their opportunities to win games. This article highlights three strategies that can be employed to improve as a coach and optimize your results.
As your coaching career rolls along it is natural to get set in your ways. I challenge you to look at your philosophies and teaching methods each season and entertain new ways of coaching basketball. Personal improvement and productivity can lead to amazing results you could never imagine. This out of the box type of thinking and call to action can make a huge difference in your upcoming season.
My top bit of advice is to develop your own coaching TOP 3. Establish exactly what they are and how to integrate them into your overall coaching philosophy and plan. Commit to them 100%. Beyond that, think about what areas of your coaching you want to improve in and how to do that. You can build this into your goals for the year.
Here are three creative ways to gain positive results from your season;
1. Get a mentor that can help you on a weekly basis, if not daily. Find someone to help you stay accountable to what you really want to do in your coaching.
2. Buy video editing software. I believe players are very visual and love to watch themselves. This can be a huge tool for you in terms of self-scouting (practice clips) or game preparation. Sideline Sports in particular has a great line of software tools that are very affordable to the youth or high school coach.
3. Begin to keep a "black book" for your coaching. The contents of this notebook are the essential beliefs/philosophies of your coaching. Example-don't have every OB play you have seen and written down at clinics in your black book. Include only those you have run and will run in the future. This is a very condensed version of you as a coach. It is your coaching Bible. Many coaches do not adopt a Top 3 or a black book and I believe that leads to being unorganized and inefficient coaching and poor results!
Use at least one of these four recommendations and prepare to see amazing changes and great results from your improved coaching ability.
I hope this helps........this comes from not only coaching for 25 years, but also in mentoring hundreds of coaches, currently and in the past.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
As your coaching career rolls along it is natural to get set in your ways. I challenge you to look at your philosophies and teaching methods each season and entertain new ways of coaching basketball. Personal improvement and productivity can lead to amazing results you could never imagine. This out of the box type of thinking and call to action can make a huge difference in your upcoming season.
My top bit of advice is to develop your own coaching TOP 3. Establish exactly what they are and how to integrate them into your overall coaching philosophy and plan. Commit to them 100%. Beyond that, think about what areas of your coaching you want to improve in and how to do that. You can build this into your goals for the year.
Here are three creative ways to gain positive results from your season;
1. Get a mentor that can help you on a weekly basis, if not daily. Find someone to help you stay accountable to what you really want to do in your coaching.
2. Buy video editing software. I believe players are very visual and love to watch themselves. This can be a huge tool for you in terms of self-scouting (practice clips) or game preparation. Sideline Sports in particular has a great line of software tools that are very affordable to the youth or high school coach.
3. Begin to keep a "black book" for your coaching. The contents of this notebook are the essential beliefs/philosophies of your coaching. Example-don't have every OB play you have seen and written down at clinics in your black book. Include only those you have run and will run in the future. This is a very condensed version of you as a coach. It is your coaching Bible. Many coaches do not adopt a Top 3 or a black book and I believe that leads to being unorganized and inefficient coaching and poor results!
Use at least one of these four recommendations and prepare to see amazing changes and great results from your improved coaching ability.
I hope this helps........this comes from not only coaching for 25 years, but also in mentoring hundreds of coaches, currently and in the past.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
4 Tips on Making Your Basketball Jump Higher
Are you looking to make your basketball jump higher? Whether you are slamming a dunk, or blocking someone else's, a good jump is crucial to having a good game. For some people, a good jump comes naturally, but most athletes need to work at it. No matter what, both natural jumpers, and those whose jump comes from training, can always find a way to improve their vertical leap.
Of course, it is not always easy. Every athlete knows about the dreaded plateau. That point in training when no matter how hard you work, the best you can do is just maintain. Sometimes a plateau lasts a couple of weeks, sometimes months or years.
If you are looking to make your basketball jump higher, and you have hit a plateau, it is probably time to rethink your training program. While every body has its limits, very few athletes ever really reach the limits of their body's abilities. Almost every training technique, however, has limits to the amount of benefit it can give. Sometimes a plateau occurs when your body is adjusting to the most recent improvements a training program gives, but sometimes it comes when the training program does not have anything else to offer.
When you hit that plateau, and are ready to find a new program, make sure that you look carefully at any program that promises to make your basketball jump higher. Any program you start should cover several areas.
Exercise--
Obviously any training program should have exercises and workouts designed to give you the improvement you are looking for (a higher jump). A good program will also explain what benefit each exercise gives, and what muscles are used giving you a comprehensive overview of all aspects of that particular program.
Diet--
Your body can not do anything if it does not have the fuel it needs. A good training program will either give a fully detailed diet to go with the exercise plan, or give solid advice and guidelines for designing your own diet.
Downtime--
Since muscles actually improve between workouts, a good program will also advise you on how much downtime you need between heavy workouts to get maximum effect. Keep in mind, everyone's body is different, you may need more or less then the recommended downtime to get maximum effect.
Safety--
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_K_Wilson
Of course, it is not always easy. Every athlete knows about the dreaded plateau. That point in training when no matter how hard you work, the best you can do is just maintain. Sometimes a plateau lasts a couple of weeks, sometimes months or years.
If you are looking to make your basketball jump higher, and you have hit a plateau, it is probably time to rethink your training program. While every body has its limits, very few athletes ever really reach the limits of their body's abilities. Almost every training technique, however, has limits to the amount of benefit it can give. Sometimes a plateau occurs when your body is adjusting to the most recent improvements a training program gives, but sometimes it comes when the training program does not have anything else to offer.
When you hit that plateau, and are ready to find a new program, make sure that you look carefully at any program that promises to make your basketball jump higher. Any program you start should cover several areas.
Exercise--
Obviously any training program should have exercises and workouts designed to give you the improvement you are looking for (a higher jump). A good program will also explain what benefit each exercise gives, and what muscles are used giving you a comprehensive overview of all aspects of that particular program.
