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Basketball Cutting Drills: Master These To Score More

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Basketball Cutting Drills

Cutting is a basketball skill that is absolutely critical to individual and team success. The best players are good with and without the basketball. The best passing teams are made up of players who are tremendous cutters.

In this article, we have gathered the 10 most effective basketball cutting drills. These are pro cutting tips and drills for basketball trainers and coaches to use with their players. Players can do many of these drills by themselves or with a teammate or a parent to help.

We will cover:

Why is cutting important in basketball?

Since there are 5 players on a basketball team, each player will have the ball about 1/5 of the time when they are on offense. That means it is important for players to know how to play during the 80% of the time that they don’t have the ball. Cuttting helps a team in the following ways:

A good cut can get create separation from . You can’t be a good passing team if no one is open to pass to.

The movement that cutters create helps your team maintain spacing (distancing offensive players 15 to 18 feet away from each other). Cutting is how players move away from each other to open up a driving or passing lane for a teammate.

how to cut without the basketball

When you are cutting, the player who is guarding you has to focus on staying with you and is less focused to help or trap on the player who has the basketball. If you cut well enough to force a seconder defender to help on you, that creates an opportunity for the player the helping defender is guarding to become open.

No matter what position you play, you will need to be an excellent cutter. It is not only wing players that need to be good cutters. Every player needs to be a good cutter. For example, even if you are a point guard, you need to be a good cutter to get the basketball back once you start the offense. Post players need to have great cutting footwork to establish post position to receive the ball.

What makes a good cut in basketball?

Cutting is not the same as moving. A good cut ends with you “getting open” and away from the defender who is guarding you with room enough to receive a pass. You won’t receive a pass every time you cut and get open. Even when you don’t get the ball when you cut, you are occupying your defender so that they can’t be a help defender and clog driving and passing lanes for your teammates.

moving without the basketball A good basketball cut has the following characteristics:

  1. Every great cut starts with an explosive movement.
  2. Changing pace either from a stationary position to full speed or from a jogging or walking pace to “full go'”
  3. Changing pace and changing direction getting away from the defensive player
  4. Always see the basketball when you cut. If your teammate sees that you are open, they are going to pass the ball, so be ready. Nothing is worse than a player who is wide open, but is looking the opposite direction away from the basketball

Here are ten basketball training drills that are a great way to improve your cutting.

Cutting Drills for basketball players and parents

If you want to practice your cutting by yourself, or with a parent, here are some of the most common (but still effective) basketball cuts. The best way to execute these cutting drills is to practice the different types of cuts, one at a time, then use our Curry Drill (described below) to put them all together and practice cutting in a way that is more like a game.

These are not all of the cuts in basketball, but are some that are commonly used. If you are playing for a coach, that coach will have an offensive system that more than likely will require you to learn other types of cuts. We

1 on 1 cuts

Our first series of drills practice the types of cuts to use when you are not receiving a screen from a teammate.

basketball cutting drills basket cut

Basket Cut Diagram

Basket cuts (sometimes referred to as a face cut or front cut). This is the most common cut in basketball. It is also the foundation for one of the most common and effective plays in basketball–the give and go. To run a give and go, pass the ball to teammate and then make an immediate cut to the basket looking for a return pass.

Here is how to execute this cut (see Basket Cut Diagram): Player 1 has the basketball on the left wing (free throw line extended). If you are doing this drill by yourself, set the basketball in the spot where player 1 is on the diagram.

Player 2 will execute a basket cut by taking one slow step in the direction away from the ball and then exploding in front of the defense (x2) and cutting to the basket. As you cut to the basket have your eyes on the ball and your hands ready to catch a pass with both hands and both eyes. If you do have a passer, they will pass you the ball to catch and score without having to dribble.

Repeat this cut 10 times on the left side of the basket and 10 times on the right side of the basket. Make sure to apply our principles for a great cut listed earlier. In case you forgot them, here is a review. If you really want to be a great cutter, you must learn and apply them to all of your cuts.

  1. Starts with an explosive movement.
  2. Change pace and change direction when you cut.
  3. The goal for your cut is to get away from the defense.
  4. Look at the ball when you cut

When you make a basket cut, you want to cut in front of your defender to block them from stealing a pass thrown to you.

Backdoor cut: (aka back cut)

You will use this cut when the player guarding you is overplaying you and playing denial defense so that you can’t catch a pass. They will either have their arm or their entire body in the passing lane between you and your teammate who has the ball.

To execute a backdoor cut, take one step toward the player with the basketball to get the defense moving away from the direction that you want to cut. Then make a quick and explosive step toward the basket. A bounce pass is often the best pass to throw to a backdoor cutter, so make sure that you are looking for a bounce pass.

The backdoor cut has to be timed correctly to work. When you cut, the player with the ball will throw the pass in front of you so that you can catch it in stride and shoot a layup. If you fake like you are going to cut backdoor and then stop, you will not only fake out the defense, but you will also fake out the passer which will result in a turnover. If you start to cut back door, keep going. If your aren’t open, your teammate can see that and won’t throw the pass.

Most backdoor cuts come from the deep corner, or the wing (that is the free throw line extended), or from the top of the key area. That is where you will practice cutting from.

Here are 4 backdoor cuts to practice at a game pace.

If you do have a teammate or parent who can pass to you, that is even better because you can practice catching and scoring. If you don’t have someone to pass to you, you can still practice the cut.

As in the previous diagram, the dashed line is the basketball being passed if you are practicing with a passer.

basketball cutting drills backdoor cut

Backdoor Cut from Slot Diagram

Backdoor Cut from Slot

  1. Put a basketball at the right slot.  That is the spot on the court just past the three point arc and even with the free throw lane. In the Backdoor cut from slot diagram, player #1 is holding the basketball at the right slot (indicated by the circle around player 1).Start at the right wing (noted by the location of player 2 in the diagram.  Step toward the ball.  That will force your defender to move toward the basketball as well.  Then, plant and push off that foot and sprint to the basket–all the time looking at the basketball. Repeat 10 times.Each time use your imagination to see yourself catching the backdoor pass and laying the ball in the basket.
  2. Move the basketball to the left slot (3 on Backdoor Cut from Slot Diagram)  and make 10 backdoor cuts from the left wing (4 on Backdoor Cut from Slot Diagram). Always look for the ball when you cut.
    Basketball Cutting Drills from the Deep Corner

    Backdoor Cut from Deep Corner

     

    Backdoor Cut from Deep Corner

     

  3. Put the basketball on the right wing (player #1 in the Backdoor Cut from the Deep Corner Diagram) and make 10 backdoor cuts from the right deep corner.  Again, step to the basketball first to drive your defender away from the direction that you will be cutting.
  4. Move the ball to the left wing (spot #3 Backdoor Cut from the Deep Corner Digram) and make 10 back cuts from the left deep corner (Spot #4 on the same diagram).

Fill Cut

Basketball cutting drills fill cut

Fill Cut Diagram

The purpose of a fill cut is to get open at the top of the key, or in the left or righ slot to reverse the side of the basketball court that the ball is on. That means pass the ball from one side of the floor to the top, and then from the top to the opposite side.

To make a fill cut, (see fill cut diagram) #4 will walk her defender into the lane at a walking pace and then explode until she get the slot.
If #4 doesn’t fill cut, then #5 can fill the slot by making a straight cut up to the slot.

To practice fill cuts, make 10 fill cuts from one side of the floor and then 10 on the other side of the floor. Each time you finish your cut in the slot, pretend that you are catching an imaginary pass from one side of the floor, look at the basket to look for an imaginary cutting or open teammate, and then make an imaginary pass to the opposite side of the floor.

 

Now we will focus on some cuts you make will need to be able to make when a teammate sets a screen for you.

Teaching point:  If you are using a teammate’s screen, you need to be close enough to them that you can rub your shoulder against their shoulder. That makes it very difficult for the player guarding you to get through the screen.

Here are 4 types of cuts that you can make when a teammate sets a downscreen for you.

