Preparation is the key to being a great basketball player and having a great basketball team. You have the opportunity to prepare every day. What does it mean to you to be prepared? How can a basketball trainer help you prepare to meet your basketball goals?
Basketball Trainer Recommends Preparation In The Classroom
I have heard hundreds of people talk about the importance of working hard both on and off the basketball court. I have even used that saying from time to time as I have worked with young players over the years. If you want to be anything more then a playground legend, you need to work on your game off the basketball court as well as on. Preparation starts at school and you need to take your studies as seriously as you take your skills. The basic skills taught from elementary school through college prepare you for not only life during and after basketball, but the actual game of basketball itself. Ask your basketball trainer to help you prepare properly for your basketball goals.
Working in the classroom and exercising your mind is a key component to being the best basketball player you can be. The best players at every level are the smartest players and have the best feel for the game. They understand every aspect of the game from years of preparation both on and off the court. You can not always be the most talented player on the court, but you can always be the most prepared player on the court.
Examples of Basketball Preparation Off The Court
Some of the things needed to succeed on the court come directly from your studies and preparation off the court. They include:
- Being able to read, memorize and understand the entire playbook. The playbook only gets bigger and more complex the higher the level of competition you play.
- Communicating with other players and your coach throughout the game on both offense and defense. This requires you to know the proper language used by players and coaches to get your team ready at all times for anything the other team may throw at you.
- Studying the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents and your team and yourself. Including both video/film study of practices and games, and preparing and understanding the game plan for each opponent.
- Quickly making decisions on the move and in transition. You could easily make an argument that the game of basketball is the fastest moving sport played with the best athletes on the planet.
- Understanding words such as angle, arc, trajectory, rotation, speed, footwork, length, height, blocks, steals, and screening as these are just a few of the basic terms used everyday in the sport. Some of the more advanced concepts include the triangle offense, matchup zones, pressure man to man, full court press, motion offense, secondary break, sidelines out of bounds, points per possession, and double team rotations. The list of terms and concepts could go on and on.
Everyone that plays the game of basketball wants to succeed on the court. A winning desire burns in the heart of every player or we wouldn’t play the game, but the desire to prepare just as hard off the court as on the court burns in the heart of every champion. You have the opportunity to prepare each and every day, and preparation means working hard both on and off the court. Be the greatest player you can be and don’t ever miss an opportunity to be prepared!
By Basketball Trainer Contributor Mike Vandegarde