Diet--
Your body can not do anything if it does not have the fuel it needs. A good training program will either give a fully detailed diet to go with the exercise plan, or give solid advice and guidelines for designing your own diet.
Downtime--
Since muscles actually improve between workouts, a good program will also advise you on how much downtime you need between heavy workouts to get maximum effect. Keep in mind, everyone's body is different, you may need more or less then the recommended downtime to get maximum effect.
Safety--
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_K_Wilson
Friday, October 17, 2008
Learn How to Increase Your Vertical Leap - See Improvement Fast
Are you in basketball, gymnastics or any sport where a good vertical leap is important? Are you ready to learn how to increase your vertical leap? As any athlete knows, it takes time and work to get improvement on the field, but learning how to increase your vertical leap can be surprisingly easy if you get the right kind of program.
If you want to understand how to increase your vertical leap, the first step is to understand how the vertical leap works. A vertical leap begins with a standing start not a running start. It uses quads, and muscles of the p-chain (hamstrings, glutes, etc.) to provide sudden, explosive power to lift the body vertically off the floor. A vertical leap therefore requires muscles to be both strong and fast. Fast, because all the strength of the muscles has to be applied in a fraction of a second, or most of it is wasted. Learning how to increase your vertical leap, therefore, consists of both strength and speed training for the muscles involved.
A big mistake some people make is spending an enormous amount of time working on their quads, and neglecting the other muscles involved. This makes really powerful quads, but does not do anything to improve the vertical jump. That is because all the muscles need to work together at the same time in any jump and even if one muscle is much stronger then the others, it will not be able to use all its power. If a stronger muscle does use all its power, the other muscles will be injured.
Another mistake to avoid when learning how to increase your vertical leap is over work. Constant work will damage muscles rather then improving them. This is because muscle strength and speed actually increase between workouts, rather then during the training. If you do not have enough downtime (usually 24 hours) between major workouts, your muscles never have a chance to recover and improve.
And do not forget to maintain a good diet as well. Some athletes have seen significant increases in performance just by changing their diet, and making sure to get enough vitamins and minerals each day.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_K_Wilson
If you want to understand how to increase your vertical leap, the first step is to understand how the vertical leap works. A vertical leap begins with a standing start not a running start. It uses quads, and muscles of the p-chain (hamstrings, glutes, etc.) to provide sudden, explosive power to lift the body vertically off the floor. A vertical leap therefore requires muscles to be both strong and fast. Fast, because all the strength of the muscles has to be applied in a fraction of a second, or most of it is wasted. Learning how to increase your vertical leap, therefore, consists of both strength and speed training for the muscles involved.
A big mistake some people make is spending an enormous amount of time working on their quads, and neglecting the other muscles involved. This makes really powerful quads, but does not do anything to improve the vertical jump. That is because all the muscles need to work together at the same time in any jump and even if one muscle is much stronger then the others, it will not be able to use all its power. If a stronger muscle does use all its power, the other muscles will be injured.
Another mistake to avoid when learning how to increase your vertical leap is over work. Constant work will damage muscles rather then improving them. This is because muscle strength and speed actually increase between workouts, rather then during the training. If you do not have enough downtime (usually 24 hours) between major workouts, your muscles never have a chance to recover and improve.
And do not forget to maintain a good diet as well. Some athletes have seen significant increases in performance just by changing their diet, and making sure to get enough vitamins and minerals each day.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_K_Wilson
Proven Ways to Increase Vertical Jumping
I want to share with you some proven ways to increase vertical jumping with some very simple exercises. A lot of people look at basketball players as genetically built machines for jumping, but the fact is most of these guys have had to train very hard to achieve what they had today. They didn't wake up one day and were able to dunk the ball. They put in the work. I always tell people this to give them a reality check about the way things are. If you want to increase your jump, so you can dunk the ball, than you need to premeditate it. All great athletes have premeditated a moment. I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to need to do to increase vertical jumping.
One of my favorite exercises that I've done is walking around on the balls of my feet. It's a lot harder than you'd think when your goal is 30 minutes of it. This exercise works the exact muscles required to jump. When they get stronger, but more importantly, springy, you get so much added distance to your jump. If you're able to do this with relative ease, try doing it while walking around backwards.
Another important strategy to increase vertical jumping is raw strength. This means doing actual weight training on your calf area. There are a large variety of exercises to choose from, but the best is the standing calf press. I only have one rule for this; be explosive as you push up. Some people do it slowly, which doesn't give that realistic push of a jump.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
One of my favorite exercises that I've done is walking around on the balls of my feet. It's a lot harder than you'd think when your goal is 30 minutes of it. This exercise works the exact muscles required to jump. When they get stronger, but more importantly, springy, you get so much added distance to your jump. If you're able to do this with relative ease, try doing it while walking around backwards.
Another important strategy to increase vertical jumping is raw strength. This means doing actual weight training on your calf area. There are a large variety of exercises to choose from, but the best is the standing calf press. I only have one rule for this; be explosive as you push up. Some people do it slowly, which doesn't give that realistic push of a jump.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Goal Setting Strategies For the New Season
Each new season brings a level of freshness and excitement for coaches and players. Along with this excitement comes pressure to succeed by winning games. Coaches face big responsibilities with each new team and must handle pressure that gets out of hand. In this article I will share some ideas and thoughts for the basketball coach as they begin a new campaign.
Expectations and pressure are part of coaching. The wise coach will approach the new year by setting goals. Goals are important by giving the coach team a focus and direction to their efforts. Expectations are laced with pressures to win and exceed previous successes. It is important to avoid predictions that will paint you into a corner. Expectations are tricky to reverse once they are not bet.
I encourage coaches to spend quality time establishing goals for their season. These goals are well thought out and are based on the coach, the players, and the team as a whole. Make sure you set your own coaching goals and share them with your staff and an accountability partner like a mentor. This will help you stay on course because accountability will help you "see" things that need to be challenged that you cannot see.
Set personal and family goals also. These goals of self improvement and enhancing relationships are your most important life focus, no matter how important we think coaching is. goals.