Just as you have before, you will do each of these cuts 10 times on both sides of the floor.

When you receive a downscreen from a teammate, the type of cut you use depends on how the defender plays you. It takes practice to recognize what the defense is doing.

When a teammate sets a down screen for you, you can make one of the following cuts:

Basketball cutting drills down screen curl cut

Curl Cut Diagram


Curl cut: This is the most effective cut when your teammate sets a downscreen for you and the defense is behind you or trailing you. See the Curl Cut Diagram.

The cutting player explodes into the cut and circles around the teammate who is setting the screen. As the cutter, it is important to physically touch your teammate who is setting the screen for you.

Basketball Cutting Drills Straight Cut

Straight Cut Diagram

 


Straight cut: If the defense stays close to the basket and keeps you from making a curl cut.  Cut straight to the basketball, but stop 15 feet away from the player with the ball.  That allows you to maintain good offensive spacing.  Offensive spacing is the distance between two offensive players.

Fade cut: If the defensive player positions themseleves that you can’t make a curl cut or a straight cut, cut to the corner.  This is known as a fade cut.

Basketball Cutting Drills Fade Cut

Fade Cut Diagram

It is the least effective cut to score on because the player with the basketball will have to make a long pass to get the basketball to you.  But, it does help your team by you spacing to the corner to open up the middle of the floor.

Backdoor Cut: If the defense jumps into the passing lane to look to steal the basketball, make a backdoor cut to the basket.

Curry Cutting Drill

In a game, you will usually make a series of different cuts each time your team has the ball. This drill is designed to put many types of cuts together.

Steph Curry is great when he has the ball, and he is equally as skilled at cutting to get open.

To execute this drill, place a basketball somewhere on the court approximately 3 feet behind the three point arc. You will start underneath the net. Imagine that you have the best defensive player you know guarding you. If you can’t think of anyone, pretend that Marcus Smart or A’ja Wilson are guarding you. They were the 2022 NBA and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winners.

You are going to execute the cuts diagrammed and discussed above for 30 seconds. It is very important to think about which cut your are doing so that you are making basketball cuts and not just running around like someone whose pants are on fire! 🙂 That means that the first few times that you do this drill, you will need to go at a slow pace to think about your cuts. The more times you do the drill, the quicker pace you can go at.

Start under the rim and pretend there is a defensive player guarding you. Pretend that you are receiving a downscreen from a teammate. Walk your defender in the opposite direction from where you plan to cut, and make one of the four cuts (curl, straight, fade, back) off the downscreen. From there, mix up the cuts that you have practice one at a time. Make some

Best cutting drills for basketball trainers and coaches

These drills are designed to improve cutting, but they also have the added benefits of helping passers get better at passing to a cutting player.

Some of our drills involve the offense not being allowed to dribble. That is to place the emphasis on cutting to get open to catch a pass. For younger or beginning players, you can allow a single dribble each time a player catches the ball to get away from their defender and make the pass shorter.

4 on 4–no dribble game.

The best cutting drill in basketball is to play 4 on 4 and not allow the offense to dribble. I know you are probably thinking, “How can you play basketball and not dribble?” Well the answer is, you can, but it is VERY HARD and practing this way is going to make players much better cutters!

If the player with the ball has only 2 options–shoot or pass, her teammates have to execute excellent cuts to get open to receive the ball. Playing this game for 5 minutes gives every player a lot of practice cutting. If all players follow the cutting techniques we just described, they will become excellent cutters in just a few times of playing this game.

To play the drill, simply play normal basketball rules plus one special rule. If the offensive team dribbles, it is a turnover and the other team receives possession of the basketball. Start a player at the top of they key with the ball. The other offensive players can start anywhere in the half court. Each of the other three offensive players makes the cuts described above to get open to receive a pass and play until one team scores 10 points. Just like a game, score by 1 for free throws made, 2 for layups or a jump shot made inside the arc, and 3 for a three point shot made.

The first few times you run this cut drill, you might want to play until a team scores 5 points until you get the hang of it.

You need a team to run this drill. If you don’t have 8 players, you can play 3 on 3 No Dribble, or 2 on 2 No Dribble. If there are only 2 players available, you can play…

Off the ball one one one

This is a one one one drill. You do need two players and three basketballs, Put a chair on the right wing, another chair on the left wing, and a chair at the top of the key. Put a basketball on the seat of each chair. Players start in the three second lane. Designate who the player is on offense and who the player is on defense.

The first player should walk the defense away from where they want to cut and make an explosive change of directions to get to one of the chairs to pick up the basketball. From there, it is one on one–player with the ball works to get to the basket, or get a shot off the dribble.

You don’t put the ball back on the chair until the offensive player scores, or the defensive player gets a steal or a rebound. In summary, instead of “checking it up” after each change of possession, you start with the offensive player cutting from the lane to one of the basketballs.

A few teaching points to run this drill.

  1. The better cut the offensive player makes to create separation between them and the defense, the better shot they can get after picking up the ball.
  2. Think of it as a race to one of the basketballs. Did you ever hold races with your friends? What was the advantage in those races? The advantage was being the one who shouted “GO!” You knew when you were going to say go, but your friend you were racing against didn’t. It’s the same principle with cutting if you can slowly walk the defense towards one chair with a basketball and then change directions quickly to go to a different one, they don’t know when you are telling yourself “GO!” That gives the cutter an advantage.
  3. Fake a cut to make a cut. Walk the defensive player away from the direction you want to cut. If they don’t react with you, then just make a straight cut to that basketball.
  4. In basketball, you are the most open when you first catch the basketball. After that, the defense will recover to you. Work on that in this drill and if you can create separation from the defense, look for a quick shot, or a drive if the defense is off balance when they catch up to you.
  5. If you don’t have access to folding chairs, just put the basketballs on the ground at the spots mentioned. The offensive player will bend over to pick one up which isn’t ideal, but it will work.

Odd Man (or Woman) Out

If you have 3, 5, 7, or 9 players to run a cutting drill designate one player as the permanent passer.

Here is how the drill is run with five players. You will play 2 on 2 no dribble as described earlier. The permanent passer will play with the each team when they are on offense. One team starts on offense. The other on defense.

The permanent passer starts with the basketball. The two players on the offensive team cut to get open. The permanent passer passes to either one who gets open, then goes and screens for the other player who did not receive the pass. This gives the players a chance to practice cuts coming off a screen.

Since the permanent passer is not guarded, they can always cut to be in a position to catch a pass. When an offensive player does pass to the permanent passer, she should either make a basket cut, or go screen for her teammate. The permanent passer should practice good fundamentals like using pass fakes and maintaining triple-threat position.

If the permanent passes makes a turnover pass, the same team keeps the ball. That way the permanent passer does not cost them to lose the ball to the other team. Play to 8 by normal basketball scoring rules and then get a new permanent passer and start a new game to 8.

20 Point Game

This game can be played is best played 3 on 3 or 4 on 4, but will also work 5 on 5 or 2 on 2. Because we want to emphasize cutting in this dril, there is no dribbling. The offense scores one point for each pass they complete in addition to any baskets they score. In addition to forcing the offense to make good cuts, the defense is able to work on their pressure defense.

The first team with the ball has an advantage in this game. To see which team gets the ball first, alternate free throws. First team that misses a free throw starts on defense.

There you have 4 very good drills to improving your cutting. These drills force you to cut at game speed and against real defensive players. If you are working on cutting by yourself, you have to use a little more imagination. And, you have to be willing to push yourself.

Basketball Nutrition – 25 Winning Foods For Performance Gains

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Basketball Nutrition: 25 Best Foods For Performance

Basketball Nutrition Overview

Nutrition is one of the most important, yet overlooked issues related to success on the basketball court. Many people regularly choose momentary cost and convenience over health and basketball performance. These decisions make an immediate difference and have a long term effect, whether positively or negatively. Making the right decisions today will have a positively profound effect tomorrow.