Here are some guidelines to writing goals before the season:
1. Goals must be realistic but written to stretch you and your team a little out of your comfort zone.
2. Write your goals specifically. Instead of aiming for offensive improvement, strive to get the ball to the paint every third possession and get to the foul line a minimum of 15 times a game.
3. Make goals measurable so you can evaluate them. Measure improvement in these areas; a) overall progress by the team, and b) individual player progress, c) specific areas of the game such as defense, offense, and skills.
4. Make your goals time sensitive. By your fifth game you may want to attain a specific level of team play or team defensive results. Use increments of time to gauge all parts of your game. Measuring improvement can be determined by your record but in itself your record can be deceiving. Closely examine your efficiency in specific areas such as turnovers, shooting percentage, and opponent's transition baskets.
5. Develop a schedule to review and re-adjust your goals. You can't afford to go an entire season and look at your goals at the end. Set periodic times to check and review each of your goals to stay on task. It is OK to re-write or revise your goals as they will never be perfectly written. Some will be too lofty, some not lofty enough. The key is to realistic, yet always to reaching for more than you have done in the past!
This season take the approach of goal setting to set you and your team on the right path. The benefits will be many and your focus will be on your team and not the expectations of others. Goal setting can be the best motivator in sports if designed and utilized properly.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
Expectations and pressure are part of coaching. The wise coach will approach the new year by setting goals. Goals are important by giving the coach team a focus and direction to their efforts. Expectations are laced with pressures to win and exceed previous successes. It is important to avoid predictions that will paint you into a corner. Expectations are tricky to reverse once they are not bet.
I encourage coaches to spend quality time establishing goals for their season. These goals are well thought out and are based on the coach, the players, and the team as a whole. Make sure you set your own coaching goals and share them with your staff and an accountability partner like a mentor. This will help you stay on course because accountability will help you "see" things that need to be challenged that you cannot see.
Set personal and family goals also. These goals of self improvement and enhancing relationships are your most important life focus, no matter how important we think coaching is. goals.
Here are some guidelines to writing goals before the season:
1. Goals must be realistic but written to stretch you and your team a little out of your comfort zone.
2. Write your goals specifically. Instead of aiming for offensive improvement, strive to get the ball to the paint every third possession and get to the foul line a minimum of 15 times a game.
3. Make goals measurable so you can evaluate them. Measure improvement in these areas; a) overall progress by the team, and b) individual player progress, c) specific areas of the game such as defense, offense, and skills.
4. Make your goals time sensitive. By your fifth game you may want to attain a specific level of team play or team defensive results. Use increments of time to gauge all parts of your game. Measuring improvement can be determined by your record but in itself your record can be deceiving. Closely examine your efficiency in specific areas such as turnovers, shooting percentage, and opponent's transition baskets.
5. Develop a schedule to review and re-adjust your goals. You can't afford to go an entire season and look at your goals at the end. Set periodic times to check and review each of your goals to stay on task. It is OK to re-write or revise your goals as they will never be perfectly written. Some will be too lofty, some not lofty enough. The key is to realistic, yet always to reaching for more than you have done in the past!
This season take the approach of goal setting to set you and your team on the right path. The benefits will be many and your focus will be on your team and not the expectations of others. Goal setting can be the best motivator in sports if designed and utilized properly.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
Monday, October 13, 2008
NBA Tickets - The Positives in the Sonics' Move
With many people focusing on the bad things about the Sonics leaving Seattle, I'd like to take a look at all the good things that will be encouraging fans in Oklahoma City to purchase NBA tickets. Since the city of Seattle gets to keep the Sonics name, I'll simply refer to them as "the team."
The team is really an up and coming franchise with a bright future. As with any successful franchise, it starts with a superstar, and the team certainly has one in Kevin Durant. This kid is the real deal. At just 19 years of age, he averaged 20 points per game in his rookie season. He's unquestionably the leader of this young team and is going to be an incredible offensive player. Durant's skill set is amazing for a player of his height, 6-9. He's already got one of the best midrange games in the NBA. When he adds some more muscle to his thin frame, he'll be able to post smaller players up, as he did in college, but still have the quickness to blow by bigger defenders. He's also a pretty good three point shooter and will only improve in that department. He's long, athletic, a great character guy and the kind of player who wants the ball in his hands in the big moments. He had a few spectacular game-winning shots last season. One that comes to mind was shot from a spot closer to half court that it was to the three point line and Durant cashed it in effortless fashion. He's the type of draw that sells NBA tickets.
The Robin to Durant's Batman is Jeff Green. Green is the perfect complement to Durant. He's a smart, versatile guy who possesses point forward ability and is a good defender. He can take over games on nights when Durant struggles and looks to fit the mold as a great number two option. The team also drafted UCLA point guard Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick in the 2008 draft. Westbrook is really athletic and a great defender. The team needed someone to run the offense and Westbrook fits the bill.
Those three players are the core of the franchise at this point. They are all high character guys who are all about winning. The team has some other pieces, like Chris Wilcox, that aren't likely to be part of their long-term plans but could draw some nice value on the trade market. The team also has three young centers in Johan Petro, Robert Swift and Saer Sene. None of the three has stood out much, though Petro looks the most promising.
The team is building its future with good players with good attitudes. The sky is the limit for the franchise and people in Oklahoma City should be excited to get their hands on NBA tickets for years to come.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Dunn
The team is really an up and coming franchise with a bright future. As with any successful franchise, it starts with a superstar, and the team certainly has one in Kevin Durant. This kid is the real deal. At just 19 years of age, he averaged 20 points per game in his rookie season. He's unquestionably the leader of this young team and is going to be an incredible offensive player. Durant's skill set is amazing for a player of his height, 6-9. He's already got one of the best midrange games in the NBA. When he adds some more muscle to his thin frame, he'll be able to post smaller players up, as he did in college, but still have the quickness to blow by bigger defenders. He's also a pretty good three point shooter and will only improve in that department. He's long, athletic, a great character guy and the kind of player who wants the ball in his hands in the big moments. He had a few spectacular game-winning shots last season. One that comes to mind was shot from a spot closer to half court that it was to the three point line and Durant cashed it in effortless fashion. He's the type of draw that sells NBA tickets.
The Robin to Durant's Batman is Jeff Green. Green is the perfect complement to Durant. He's a smart, versatile guy who possesses point forward ability and is a good defender. He can take over games on nights when Durant struggles and looks to fit the mold as a great number two option. The team also drafted UCLA point guard Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick in the 2008 draft. Westbrook is really athletic and a great defender. The team needed someone to run the offense and Westbrook fits the bill.
Those three players are the core of the franchise at this point. They are all high character guys who are all about winning. The team has some other pieces, like Chris Wilcox, that aren't likely to be part of their long-term plans but could draw some nice value on the trade market. The team also has three young centers in Johan Petro, Robert Swift and Saer Sene. None of the three has stood out much, though Petro looks the most promising.
The team is building its future with good players with good attitudes. The sky is the limit for the franchise and people in Oklahoma City should be excited to get their hands on NBA tickets for years to come.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Dunn
Proven Methods to Jump Higher to Dunk
I'm going to show you some proven methods to jump higher to dunk. Do you think that basketball players just one day woke up and they could dunk the ball? For some, they had that natural ability, but for most of these athletes they had to train hard everyday for along time to just achieve that. If you're looking to make a team, or just to impress your friends, dunking the ball is an amazing thing to accomplish. I'm going to show you some exercises that you can try that can help add on six to eight inches in just a few months. For a lot this is enough to jump higher to dunk.
My first exercise for you to do is the standing calf press. It's really just a great way to strengthen those main muscles in jumping. You'll want to do this at a heavy weight, but you'll also want to push off explosively. A lot of people do this slowly, but I think doing the push up should be explosive, while coming back down should be slow. I think that gives a good balance to the process.
My next exercise to jump higher to dunk is to just walk around on the tips of your toes for around 30 minutes. It sounds easy, but it's incredibly difficult. This is going to keep those jumping muscles much more springy. The speed in which you engage the jumping muscles will determine how high you go. That's why just building up the muscle strength isn't enough, you have to make it very quick.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
My first exercise for you to do is the standing calf press. It's really just a great way to strengthen those main muscles in jumping. You'll want to do this at a heavy weight, but you'll also want to push off explosively. A lot of people do this slowly, but I think doing the push up should be explosive, while coming back down should be slow. I think that gives a good balance to the process.
My next exercise to jump higher to dunk is to just walk around on the tips of your toes for around 30 minutes. It sounds easy, but it's incredibly difficult. This is going to keep those jumping muscles much more springy. The speed in which you engage the jumping muscles will determine how high you go. That's why just building up the muscle strength isn't enough, you have to make it very quick.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
How to Train For Basketball and Receive Big-Time Results
Basketball players need immediate results in order to compete at a high level. Since the players in today's game are so athletic, physical training becomes the grand separator. In designing an effective training program, a player needs to understand two major focal points;
* Individual skill practice must take place on a daily basis
* Conditioning/Training does not replace individual skill practice
Once the above two factors are understood, immediate progress has been made. If you are a smart player, you will make your skill work, conditioning because of how hard you work. But, as stated previously, it does not replace conditioning. Think of it as a double benefit. The daily skill work requirement of a big-time player is ball handling, passing, defending, rebounding, and movement training. The fundamental skills of basketball must be mastered and are considered imperative for a players success.
* Ball Handling
A player needs to master handling a basketball in a stationary style first. This is a prerequisite to moving with a basketball. Anyone who does not have absolute mastery over a basketball needs to focus on the Maravich Drills for their stationary movement. Most of my athletes start their individual workouts with five minutes of this nonstop at a very high intensity level.
Once mastery is attained, basic movements are used for traveling ball handling. Moves that are used in the game are emphasized. These game-time moves include change of direction, hesitation, in and out, crossover, in and out into crossover and pull back into crossover. These moves are critical for big-time results and are used in the game.
* Passing
If you have a wall to pass to, you have all you need. Make a mark on a brick wall and hit it one hundred times with your bounce, chest, overhead, one hand underhand, one hand overhand, and lob passes. Concentrate on starting every pass in the triple threat, strong with the ball position. Keep the basketball to yourself and do not give it away.
Once you have mastered the stationary passing, you can progress to moving. You can use that same wall, just take a strong dribble to the left or right and then go through the same series of passes. Once you master once dribble, proceed to two dribbles.
* Rebounding
Rebounding is timing, the ability to read the ball off the rim, and positioning. Like all the other skills, proper repetition will give way to serious results. When you perform your shooting drills, follow all of your shot, and finish them. Take the ball strong to the rim with authority. Shooting drills are the keys to rebounding and this is due to your repetitions of reading the ball off the rim.
* Defense and Movement Training
Since my retirement from professional basketball, I have realized there is a serious void in this area. There are tremendous individual skill coaches out there who do a great job but there is a lack of movement training coaches. To give you another example, why would a player who has not mastered his own bodily movement try to add weight to it? A body is only as efficient as his levers allow him to be. Remember, it is not always the skills or a weightlifting program as much as it is the players ability to move randomly.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
* Individual skill practice must take place on a daily basis
* Conditioning/Training does not replace individual skill practice
Once the above two factors are understood, immediate progress has been made. If you are a smart player, you will make your skill work, conditioning because of how hard you work. But, as stated previously, it does not replace conditioning. Think of it as a double benefit. The daily skill work requirement of a big-time player is ball handling, passing, defending, rebounding, and movement training. The fundamental skills of basketball must be mastered and are considered imperative for a players success.
* Ball Handling
A player needs to master handling a basketball in a stationary style first. This is a prerequisite to moving with a basketball. Anyone who does not have absolute mastery over a basketball needs to focus on the Maravich Drills for their stationary movement. Most of my athletes start their individual workouts with five minutes of this nonstop at a very high intensity level.