In order to reach your peak performance on the court, you must meet your nutritional needs with nutrient-dense, real food. Foods that do not fall into this category can be harmful and work against you and your efforts to become your best, especially heavily processed foods.

The purpose of all five parts of this article is to provide you with a higher level of nutritional thinking. It may challenge your taste buds, but in the end, the rewards are substantial; improved performance on the basketball court, clearer thinking, and less inflammation throughout your body.

Basketball Food Criteria To Win Nutritional Gains

In order to qualify for this list, each food had to fall under all five of the following categories. It is important to note that many of the most nutritious foods on the planet (organ meats, oysters, etc.) were excluded from this list because most people do not find them tasty. They must:

  • Provide good nutrition
  • Be industrial seed oil-free and grain-free
  • Contain no added sugar
  • Be kid-friendly (note: preparing food with sea salt, organic coconut oil, and/or grass-fed butter can make all the difference in the taste of foods, i.e. vegetables)
  • Provide the energy (individually or collectively) necessary to sustain the rigorous demands of high-level basketball.

The goal is simple: eliminate or greatly reduce processed food from your diet. Even though some foods (simple sugars such as, candy, sodas, etc.) may offer you immediate energy needs, they can destroy your health over time due to their effects on your gut bacteria, blood sugar / insulin levels, and inflammation levels. Over time, eating naturally sweet and savory foods will train your taste buds so that you will no longer desire lab-created, chemically-laden, sugary junk food.

The term “organic” is used for most of the foods on this list. Organic means that crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, GMO’s, and sewage sludge-based and petroleum-based fertilizers. Livestock is raised outdoors and fed organic feed. They are also not given hormones, antibiotics, or fed any animal by–products.

Although it can be more expensive to eat organic, grass-fed (cows that eat grass only), and wild-caught (fish living in the wild, not farmed) food, it is far less expensive than correcting the health and disease issues created by eating more heavily processed, sugary foods. You can pay now or you can pay later. So, as often as possible, stick to the designated organic, grass-fed, wild-caught, and pasture-raised (birds that are kept outdoors throughout the year and that eat grass, bugs, worms and whatever they can forage) designation.

The foods listed will help provide you with the health-promoting benefits, energy, and muscle repair, and recovery that is essential for optimal performance on the basketball court. Although not listed as one of “The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players,” filtered water is as important as any of the foods discussed. Filtering water removes harmful arsenic and DBPs (carcinogens), fluoride (associated with weakening the immune system), and aluminum (linked to hyperactivity and learning disabilities).

Keep in mind, limiting your selection to just a few of the foods on this list will not have the same healthy effect as diversifying your choices. Also, by eliminating the unhealthy food in your diet while regularly eating a large percentage of the foods on this list, as well as other known healthy foods, you will be more likely to sleep better, be in a better mood, and improve your memory. In other words, your body will be functioning at a much higher level.

Without further ado, add these twenty-five foods to your dietary routine and start eating like a champion today!

Eat To Win In Basketball:

Eggs for Basketball NutritionPasture-Raised Eggs – Fried, pouched, scrambled, or hard-boiled, pasture-raised eggs provide you with twice the omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, 3-6 times more vitamin D, and 7 times more beta carotene than eggs produced by caged hens. Pasture-raised eggs, from hens raised on bugs, grass and sunshine, also contain more vitamin A, vitamin B12, folic acid and is a great source of quality protein. This nutrient powerhouse with help meet your nutritional needs and provide the energy and muscle repair necessary for success on the basketball court.

Basketball Diet - CherriesOrganic Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Cherries–Nature’s “candy” helps replenish depleted energy stores (glycogen) on a moment’s notice without the gut disruption of heavily processed sugary foods. These nutritional juggernauts contain the carbohydrates needed to meet the demands for high energy of basketball. Their phytochemical (plant chemicals) content helps regulate hormones, stimulates immune function, and protects against cell damage that can lead to cancer.

spinach for basketball nutritionOrganic Spinach / Organic Broccoli – If you can manage to eat both of these on a regular basis it will pay huge dividends. Spinach is a big-time player in producing good health. Its health benefits are too numerous to list here, but it’s chalk-full of iron, calcium, and magnesium (helps prevent muscle cramps) along with vitamin’s A,

B6, and C. Spinach’s CoQ10 (antioxidant) content helps promote strength building and heart health. Broccoli also does a body good with its healthy dose of vitamins K and C, fiber, and minerals. Certain compounds act synergistically and in isolation to provide an anti-inflammatory effect helping your body to heal faster. In combination with other complex carbohydrates, broccoli is a great contributor to the energy needed for you to be playing at a higher level than your competition.

sweet potatoes for basketballOrganic Sweet Potatoes–This root vegetable is loaded with fiber, iron, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin C, and beta-carotene (vitamin A) which assists in fighting oxidation and the damage caused by free radicals. Sweet potatoes also build a healthy digestive system. Its complex carbohydrate-rich content provides the energy needed for high level basketball performance without the gut damaging effects of easily digestible carbohydrates.

Chicken and Beef Bone Broth–This “superfood” contains collagen, minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium), and amino acids. It supports a healthy immune system, helps reduce joint pain, and boosts energy levels, among other things. Bone broth’s anti-inflammatory affect allows your body to feel its best, especially when aches and pains are accumulating from your play on the court.

The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players, Part II

Regularly including the foods that challenge your taste buds in your diet will help you form a “taste” for them. At first, try adding them to other foods or dishes so that the taste, texture, smell, etc., is less offensive to you. Over time, you may find that eating them whole or without other foods acting as “distractions” is palatable.

One thing to keep in mind are food sensitivities. Unfortunately, not all food sensitivities have immediate health consequences. Therefore, health problems may exist for an extended period of time making it more difficult to identify the cause of the health problem.

Not all foods are healthy to all people. “Healthy” foods may be intolerable for some but not others. The following symptoms are obvious warning signs that your body wants nothing to do with certain foods. It stands to reason that performance on the court will be affected by any of these conditions as well.

  • Diarrhea, bloating, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and/or excessive flatulence
  • Skin rashes or flushed skin
  • Dizzy or lightheaded feeling
  • Swollen airways
  • Coughing, runny nose, sneezing, and constant clearing of the throat
  • Feelings of confusion or weakness
  • Headaches and migraines

Food intolerance and food allergy symptoms are varied and not limited to those listed above. Whether you experience food intolerances (no immune system response) or food allergies, identifying these foods through an allergy food test (food allergies only) or knowledge of how you respond to certain foods can help prevent these reactions from ever occurring.

Inflammatory foods are known to wreak havoc on your health. For basketball players, sore or injured joints will remain as such as long as inflammatory foods are eaten. Eliminating as many of them as possible from your diet is essential to optimal performance on the court and great health. Here is a short list of commonly eaten, highly-inflammatory foods to avoid:

  • Margarine
  • Sugar (cakes, cookies, sodas/juices/drinks, ice cream, candy bars, etc.)
  • Cured meats
  • Vegetable oil and soybean oil
  • Foods containing additives aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  • Pasta
  • Foods containing gluten
  • White bread
  • Foods containing trans fats
  • Chips

One of the primary objectives of this article is to draw awareness to your current dietary intake. Eating nutrient-dense, real food that you know that you can tolerate is critical to optimal performance and great health.