Once mastery is attained, basic movements are used for traveling ball handling. Moves that are used in the game are emphasized. These game-time moves include change of direction, hesitation, in and out, crossover, in and out into crossover and pull back into crossover. These moves are critical for big-time results and are used in the game.
* Passing
If you have a wall to pass to, you have all you need. Make a mark on a brick wall and hit it one hundred times with your bounce, chest, overhead, one hand underhand, one hand overhand, and lob passes. Concentrate on starting every pass in the triple threat, strong with the ball position. Keep the basketball to yourself and do not give it away.
Once you have mastered the stationary passing, you can progress to moving. You can use that same wall, just take a strong dribble to the left or right and then go through the same series of passes. Once you master once dribble, proceed to two dribbles.
* Rebounding
Rebounding is timing, the ability to read the ball off the rim, and positioning. Like all the other skills, proper repetition will give way to serious results. When you perform your shooting drills, follow all of your shot, and finish them. Take the ball strong to the rim with authority. Shooting drills are the keys to rebounding and this is due to your repetitions of reading the ball off the rim.
* Defense and Movement Training
Since my retirement from professional basketball, I have realized there is a serious void in this area. There are tremendous individual skill coaches out there who do a great job but there is a lack of movement training coaches. To give you another example, why would a player who has not mastered his own bodily movement try to add weight to it? A body is only as efficient as his levers allow him to be. Remember, it is not always the skills or a weightlifting program as much as it is the players ability to move randomly.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
Basketball Training For Court Dominating Strength
Basketball training needs to be carefully designed based the movement patterns that exist within the game. This understanding allows players to train using dynamic movements that promote function. For example; an exercise that includes a movement application is favored over one that is stationary. In addition, movement training primarily increases a human beings capacity for functional strength and conditioning.
* Are individual basketball skills important in training?
Yes and all individual skills must be mastered or in the progress of mastery for completion as a player. Individual basketball skills include but are not limited to shooting, passing, cutting, rebounding, defending, awareness, and helping.
Daily practice requirement for the pursuit of skill mastery is to the point of execution failure. For example; chest pass to a partner as explosive as you can. Have the partner throw the ball back quickly and then repeat the rapid chest pass. Once you are no longer accurate to your partner, the passing fundamental is over.
It is very important to develop correct habits so that the motor patterns can be remembered properly when you need them the most. At the end of a game when you are exhausted, you will not have to worry about a pass getting to a teammate. You know it will since you practiced diligently in your training.
* Should basketball players concentrate on flexibility before training?
Attaining an optimal level of flexibility is a precursor to lifting with weighted resistance of any kind. This is because dynamic movements greatly reduce the possibilities of injuries and safely increase maximum strength. A fine example of a dynamic stretch is jogging. Within a few minutes of jogging, the soft tissues (muscles) within the body become fuller due to their usage. This is that general feeling of being warm or what most coaches call a warm up. At this point, it is time to divulge into sensible physical training.
Movement stretches or dynamic stretches allow an athlete to develop flexibility without attempting to force flexibility. Improper stretching techniques can lead to sports injury and adequate health is the ticket to achieving true athletic potential and more importantly, reaching it.
* Do basketball players need to lift weights?
No they do not. Basketball players are advanced movers and need to condition themselves as such. The human body is comprised of a unique blend of levers (bones/joints) that have differential properties containing mechanical advantage and disadvantage. The primary goal of a player is to increase his entire bodily leverage to ensure performance during a rapid, high pressure, reactive based environment such as the basketball court. All players have natural weakness and those need to be assessed, and tended to through adequate training. In time and with patience, a player improves. Prior to lifting with weighted resistance a player must master his own bodily movement.
* What should basketball players focus on to get results?
First, layers need to focus on developing their peripheral vision to the highest possible level. This ability greatly enhances awareness and leads to prowess. In the early days of basketball, coaches would put their players in a circle and have them pass balls to each other without looking. Each player would look straight ahead yet still see the ball quickly approaching them with there peripheral vision. This is the type of basketball training that represents similar anxiety to that of an actual game.
In addition to visionary development each basketball player needs to improve wrist and ankle strength. Both joints hold an overwhelming responsibility to our movement and manipulative capability. Properly training the wrists and ankles reduces the possibilities of strains, sprains, and pain all together.
Wrist training benefits include but are not limited to longer shooting range, explosive passing, ball control, shock absorption, etc. Ankle training benefits increase speed, movement, acceleration, vertical leaping, bounding, running, stopping, changing direction, shock absorption, etc.
Thirdly, a basketball player needs to concentrate on developing a perfect core balance. Sometimes trainees have abdominal muscles that are much stronger than their back muscles. This is due to basic overwork and neglect and it creates muscular imbalance which may lead to future injury.
Additionally postural strength is paramount and serves as a primary injury preventive attribute. Improved core strength allows a player to move his body quicker, faster, and stronger in unpredictable environments where any movement may occur. This type of conditioning is developed through unique dynamic functional tasks that require concentration and mental toughness.
* What is basketball strength?
Basketball Strength is the power to score, dominate, and defend anyone at anytime on the basketball court. It is a no fear demonstration of skill mastery and ability. Consider this a honed skill set that can not and will not be denied.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
* Are individual basketball skills important in training?
Yes and all individual skills must be mastered or in the progress of mastery for completion as a player. Individual basketball skills include but are not limited to shooting, passing, cutting, rebounding, defending, awareness, and helping.
Daily practice requirement for the pursuit of skill mastery is to the point of execution failure. For example; chest pass to a partner as explosive as you can. Have the partner throw the ball back quickly and then repeat the rapid chest pass. Once you are no longer accurate to your partner, the passing fundamental is over.
It is very important to develop correct habits so that the motor patterns can be remembered properly when you need them the most. At the end of a game when you are exhausted, you will not have to worry about a pass getting to a teammate. You know it will since you practiced diligently in your training.