The following five foods are must additions to any basketball player’s diet.

basketball foods salmonWild-Caught Salmon / Smoked Salmon (soy-free) – This GMO, antibiotic, growth hormone, pesticide, and chemical-free wild-caught fish offers a ton of healthy benefits. Salmon is nutrient-dense containing anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein that helps build muscle, vitamins B6 and B12 and phosphorus which are important for energy metabolism and transfer. B vitamins also help reduce inflammation that can cause aches, pains, and injuries to linger. Its vitamin D content is essential to bone health which is always important when competing in any athletic endeavor. You can purchase salmon at your local grocery store to bake or grill or order it online. Smoked salmon makes a great snack especially when you’re on the go.

butter for basketball playersGrass-Fed Butter– When cows are allowed to eat their natural diet of grass, they produce healthier products (meat, milk, cream, butter). Grass-fed butter contains healthy doses of unsaturated fat (omega-3 fatty acids) which has anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin K2 (escorts calcium to hard tissue like bones and teeth and away from soft tissue which can lead to arterial blockage), vitamin A and beta carotene, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which helps prevent against several chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, etc.).

avacadosAvocados – A true “mega-superfood” (my term), avocados are known as an anti-inflammatory, heart healthy fruit, that are high in oleic acid and low in carbohydrates. This allows for a longer, more sustainable energy level which is essential for performing your best on the court. Avocados are loaded with vitamins C, E, K, and B6, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Eating them as guacamole, in a breakfast taco, or adding them to a smoothie (thickener) are all great ways to ensure you are reaping the benefits of this top-notch nutritional food.

Organic Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries)–These pesticide-free, anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense, antioxidant powerhouses are just what the doctor ordered. Berries are best known for their vitamin C and K, manganese and fiber content,flexibility (can be eaten alone, with nuts, or in a variety of dishes), and convenience. Organic berries are a great idea for a pre or post-game/practice snack, especially if multiple games are being played.

basketball nutrition bread sourcSourdough Bread–White and whole grain breads contain gluten which is known to be inflammatory and cause conditions like leaky gut and other gut disruptions. Although sourdough bread is not gluten-free, it is easier on the digestive system for those with gluten issues.Its long fermentation process diminishes the effect of gluten-forming proteins and breaks down fructans (carbohydrates in wheat that are mistaken as gluten issues). Sourdough bread’s nutritional value is similar to that of regular bread, but the lactic acid bacteria presence lowers the bread’s pH which reduces its antinutrient content. This allows for greater mineral absorption. Additionally, some studies have shown that antioxidants are released during the fermentation process allowing for protection against oxidation.

The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players, Part III

The third installment of “The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players” will include the next segment of foods that are essential to health and optimal basketball performance. Whether you have been playing the game of basketball for years or stepping out on the court for the very first time, congratulations! You are making a commitment not only for right now, but for your future as well …a commitment to your health!

You cannot play the game of basketball at your optimal level without reaching your peak health. This includes physical and mental toughness, being pain-free, and possessing great energy. Your diet can have a tremendous effect on all three of these areas. Seek out a professional (life coach, basketball or personal trainer, nutritionist – if your coach is unavailable) to direct you in a way that has you functioning at the highest level possible.

The phrase, “work up an appetite,” is particularly important in regard to healthy nutrition. The more basketball you play (energy you expend), the hungrier you will most likely be. Eating foods that will serve you rather than foods that will harm you, will determine whether or not you are benefitting from your diet or it is detrimental to your health and basketball performance.

As you know by now, this article deals primarily with what foods you should be eating on a regular basis.Food matters a lot! Some believe it is as important as the time spent practicing on the court. Therefore, eating must be intentional! Good dietary habits don’t just happen. You must plan it out and be deliberate; after all, changing dietary routines/habits and quitting dietary addictions can be a daunting task.

These next five foods will go a long way towards providing you with the nutrition you will need when peak basketball performance and great health are at the top of your want list. Like the other foods on this list, choose organic, grass-fed, wild-caught, and pasture-raised whenever possible.

beef for basketballGrass-Fed/Finished Beef–Grass-fed beef has become more than “(Beef. It’s) What’s for Dinner.” Grass-fed beef provides a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B3, B6, and B12, high-quality complete protein, creatine, and substantially more antioxidants, and bioavailable vitamins and minerals than grain-fed beef. Also, it is a much “cleaner” meat because of its lack of hormones, antibiotics and the corn and soy that are fed to grain-fed cows. It is important to note that grass-fed cows are often fed corn for the few months leading up to slaughter in order to fatten them up. So, purchase grass-fed and finished beef when shopping for your meat. You may want to try this beef snack when you are on the go.

Cheese for Basketball Nutrition SuccessFull-Fat Cheese from Grass-Fed Cows–This great source of calcium,(dairy) fat, and protein, is also loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K2 (helps move calcium away from your arteries to your hard tissues like bones, teeth, etc.) where it belongs. High-fat cheese from grass-fed cows contains the anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid. This helps reduce inflammation associated with injuries and illnesses. If you know that you have an allergy to casein, one of the proteins found in dairy, or that you are lactose intolerant, you may need to eliminate dairy or find a healthier alternative.

Cauliflower for basketball playersOrganic Cauliflower–Imagine that there is a food that can masquerade as noodles, mashed potatoes, pizza crust, fried or just plain rice, is a nutritional powerhouse and is delicious to boot: it sounds almost too good to be true.Eating cauliflower in these alternate forms can completely change the perception of what you are eating. Nutritionally, cauliflower is stacked with nutrients such that it helps prevent certain diseases, such as cancer (prevents oxidative stress), stomach disorders, hypertension, and macular degeneration as well as others. Its large B-complex vitamin (energy metabolism) content (along with numerous other vitamins and minerals) contributes to its high energy production.

almonds for basketball dietOrganic Raw Almonds / Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds–This healthy snack is perfect when you are on the go or needing something between tournament games. Almonds are loaded with fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants (cell protection from damage). Additionally, its nutrient content packs a powerful punch with magnesium(important in the prevention of muscle cramps, helps you sleep better, and assists in making you regular) and vitamin E(important in the prevention of inflammation). It is important to note that these two nutrients have many other health benefits that they contribute to as well and this can all be accomplished with just one handful.

Adding a dark chocolate covering to your almonds makes a healthy, delicious, and portable treat. A cacao of 70%+ provides healthy doses of (additional) antioxidants (polyphenols, flavanols, etc.), copper, fiber, iron, (additional) magnesium, and manganese.

beans for basketball dietOrganic Beans–“Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit” is a saying that refers to beans tendency to create flatulence. However, beans are “magical” in other ways as well. First, beans are loaded with fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Second, they help prevent fatty liver disease (fat accumulation in the liver). Third, beans can positively affect the microbiome (the bacteria universe inside your gut which heavily effects your immune system). Fourth, their polyphenol (antioxidant) content helps fight inflammation and cancer.

Note: Beans contain the anti-nutrients, lectins and phytates. These substances are plants natural defense mechanisms to help ward off would-be predators. They can wreak havoc on your gut and cause vitamins and minerals to not be absorbed ultimately leading to malnutrition. Soaking your beans in water prior to cooking them can help reduce these negative effects.

The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players, Part IV

The fourth installment of “The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players” includes three foods that are common to most households (chicken, milk, and yogurt) and a food and supplement (beets and MCT Oil) that are not.Hopefully, learning about the nutritional importance of all five will lead to regular consumption, better health, and a higher level of performance on the basketball court.

Nutrient-dense, real food promotes good health in ways that are known and unknown. One way is that nutrients act synergistically with other nutrients to providea more powerful healthful punch. This is why it is better to consume nutrients in food more often than in pills, capsules, and powders.

The heart of the message of this series is: when you’re feeling your best, you’ll perform your best! In other words, if you only eat foods that meet your nutritional needs making sure that they do not cause you harm, you will look, feel, perform, and be at your best!

As stated in an earlier installment, this requires that you eliminate or greatly reduce processed food from your diet. Even though some foods (simple sugars such as, candy, sodas, bread, etc.) may offer you immediate energy, they can destroy your health, performance on the court,and overall sense of wellbeing.Let’s face it, YOUR BODY CRAVES TO HAVE ITS NUTRITIONAL NEEDS MET!

Additionally, when you eat “junk” food, there becomes less space for the good stuff. If you are a parent and your kid is eating added sugar they need to stop as soon as possible. For better or worse, the dietary habits, routines, and addictions that they are forming now can last a lifetime.

chicken foOrganic Chicken – These birds are fed only certified organic feed and are not given hormones, antibiotics, nonapproved synthetic chemicals, or GMOs. Sewage sludge as fertilizer is also prohibited in their living environment. Additionally, they are to have access to movement and exercise. On the flip side, organic chickens contain almost 40% more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and is a great source of protein. In combination with other foods on this list, organic chickens will assist in the recovery process between practices and games. There is also a significantly smaller chance of contracting salmonella from an organic bird.

Basketball Foods BeetsOrganic Beets–This highly nutritious vegetable is loaded with antioxidants, B vitamins, potassium, sodium, iron, folate, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, and has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Because of its nutrient density, beets help boost immune function and reduce the risk of colds and flu from developing. The potassium in beets help promote bone health by reducing the amount of calcium lost during urination. This can be beneficial when dealing with bone-related basketball injuries. One of the benefits of basketball players eating beets is their ability to enhance tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans.Beet juice is also known to have positive effects on endurance activity performance. Its high carbohydrate content helps provide the energy necessary for prolonged basketball activity.

Cheese for Basketball Nutrition SuccessFull-Fat, Organic Grass-Fed Milk–Raising healthy cows begins with an organic, grass-fed only approach. These cows graze in pastures throughout the year in lieu of eating a diet full of processed food for most of their lives. The organic, grass-fed production of milk ensures that no growth hormones or antibiotics are used in the process. As a result, antibiotic resistance and “superbugs” are non-existent. Organic, grass-fed milk also produces twice the amount of omega-3 fatty acids than its organic-only and conventional counterparts. This creates a greater anti-inflammatory effect leading to the prevention of several diseases.Conversely, conventionally produced milk contains about seventeen times the omega-6 fatty acid content that we need as humans. This, of course, is pro-inflammatory.

Yogurt for Basketball PlayersFull-Fat, Organic, Grass-Fed Yogurt– Cows raised in the same manner listed above provide healthier yogurt as well. The bacteria used to ferment the milk into yogurt from these cows has shown to convert some of its fatty acids into conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is associated with a decrease in several health problems such as high levels of inflammation, poor immune function, the loss of bone mass, blood sugar imbalances, etc. The diversity of bacteria in your gut created by the consumption of yogurt increases the bioavailability of calcium, iron, magnesium, and manganese.  Basketball infections, viruses, and disease are threats to wellness and yogurt can help boost defenses.  

If you struggle with the bland taste of full-fat, organic, grass-fed yogurt, try adding it to the PurePaleo Protein Powderlisted in part V of this series or add organic berries to help sweeten it up a bit.If you have an intolerance or allergy to dairy, try goat’s milk. Many people who have problems digesting cow’s dairy find goat dairy easier to digest. It’s a delicious alternative!

MCT OIL For Basketball PlayersMCT (Medium-chain Triglycerides) Oil– Lactic acid is a bi-product of intense exercise that causes muscles to fatigue. This will often negatively affect performance. Research indicates that consuming small amounts of MCT oil can help reduce lactic acid accumulation and improve performance. The same study also indicates that supplementing with MCT oil increases fat burning while reducing the use of carbohydrates for fuel. In other words, you begin to use fat as your primary fuel source and save carbohydrate burning for later in the game. Another benefit of MCT oil is it has been called “rocket fuel for your brain” because it fuels energy for your brain.

The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players, Part V

With this final installment, you have now seen all twenty-five foods of “The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players.” Intentionally left off of this list due to their unpopular taste reputations are nutrient-dense heavyweights such as sauerkraut, fish eggs, oysters, kefir (fermented milk) and grass-fed organ meats. These foods are some of the most nutritional foods on the planet and therefore, great additions to your diet.

No one food on this list, or any other list for that matter, is healthy enough to propel you to great health and performance. It takes consuming most of these foods, and other known healthy foods, regularly to be at your best. The synergistic effects of the nutrients in foods that interact with one another create health benefits that can not be duplicated when the nutrients are separated, i.e. isolated nutrients put in pill or powder form that claim to have extraordinary health and athletic performance benefits.

Always remember that food is fuel. A clean, healthy diet that matches the physical demands of playing basketball at your highest level will provide you with the needed calories and nutrients for optimal performance. Consuming high-quality carbohydrates helps prevent muscle fatigue, speeds recovery, and stabilizes glycogen (stored sugar) in your muscles. As stated earlier, the protein in your diet will help to repair and build new muscle tissue. Healthy fats will also contribute to your energy needs and sustainability.

Focusing on eating a variety of foods on this list(and other healthy foods) is your best plan of action. Having a friend, teammate, parent, or coach hold you accountable to your dietary goals and planning out your meals in advance are great ways to help you stick with your new eating routine until it becomes your new lifestyle.

An article from Harvard University – School of Public Health offers several benefits and strategies to meal planning that can ease the process with an already hectic schedule. Here are a few:

Benefits of Basketball Nutrition Meal Planning

  • Helps to reduce the stress of last-minute decisions about what to eat;
  • Acts as a time-saver when time is limited; and
  • More nutritious meals because more thought was put into it.
  • Strategies
  • Identify what you are going to eat in advance;
  • Choose a specific day(s) to hit the grocery store and prepare your meals in advance

Collect recipes that include this article’s list of foods and other healthy foods that you can use over time.

By clicking on the Harvard link above you can get a more comprehensive idea of what would work best for you as you begin planning your new diet. The following five foods/supplements conclude this list of the 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players.

Tuna for Basketball Players NutritionWild-Caught Tuna–Tuna is known to be loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, iron, and vitamin B6 and B12 making it an important food not to ignore.These nutrients help boost the immune system, strengthen bones, provide energy, reduce inflammation, and aid in growth and development with its high protein content. It is also reported that wild-caught tuna helps reduce depression, lessen ADD and ADHD symptoms, treat asthma, promote sleep, and even relieve pain. Evidently, there is little that wild-caught tuna cannot do. You can purchase it at your local grocery store or online.

Protein Powder for Basketball PlayersProtein Powder (With Collagen)–Once you step outside of the real food category and look to supplement your diet, buyer beware! Many supplements on the market today are left unchecked and therefore, contain questionable, if not dangerous, ingredients. When shopping for a protein powder, make sure it is hormone-free, antibiotic-free, non-GMO, gluten-free and contains complete and collagen proteins. In general, plant proteins are less bioavailable than animal proteins. Therefore, look to purchase a protein powder with animal (complete) proteins. There may be others on the market, but one such protein powder is PurePaleo Protein Powder.

Supplement for Basketball Cod LiverCod Liver Oil (Supplement)–This big-time fish oil supplement comes in capsule and liquid form. One of its primary benefits is its ability to ease joint pain which is a bonus for athletes experiencing sore joints. Other benefits include lowering inflammation and improving eyesight, heart function, and glucose tolerance. Its high content of vitamin A and vitamin D helps provide healthy brain function and bones, respectively. Research has shown that high levels of vitamin A can be dangerous, but this threat is offset when balanced with vitamin D. Both vitamins also give a boost to the immune system. Cod liver oil is also rich in vitamin K2. This vitamin directs calcium to the bones and teeth, where it belongs, and away from the heart and arteries where it can potentially become a threat to your cardiovascular health.

Plaintain chips for basketball snackPlantain Chips/ Fresh Plantains–Plantains are a close relative to the banana and therefore, share much of the same nutritional qualities. One of the differences, however, is that plantains are starchier and contain less sugar. Similar to bananas, plantains are packed with potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants to protect against free radicals. Their ability to boost the immune system, improve brain function, lower inflammatory markers such as homocysteine levels, and “regulate” you with their fiber content is a strong testament to their healthfulness. Since fresh plantains are typically cooked before eating, frying them in coconut oil makes them a tasty treat.

healthy alternative to tortilla chipsSiete Almond Flour Tortillas/ Chips–Although not considered a nutritional powerhouse per se, these grain-free products are a healthy way to satisfy any tortilla or chip “craving” and make it easier to enjoy fajitas, nachos and other foods that may not be so healthy.Another great idea is to use them as wraps withham, turkey breast, chicken breast, or roast beef with grass-fed cheese and mayo. Their Paleo, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan ingredients make it possible for almost everyone to enjoy.