* Should basketball players concentrate on flexibility before training?
Attaining an optimal level of flexibility is a precursor to lifting with weighted resistance of any kind. This is because dynamic movements greatly reduce the possibilities of injuries and safely increase maximum strength. A fine example of a dynamic stretch is jogging. Within a few minutes of jogging, the soft tissues (muscles) within the body become fuller due to their usage. This is that general feeling of being warm or what most coaches call a warm up. At this point, it is time to divulge into sensible physical training.
Movement stretches or dynamic stretches allow an athlete to develop flexibility without attempting to force flexibility. Improper stretching techniques can lead to sports injury and adequate health is the ticket to achieving true athletic potential and more importantly, reaching it.
* Do basketball players need to lift weights?
No they do not. Basketball players are advanced movers and need to condition themselves as such. The human body is comprised of a unique blend of levers (bones/joints) that have differential properties containing mechanical advantage and disadvantage. The primary goal of a player is to increase his entire bodily leverage to ensure performance during a rapid, high pressure, reactive based environment such as the basketball court. All players have natural weakness and those need to be assessed, and tended to through adequate training. In time and with patience, a player improves. Prior to lifting with weighted resistance a player must master his own bodily movement.
* What should basketball players focus on to get results?
First, layers need to focus on developing their peripheral vision to the highest possible level. This ability greatly enhances awareness and leads to prowess. In the early days of basketball, coaches would put their players in a circle and have them pass balls to each other without looking. Each player would look straight ahead yet still see the ball quickly approaching them with there peripheral vision. This is the type of basketball training that represents similar anxiety to that of an actual game.
In addition to visionary development each basketball player needs to improve wrist and ankle strength. Both joints hold an overwhelming responsibility to our movement and manipulative capability. Properly training the wrists and ankles reduces the possibilities of strains, sprains, and pain all together.
Wrist training benefits include but are not limited to longer shooting range, explosive passing, ball control, shock absorption, etc. Ankle training benefits increase speed, movement, acceleration, vertical leaping, bounding, running, stopping, changing direction, shock absorption, etc.
Thirdly, a basketball player needs to concentrate on developing a perfect core balance. Sometimes trainees have abdominal muscles that are much stronger than their back muscles. This is due to basic overwork and neglect and it creates muscular imbalance which may lead to future injury.
Additionally postural strength is paramount and serves as a primary injury preventive attribute. Improved core strength allows a player to move his body quicker, faster, and stronger in unpredictable environments where any movement may occur. This type of conditioning is developed through unique dynamic functional tasks that require concentration and mental toughness.
* What is basketball strength?
Basketball Strength is the power to score, dominate, and defend anyone at anytime on the basketball court. It is a no fear demonstration of skill mastery and ability. Consider this a honed skill set that can not and will not be denied.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
Improve Your Vertical Jump in Basketball
I'm here to show you how you can improve your vertical jump in basketball greatly by following a few simple exercises that professional athletes haves been using for years. I used to think that all those great basketball players just had these amazing genetics to jump higher. The truth is that they don't. Many have the advantage of just being tall, but most of them had to work daily doing exercises just to add a few inches to their jump. When it comes to this sport and there is money on the line, the best training the methods end up with the athletes and the average Joe misses out. I'm going to expose how the athletes out there train to increase their vertical jump.
The first exercise to help improve your vertical jump in basketball is the squat. It's just an important part of strengthening those muscles required to push you off the ground. Most people think that the squat works the upper area of the legs, which won't help you in your jump, but it does work your entire leg and strengths all the right muscles.
The problem many people have is that they just do strength training and that isn't the only thing. Having strong muscles isn't the only part of jumping higher. It's similar to the idea of someone putting up 50lbs of muscle to run faster. You also need that springy elastic and explosive push off. If you can't achieve that you're not going to get the best of your strength. This is why I suggest that you should walk around on the tips of your toes for 30 minutes a few times a week. It sounds a lot easier than it really is. Try it and you should get some good results.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
The first exercise to help improve your vertical jump in basketball is the squat. It's just an important part of strengthening those muscles required to push you off the ground. Most people think that the squat works the upper area of the legs, which won't help you in your jump, but it does work your entire leg and strengths all the right muscles.
The problem many people have is that they just do strength training and that isn't the only thing. Having strong muscles isn't the only part of jumping higher. It's similar to the idea of someone putting up 50lbs of muscle to run faster. You also need that springy elastic and explosive push off. If you can't achieve that you're not going to get the best of your strength. This is why I suggest that you should walk around on the tips of your toes for 30 minutes a few times a week. It sounds a lot easier than it really is. Try it and you should get some good results.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Real Thing About Fundraising
Fundraising is both challenging as it is rewarding. Raising the needed fund for a worthy cause is indeed spiritually and emotionally satisfying. Every school organization may want to extend a helping hand to those folks who are in dire need. The prospect beneficiary could either be a charitable institution, an orphanage, a community project, and the likes. However, no matter how pure the intention is, school funds can be exceptionally tight. Even the school itself needs aid from people who have a kind heart to give out donations.
When your school organization aims to help out through whatever possible means regardless of who or which is the beneficiary, fundraising is just the most precise thing to do. Is it not much fulfilling on your part to put out the best possible effort you can in order to earn money for a specific cause or if you’re earning money to help others? Of course it is!
Confused of which fundraising strategy to go for? There are a lot of fundraising ideas to opt for which may either be simple or a bit complicated. As a matter of fact, it is usually the simplest plan which works best.
What can fundraising do for you?
Due to the fact that fundraising stirs the best out from you, the feeling of being able to help the needy is particularly spiritually and emotionally gratifying. Fundraising campaigns are as well beneficial for your organization as it heightens the return of good and positive feedbacks that your group may get.