 

This concludes the “The 25 Best Foods for Basketball Players.”It is important to note that you can’t out-train an unhealthy, pro-inflammatory, highly processed diet; basketball training and diet must work in tandem. The only sure way to become your best on the court is training hard, getting the rest your body needs, and eating right. The twenty-five foods on this list are a crucial part of that quest.

Note: The links throughout this article are to recommended products only and in some cases we are paid an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you or motivation for us to choose that product.  . Feel free to use whatever foods fit your situation best.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this articleis to assist basketball players in choosing foods that will help provide the energy, recovery, and muscle repair needed for optimal performance on the basketball court. It is not intended to prescribe a diet or treat a disease. Consult with your nutritionist, licensed physician or healthcare professional before beginning any diet program for his or her professional advice and your involvement in it.

Rusty Gregory - Austin Personal TrainerRusty Gregory, MS, CSCS is the coauthor of Living Wheat-Free for Dummies (Wiley Publishing). He received his B.S. (Commercial and Industrial Fitness, Minor in Health Education) in 1989 from Texas Tech University and his M.S. (Kinesiology) in 1991 from the University of Michigan. In 1991, he began his personal training business in Austin, Texas, and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). In 1995, he opened Forte Personal Fitness, a private personal fitness studio where he trains athletes from a multitude of sports and people of all ages, health backgrounds, and physical limitations.

Basketball Vertical Training for Youth

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Have you ever dreamed of increasing your vertical jump but didn’t know where to start? Like the rest of your game, carefully executing a well-designed jumping program will help you reach your potential and improve your game. Players like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Zhaire Smith have a tremendous innate ability, but their attention to detail in the area of jump training further adds to their success on the court.

 

Why Everyone’s Fascinated with Vertical Jump Training

For those who refuse to vertical jump train, good luck! A good to great vertical jump improves your ability to finish at the rim, contest shots on defense, rebound, and oh yeah, throw it down when you play for your local high school; all very important and exciting to the game of basketball. Developing your “vertical” will help off-set other areas of your game that need work. Once you improve your weak areas, your game will elevate to another level. Without the ability to get off the floor, you better be very skilled in every facet of the game in order to make up for it. Hopefully, your skill will override your inability to jump and you will be able to have some success. Obviously, this is not the preferred route. For the purpose of this article, jump training will be used synonymously with plyometric training.

By nature, jumping is a plyometric activity; meaning, your muscles are placed in a stretched position then immediately contract. Imagine lowering your body to go up for a rebound. Once you reach the lowest point of your decent, you pause momentarily, then immediately explode into your vertical jump. The level of explosion that occurs will depend largely upon the attention you have placed on training.

Your ability to jump, good, bad, or otherwise, is a function of your strength, speed of movement, and your body weight. This is power related to your body weight. Power = Work/Time. If you improve your leg, hip, and core strength, the speed in which you perform the jump, and your weight decreases or stays the same, your vertical jump will increase. The faster, quicker, and stronger you are, the more effective you will be in any physical endeavor. As you know, this is especially true in basketball.

 

Basketball and Plyometrics – History and Basics

Plyometric training, jump training as it was called at the time, dates back to the 1920s. It began gaining significant recognition with Olympic track and field athletes from eastern countries when they demonstrated success in the 1960s with their training methods. It wasn’t until 1975 that track and field coach, Fred Wilt, coined the term plyometrics to define this form of training. This became more mainstream over the following decades leading up to today where it is expected that athletes employ such a program. Almost all sports benefit from plyometric training, especially basketball.

 

Common Questions for Basketball Jump Training

When looking for a vertical jump program that is best suited for you, it’s important to stick to the basics. There is no need to get fancy and elaborate with a particular program or with high-dollar equipment. At the end of the day, the fundamental element in training is system overload. Does the workout program you will be utilizing properly overload the muscles, energy systems / intensities to meet your training goals AND is the program safe? It is not uncommon to encounter questions and challenges along the way in your training. Here are a few with a brief answer that follows:

  1. Should I have a strength base in order to start a plyometric training program? Plyometric training is ballistic in nature and can stress the body to the point of injury if proper precautions aren’t taken. Therefore, the primary benefit to having a strength training base prior to plyometric training is that the stronger you are, the less likely you are to be injured. However, if you have been playing the game of basketball for any period of time, I am sure you have realized that basketball is a “plyometric” sport. It requires constant running, changing of direction, jumping, etc. A jump training program will augment your jumping ability and a strength training program will serve as an enhancement to your jumping ability, strengthen your skill to finish at the rim with contact, box-out, win possessions with 50/50 loose balls, improve confidence which leads to a much more aggressive, faster style of play, and help prevent injuries from occurring. In other words, strength training and jump training play off of each other and the key here is to do both!

 

  1. What do I do if I don’t have access to a gym to train in? Although it’s nice to have access to a weight room or fitness facility for the use of its equipment or a basketball goal to target touching the net, backboard, or rim, they are not a necessity. A great jump training program (INSERT LINK) requires little to no equipment and can often times be performed at home.

 

  1. How do I measure my improvement? Feel free to use a Vertec or Probotics Just Jump System if you have access to either one, but if you don’t, try the following. If done correctly, it can be just as accurate.
  2. Stand sideways next to a wall.
  3. Reach as high as you can with your arm closest to the wall while standing flat-footed.
  4. Have a friend place a marking on the wall with a pencil or piece of tape to determine the highest point where your finger tips reach.
  5. Then, perform a standing vertical jump with your friend marking the highest point on the wall that you touch with the same method that you used to mark your reach on the wall.
  6. Repeat several times and select the highest jump you perform.
  7. Measure the difference between your standing reach and your jump reach to determine your vertical jump height.

 

  1. How often should I jump train? This all depends on how often you are playing basketball and what you do during the off-season. Are you playing year-round basketball on a school and select team, or do you take time off during the off-season? Do you play other sports during basketball’s off-season? Today’s approach to year-round basketball / other sports renders it very difficult to participate in a plyometric training program and still get the rest and recovery you need to see improvements and not be injured. If you engage in a true off-season and are not playing any organized sports, jump training should be performed 2-3 times a week with at least 48-hours of recovery time between workouts. Plyometric workouts can be more intensive than playing basketball, so it is imperative that you get the recovery time that your body needs. Also, make sure that your program is progressive in resistance and / or volume (sets and repetitions).

 

  1. Should I train with Olympic lifts and what are the risks? The very nature of an Olympic lift is to create explosive power that can be useful for enhancing your basketball game, however, with that comes an injury risk that should not be taken lightly. More often than not, these lifts are treated as exercises not like the sports that they are. Both the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk have over 30 coaching points, more than the quarterback position in football. Progression exercises of these lifts can be performed ONLY if proper technique is used and qualified personnel (USA Weightlifting Advanced Sport Performance Coach) is available to assist and instruct you; Clean Pulls, Push Press, and Plyometrics (example of plyometric exercises only).

 

  1. How do I know what jump exercises are best for me to perform? Specificity, specificity, specificity! Your body adapts to the type of training in which you engage. A training program that includes jumps (off two legs, one leg, etc.) and muscle strengthening exercises that train similar movement patterns and energy systems (strength and power, not endurance) is your friend and should be utilized frequently.

 

Benefits of Basketball Jump Training Other than the Dunk

Nothing can change the momentum of a game or excite a crowd like a thundering dunk. It has become such a measurement of athleticism that many think that their rite of passage occurs with their first dunk. The thought that at some point you could be providing this exciting game-changing event is great motivation to train specifically for that time. However, once you realize that jump training can benefit other areas of your game, it becomes more than just a dunk, it can transform you as a player. The following are additional benefits to improving your vertical jump through plyometric training. Imagine:

  1. that you improved the quickness of your first step to the point you were beating defenders off the dribble routinely;
  2. that you were better at second chance rebounds because you were jumping higher and quicker;
  3. that your defensive quickness improved such that your coach had you defend your opposition’s best player;
  4. that your change of direction become so quick that you regularly beat your opponent to the point of attach; and
  5. that your new found general explosiveness were to breed a confidence and an aggressive mindset such that it had a profound impact on your game.