Apart from all other glorifying aspects which fundraising generate, one’s creativity, organizational skills, communication dexterities, and firmness as likewise enhanced. During fundraising ventures, you and your group mates get the chance to interact with people from all walks of life and be able experience for yourselves the real score outside of the world which you are traditionally confined in.
Fundraising Ideas
There are a number of fundraising ideas that your school organization can choose from. The most common fundraising ideas are selling sandwiches, candy and chocolate bars, shakes, beverages, meal coupons, concert tickets, basketball game tickets, discount coupons, personalized shirts, mugs, pens, and other collectible items, and so on. Cooking and then selling the output from the recipes you have collected can also be effective. You can try selling them to the school’s population or to the outside community. Your organization can even team up with the school’s sports games and earn profit from the ticket sales. Or, your organization may stage a concert for a cause. Garage sale and car washing is also among the trendiest fundraising activities these days.
Things to Consider in Fundraising
After finally deciding on which fundraising idea to go for, there are two major things which must be borne in mind. The first thing is to carefully think about the percentage of profit that you will make out of the fundraising activity. When your organization had opted to team up with another organization or some company, the agreement must be put into writing.
Next, it is significant to make sure that the products you put up for sale for the fundraising campaign are worth it. Once the people know for a fact the real cause for the fundraising activity, they tend to be exceptionally generous.
Any fundraising activity needs careful planning. For the campaign to be highly successful, it is important that all members of your organization should concert enough effort for the realization of the specified goals.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
When your school organization aims to help out through whatever possible means regardless of who or which is the beneficiary, fundraising is just the most precise thing to do. Is it not much fulfilling on your part to put out the best possible effort you can in order to earn money for a specific cause or if you’re earning money to help others? Of course it is!
Confused of which fundraising strategy to go for? There are a lot of fundraising ideas to opt for which may either be simple or a bit complicated. As a matter of fact, it is usually the simplest plan which works best.
What can fundraising do for you?
Due to the fact that fundraising stirs the best out from you, the feeling of being able to help the needy is particularly spiritually and emotionally gratifying. Fundraising campaigns are as well beneficial for your organization as it heightens the return of good and positive feedbacks that your group may get.
Apart from all other glorifying aspects which fundraising generate, one’s creativity, organizational skills, communication dexterities, and firmness as likewise enhanced. During fundraising ventures, you and your group mates get the chance to interact with people from all walks of life and be able experience for yourselves the real score outside of the world which you are traditionally confined in.
Fundraising Ideas
There are a number of fundraising ideas that your school organization can choose from. The most common fundraising ideas are selling sandwiches, candy and chocolate bars, shakes, beverages, meal coupons, concert tickets, basketball game tickets, discount coupons, personalized shirts, mugs, pens, and other collectible items, and so on. Cooking and then selling the output from the recipes you have collected can also be effective. You can try selling them to the school’s population or to the outside community. Your organization can even team up with the school’s sports games and earn profit from the ticket sales. Or, your organization may stage a concert for a cause. Garage sale and car washing is also among the trendiest fundraising activities these days.
Things to Consider in Fundraising
After finally deciding on which fundraising idea to go for, there are two major things which must be borne in mind. The first thing is to carefully think about the percentage of profit that you will make out of the fundraising activity. When your organization had opted to team up with another organization or some company, the agreement must be put into writing.
Next, it is significant to make sure that the products you put up for sale for the fundraising campaign are worth it. Once the people know for a fact the real cause for the fundraising activity, they tend to be exceptionally generous.
Any fundraising activity needs careful planning. For the campaign to be highly successful, it is important that all members of your organization should concert enough effort for the realization of the specified goals.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Breached Security
Once again our leaders in the Bush administration have shown how little we are protected. If they can’t even protect the private passport records of our presidential candidates how can we expect them to stop the bomb in the shopping mall, the suitcase nuke coming across the southern board or the millions of containers that arrive at our ports everyday – unexamined.
We are quickly becoming a society of people all of whom are at some level of “post traumatic stress syndrome’. Point in fact – when the tornado hit the Golden Dome in Atlanta during the basketball game last week, most people reported that their first thought was “it was a terrorist attack.” How many of you have thought the same thing when something happens in your hometowns. I have and if you are honest – you have also. We jump at noises that use to not bother us; we tense up if a helicopter flies over too low. Some of us sleep with the light on now or CNN on all night.
It has been that way for five years because our leaders have led with fear. They have continued to play the “fear card” every time they need something from Congress and they play it again whenever they need the public to contact their Congressional Representative.
I don’t like this feeling – this feeling of having our guard up all the time. The administration is even running public service announcements about having a family plan, where to meet our family members if there is a terrorist attack and everyone in your family is separated.
Every time there is a breaking news bulletin – is this it? They have started testing the emergency broadcast network on a weekly basis now – instead of monthly – and it is always on different day and time so it catches us off guard. Do they know something that we don’t know, or do they just want us to believe they do?
How long can our leaders keep us in a state of fear? What damage is this fear having on our bodies? Fear is a powerful emotion – people do brutal acts because of fear. Revolutions are started in the name of fear.
And do you realize how many of our Constitutional rights have been taken away. Let’s take a look at this. Let say your best friend lives in France. The two of you email back and forth talking about “terrorists”. This word triggers your email into a government program and puts you on a list of people to watch. If you are suspected, the government can bust into your home and search it without a warrant. You can be arrested with no charges and can be kept in jail for weeks or more. If they believe you have information, they ship you to a “friendly country” and beat you half to death to extract information out of you. After a day or two of this – you tell them anything, and if you have no real information – you make up a story just so the torture will stop. Did you realize this? No, probably not because we are afraid. Fear is very powerful and it can keep people in line. This is exactly what the Nazi party did in its rise to power before WW II.
What can we do about this? Probably nothing. The Democrats are fighting over the nomination and the Republican candidate is just Bush III.
Our government should be reassuring us, making us unafraid. A fearful populist can revolt when they are not happy with the present leaders. A fearful populist will follow false prophets who speak will and who can convince them to follow him – people who really are unable to lead.
This is the most important thing to do about this – when you go to vote in November, don’t vote for a person out of fear. Vote for them out of hope and change and pray that the person you voted for can deliver on the hope and the change.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
We are quickly becoming a society of people all of whom are at some level of “post traumatic stress syndrome’. Point in fact – when the tornado hit the Golden Dome in Atlanta during the basketball game last week, most people reported that their first thought was “it was a terrorist attack.” How many of you have thought the same thing when something happens in your hometowns. I have and if you are honest – you have also. We jump at noises that use to not bother us; we tense up if a helicopter flies over too low. Some of us sleep with the light on now or CNN on all night.
It has been that way for five years because our leaders have led with fear. They have continued to play the “fear card” every time they need something from Congress and they play it again whenever they need the public to contact their Congressional Representative.
I don’t like this feeling – this feeling of having our guard up all the time. The administration is even running public service announcements about having a family plan, where to meet our family members if there is a terrorist attack and everyone in your family is separated.
Every time there is a breaking news bulletin – is this it? They have started testing the emergency broadcast network on a weekly basis now – instead of monthly – and it is always on different day and time so it catches us off guard. Do they know something that we don’t know, or do they just want us to believe they do?
How long can our leaders keep us in a state of fear? What damage is this fear having on our bodies? Fear is a powerful emotion – people do brutal acts because of fear. Revolutions are started in the name of fear.
And do you realize how many of our Constitutional rights have been taken away. Let’s take a look at this. Let say your best friend lives in France. The two of you email back and forth talking about “terrorists”. This word triggers your email into a government program and puts you on a list of people to watch. If you are suspected, the government can bust into your home and search it without a warrant. You can be arrested with no charges and can be kept in jail for weeks or more. If they believe you have information, they ship you to a “friendly country” and beat you half to death to extract information out of you. After a day or two of this – you tell them anything, and if you have no real information – you make up a story just so the torture will stop. Did you realize this? No, probably not because we are afraid. Fear is very powerful and it can keep people in line. This is exactly what the Nazi party did in its rise to power before WW II.
What can we do about this? Probably nothing. The Democrats are fighting over the nomination and the Republican candidate is just Bush III.
Our government should be reassuring us, making us unafraid. A fearful populist can revolt when they are not happy with the present leaders. A fearful populist will follow false prophets who speak will and who can convince them to follow him – people who really are unable to lead.
This is the most important thing to do about this – when you go to vote in November, don’t vote for a person out of fear. Vote for them out of hope and change and pray that the person you voted for can deliver on the hope and the change.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Ways To Score In A Basketball Game
There are different ways to score in a basketball game. Let us learn each of them:
Jump shot - is the most common shot made at the perimeter (or the place on the court that is relatively far from the basket), also known as set shot. This is done by getting the right height before throwing the ball to the basket. It is also essential to follow through with the ball. This is done by maintaining your form while the ball is still on its way to the basket. The following through is said to increase the chance of scoring. A jump shot is often worth 2 points.
Three-point shot - is a perimeter shot taken beyond the arc (both feet of the player must not step on the three-point line). The player should possess leg and knee power to generate enough height to release the ball 20 feet away from the basket. A three-point shot often gives the team a boost and adds excitement to the game.
Free throw - A free throw is given after the opponent has committed a personal foul or a technical foul. This is an unguarded shot taken in the free-throw lane and is worth 1 point.
Dunk - is one of the most exciting shots that can be made by a player. This is done by jumping high enough to get your hands on the rim while still holding the ball. Once you reach the right height, slam the ball and grab the rim. It adds more to the excitement.
Alley oop - is a pass and shoot sequence that involves great coordination between the passer and the receiver of the ball. The ball is thrown to a player in mid air who will also shoot the ball before he touches the ground.
Lay up - is the most common shot made inside the paint. This is also the easiest shot to make. You drive to the basket, take off to get the right elevation, and lay the ball directly to the rim or off the board with one hand. The non-shooting hand is used to protect the ball from the defender.
Hook shoot - is made popular by Kareem Abdul-Jabar. This shot is done by turning your body on the side while the head is still facing the basket. You will jump off with the non-shooting leg and toss to ball with one hand similar to laying up.
Scoring in a basketball game is important to win a game but don't forget to play defense so that you prevent your opponent from scoring more than you do.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Jump shot - is the most common shot made at the perimeter (or the place on the court that is relatively far from the basket), also known as set shot. This is done by getting the right height before throwing the ball to the basket. It is also essential to follow through with the ball. This is done by maintaining your form while the ball is still on its way to the basket. The following through is said to increase the chance of scoring. A jump shot is often worth 2 points.
Three-point shot - is a perimeter shot taken beyond the arc (both feet of the player must not step on the three-point line). The player should possess leg and knee power to generate enough height to release the ball 20 feet away from the basket. A three-point shot often gives the team a boost and adds excitement to the game.
Free throw - A free throw is given after the opponent has committed a personal foul or a technical foul. This is an unguarded shot taken in the free-throw lane and is worth 1 point.
Dunk - is one of the most exciting shots that can be made by a player. This is done by jumping high enough to get your hands on the rim while still holding the ball. Once you reach the right height, slam the ball and grab the rim. It adds more to the excitement.
Alley oop - is a pass and shoot sequence that involves great coordination between the passer and the receiver of the ball. The ball is thrown to a player in mid air who will also shoot the ball before he touches the ground.
Lay up - is the most common shot made inside the paint. This is also the easiest shot to make. You drive to the basket, take off to get the right elevation, and lay the ball directly to the rim or off the board with one hand. The non-shooting hand is used to protect the ball from the defender.
Hook shoot - is made popular by Kareem Abdul-Jabar. This shot is done by turning your body on the side while the head is still facing the basket. You will jump off with the non-shooting leg and toss to ball with one hand similar to laying up.
Scoring in a basketball game is important to win a game but don't forget to play defense so that you prevent your opponent from scoring more than you do.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)