 

Goal Setting: A Recipe for Success in Basketball 

Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is essential for success. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Action-based, Realistic, and Timely. Goals that do not measure-up to this standard and are set without an accountability buddy or group often fall apart and go unrealized long before goals would otherwise be reached. Almost always, this leads to loss of motivation to train and virtually no improvement at all. Living Wheat-Free for Dummies (Ch. 5, pp. 70-74) can help you with setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for increasing your vertical jump is no different and can be just as effective as setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for weight loss, earning an “A” in math class, or implementing stress management practices into your life to alleviate stress. It is a matter of staying committed to the process. Keep in mind that with individual differences such as a different amount of fast twitch muscle fibers, recovery times from workouts, body weight, training experience, etc., different results will be realized. Therefore, be wary of any claims on products that “guarantee” results. There are just too many variables to substantiate a “guaranteed” claim.

 

Vertical Jump Improvements in Basketball: Factors Affecting Performance

As a middle or high schooler, there are three different areas that will affect your jumping ability and how it progresses over time. First, there is a natural improvement as you age and physically mature. This development may account for several inches (3”-5”) in progress even without training. During this time, you will become stronger and more powerful. This can be attributed to the hormone explosion during the phase of life we call puberty. I have a client who stopped lifting for nine months due to an injury and when he returned to the gym he was 10% stronger in several of his lifts for having done nothing. But keep in mind, your opponent is developing just like you and this will not be enough to “put you in the lead.”

Second, the saying, “practice makes perfect,” is only in your best interest if you are practicing perfect form. Otherwise, whatever you practice becomes better, even if your form is terrible. So, similarly to your basketball shooting form, learning to swing a golf club or baseball bat, perfecting your vertical jump technique over time with good quality repetitions will lead to improvement. It some estimations, this technique upgrade can lead to an additional 2”-5” on your vertical jump.

Third, as mentioned earlier, strength and power complete the vertical jump maximum improvement formula. Once this is added to the hormonal explosion during puberty and technique perfection, serious improvement will be realized. Imagine you start off with a 20” vertical jump and gain 4” in each area; a 32” vertical, or 60% improvement. By anyone’s definition, that’s impressive!

Jump training, like all other types of training, requires an all-in mentality. When you don’t come to your workouts with an intense desire to jump higher, chances are, you won’t. Here are three sticking points that can prevent you from reaching your vertical potential:

  1. Lack of Training Consistency – Performing your workouts when you can as to making it a priority will only get you discouraged because of your lack of improvement;
  2. Lack of Maximum Effort During Workouts – It is easy to “slack off” when fatigue sets in but pushing through during these times of your workouts will lead to the best results. No one ever increased their vertical jump by training with 50% effort; and
  3. Not Connecting Training to Your Game – Do you extend at your top height on every rebound, every block attempt, and every layup? Basketball itself provides for an excellent jump training workout, but it is not enough. Transferring your jump training to game-like situations is what it is all about.

 

Conclusion

Vertical jump training has inspired many to become the next great dunk champion. Although this has its appeal, there are many other areas of the game that stand to benefit from a great vertical jump. Understanding basic principles, setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, and having a program in place are essential elements in developing an explosive vertical jump that will improve your overall game. A commitment to excellence and maximal effort while training is required for optimizing training effect. So, train hard, have fun and watch your game elevate to a whole new level.

“People ask me if I could fly, I said, ‘yeah … for a little while.’” – Michael Jordan

 

 

Rusty Gregory, MS, CSCS is the coauthor of Living Wheat-Free for Dummies (Wiley Publishing). He received his B.S. (Commercial and Industrial Fitness) in 1989 from Texas Tech University and his M.S. (Kinesiology) in 1991 from the University of Michigan. In 1991, he began his personal training business in Austin, Texas, and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). In 1995, he opened Forte Personal Fitness, a private personal fitness studio where he trains athletes from a multitude of sports and people of all ages, health backgrounds, and physical limitations.

 

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to assist male and female youth basketball players in enhancing his or her jumping ability. With any physical training program injury is a risk. Consult with your licensed physician or healthcare provider before beginning a training program for his or her professional advice regarding the program in which you will be participating. Always be smart with your training, learn to jump higher, and most of all, HAVE FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winning With Class & Sportsmanship In Basketball

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Win With Class In Basketball

Do You Win With Class On & Off The Basketball Court?

 

Winning with Sportsmanship:

“It is your response to winning or losing that makes you a winner or a loser” – Harry Sheehy, former Dartmouth coach and administrator

Sheehy’s quote above demonstrates that winning and losing with character is the most important aspect of competition.  Sure, you play to win the game, and most basketball teams measure their success in any given season by the number of wins they acquired.  Hopefully, if these wins start piling up on a consistent basis, it will lead them to a championship of some sort.  Every member of a competitive basketball team plays their best to win the game.  If you and your team are successful, and you find yourself on the upper hand of the scoreboard at the end of the game, you need so ensure that you handle your successes in the proper manner.  The basketball players and teams that best handle their wins while exemplifying sportsmanship are those that manage to stay humble, avoid complacency, and show a strong desire continue their improvement.

 Stay Humble

Even the best teams and players in the basketball world can be beat.  Most people that keep in touch with NBA basketball would agree that Lebron James is currently the best all around basketball player in the world.  He continues to be a dominant force in the league and has a huge impact on every game he is a part of.  But, as the world saw in last years NBA Finals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, even he is susceptible to losing.  For this reason you should always be grateful for the times you succeed in winning a ball game.  The moment that you start taking wins for granted is the moment when you start losing more often than not.  The best teams and players genuinely appreciate the efforts it took for them to win a particular game.  They stay humble because they know that at any given moment, their fortunes could change.  Lesson to be learned here, handle your wins humbly.

 Avoid Complacency

The teams and players that get too comfortable winning, are generally the ones that will then be dealing with a loss soon after.  It is easy to become complacent in practice and on the court when things are going the way that you want them too.  When you become complacent and comfortable in your winning ways, you tend to ease off the gas pedal a little.  By this I mean you might lose that motivation and drive that led you to the successes you have been experiencing because you somewhat forget what it is like to lose and the disappointing feeling that accompanies a loss.  The teams and players that continue to win are those that avoid this complacency, keep an everlasting hunger to win, and take each and every game as a challenge to accomplish something new.  The key is to always strive for more.

 Keep Improving

As a young basketball player, there is always going to inconsistencies in your game that need improving.  Despite how good you make think you are and how much you may think you have the game mastered, there is always room for improvement.  There is no such thing as the perfect ball player.

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is a player that is constantly striving to add new aspects to his game.  Despite being named the MVP of the NBA this past year, he still recognizes that there are places in his game that can still be improved.  He and his Thunder teammates are a part of a team that continually have one of the leagues best winning percentages year after year.  Although they are considered a successful team, Durant and his teammates continue to strive for more because they still have goals they have yet to accomplish.  The idea behind this is that even if you are winning on a consistent basis as a player or team, if you continue to set goals with a focus on continual improvement, you will rise to new heights that you didn’t think possible.

 Win With Class Basketball Players!

Win With Class In Basketball

Basketball Leadership Training – On and Off The Court

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Basketball Leadership Training

Become An Effective Leader on and off the Basketball Court

Many coaches and players analyze the art of basketball leadership training.  Some people believe that leaders are born naturally, already possessing the qualities needed to motivate and inspire others.  However, it takes mindfulness and diligence to become an effective leader and regardless of whether you feel like you were born with the pre-disposition to lead – you certainly have what it takes to become one!

By beginning to focus and work on the following 5 traits of a great leader, you can begin to mold yourself into the type of player that people want to have as a motivating force on and off the basketball court.

1.  Lead by example

Leading by example is the foremost thing that you must remember as you are working to build up your reputation as a leader on and off the basketball court.  You have to continually be thinking of how your coaches, teachers, classmates and teammates see you and whether your actions line up directly with your words.  This is not to be confused with caring too much what other people think, however it is important that you are mindful and you do care about your reputation.  Think about the people that you look up to and consider what you expect from them in regards to their consistent actions, words and behaviors – it’s safe to assume that someone that leads by example is going to be well-liked, trusted and respected by their superiors and peers.

A good example of this would be to arrive early to practice and stay late – the more you focus on leading by example the more your teammates will follow in your footsteps and next thing you know, you might have three or four after practice shooting buddies.  Everyone is always looking for someone to emulate and follow – why not you?

2.   Nurture your relationships

Relationships with people are at the top of the list for leaders, because without others who is there to lead? Whether it is with authority figures like your basketball coaches and teachers or your fellow teammates and classmates, it’s important that you strive to have a positive relationship with every single person that you interact with on a daily basis.

There will always be people that you tend to “click” with better and they will be your close companions, but being a leader requires that you prove your ability to be adaptable to different personalities and with people who have different viewpoints in life as well. Regardless of whether you are interacting with someone you get along with well or someone that you simply tolerate, as a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are doing everything in your personal power to make everyone feel part of the team. Taking a few minutes after practice to sit down and get to know a teammate more personally or simply to encourage them more often is a great way to nurture your relationships.  The same goes for people outside of your team as well – who can you think of that you could invest a few extra moments of quality time into encouraging and building up today?

3.  Volunteer your time

Time is the most valuable thing than anyone can give to another person or cause.  It’s easy to get caught up in our own little worlds and focus all of our time and energy on what we need to get done in order to accomplish our personal goals.  However, caring leaders put it in their schedules to take valuable personal time to help with causes that may not directly benefit them in the long run. This attribute of a leader can be used in many ways on and off the basketball court and will certainly speak volume to your character.

There are always opportunities in your community to give of yourself and time to help those in need – whether it’s through your local church and school, or whether it’s something that you simply saw that needed to be done for your neighbor – volunteering is something that not many people are willing to do on a consistent basis.

Take a few moments to check in with your coach to see how you can help him with any extra tasks in the locker room or out on the floor for cleanup after practice. It doesn’t matter if you’re the leading scorer on the team or not, if you want to become a leader, you have to be willing to serve others first!

Another great idea for volunteering for your basketball team would be to hang around before or after practice to rebound the ball for a teammate that you know has been working to improve their form and increase their shooting percentage. The only element missing may just be extra support and encouragement from a leader to gain the confidence they need to excel – you really never know what great things can come from small, random acts of kindness!

4.   Convert your leadership failures and weaknesses into strengths

The greatest leaders are very aware of what their weaknesses are. Rather than focusing on those weaknesses to the point of self-defeat, a great leader will turn that weakness around and use it as strength – it’s all about your mindset!

An effective leader is also not afraid of failing from time to time.  If Michael Jordan sat down after missing a potential game winning shot and threw his hands up in the air with self- doubt and defeat, he’d never have become the basketball great that he is adorned for being today.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” –Michael Jordan

As you can see, Michael Jordan always focused his personal attention to making his weaknesses his strengths and you have to do the same if you are going to reach your leadership potential. Whether you need to spend more time working on your defensive game or you need to cut back the social time to put in those few extra hours of studying a school subject to help you increase your grade point average, you must take your weaknesses into account and work at them harder than anything else.  Eventually, they won’t be your weaknesses anymore and you can switch your focus onto something new – that’s the beauty in it!

5.  Become highly coachable – leaders should know how to follow!

Coachable basketball players are always the most successful.  It’s easy to step out onto the court as a talented player and “do your thing” so to speak. However, when striving to become the best leader possible, you have to be willing to admit when you’re wrong and need guidance.

Being coachable means that you are teachable, and this certainly applies to every aspect in life.  The best people to learn from in life are those with experience and wisdom – your elders and authority figures.  To be a coachable person, you have to be willing to listen first and speak less. You also have to be accepting of and open to constructive criticism; you may not always like what your coaches, teachers and parents have to say, but if you focus on grasping their overall point within their message you will gain their respect and you will benefit most.

Your teammates and peers are always watching, and if you roll your eyes and throw your head back when your coach reminds you for the fifth time in one practice to set a screen within a play your team is learning, your teammates might just do the same or form a negative opinion of you. It’s best to accept that you are struggling and focus more on getting it right. If by the end of practice you still don’t feel confident in what you are doing, take a few extra moments to grab your coach and have him break it down for you until you feel confident. Your coach will appreciate your openness and will enjoy helping you as you are willing to be coachable!

6.  Work harder than anyone else

Great leaders may not always be the best players on the team or the smartest students in class, but they do outwork other people to the point of it being noticeable by those around them. It takes a lot of effort to earn leadership status on a basketball team, and the best leaders out there didn’t have it handed to them.  Not only do you need to concentrate on your character development, but you also have to be willing to get to work!

Leading by example is one thing, but by striving to be the best every workout, practice or game through your work ethic is another. You may not be that player or student that everything just seems to come easy for and that’s fine – that just means when you do reach your goals and you do outcompete your teammates and peers you can be confident in knowing that you genuinely worked for it.

Your work ethic should be filled with so much fire and passion, that you motivate those around to take their intensity up a level when you are around – the inspiring quality of a true leader!

Leaders are not always naturally born and they certainly don’t become effective role models by not working at it.  Whether you feel like you have what it takes already or simply want to focus on developing the characteristics required for leading others, this list is a great place to start because you do have what it takes to motivate, inspire and encourage – all within you!

Top 6 Skills To Teach Your Beginning Basketball Player – Shared By An NBA Scout

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Top 4 Skills To Teach Beginning Basketball Players

We have had the pleasure of working many Austin Youth Basketball Clinics with former collegiate & pro player Mike Vandegarde.  Mike has also worked for years as collegiate coach and has been a scout for the NBA for the last 15 years.   Mike is also the proud father of two youth basketball players.  We asked Mike: “What should parents, coaches and trainers focus on when teaching beginning youth basketball players?”

What to teach a beginning basketball player as they start to learn the game

The Basics…

How to Dribble:

Practice, Practice, Practice, that is how children learn how to dribble.  Being able to dribble with both hands is the most important skill one can learn early on.  Following that they need to learn how to dribble without looking at the basketball.  Also, learning how to change directions while dribbling to get by defenders is when things really get exciting.  They need to practice dribbling while going full speed.  That means running and dribbling as fast as they can without losing control of the ball.  These dribbling techniques can not be learned unless the time is put in by the player on the court.

How to Shoot:

Technique is the rule when it comes to shooting.  The shooting hand needs to be under the ball and the guide hand needs to be on the side of the ball.  The ball should not be deep in the palm of your shooting hand.  Proper rotation and release is vital and that is very difficult for many younger children.  As you release the shot the middle finger and pointer finger should be the last 2 parts of your hand touching the ball.  A reverse rotation on the shot is best and that helps as the ball lands on the rim to make the ball go through the basket.  Age, strength and size will determine the level of skill they can master in terms of shooting the ball.  Different release points or very normal for kids early in the learning process.  Weather the release is from the body, the forehead or the side it is most important to teach your kids how to shot with one hand and how to get the proper rotation.

How to Pass:

Being able to pass the ball makes playing the game with others fun.  A simple chest pass, bounce pass, and overhead pass are needed from day one.  Hands should be on the sides of the ball, and both hands should be used while passing.  Many kids like to use one hand and that teaches bad habits.  A chest pass should be straight with no arc and from chest to chest.  A bounce pass should be the exact same form as a chest pass and should bounce closer to the receiver then the passer.  Both these passes should have some backspin to make it easier to catch and softer on the bounce.  The overhead pass is very similar to a soccer throw in.  You have both hands on the side of the ball and throw from the top of your head to the receivers face.  Passing is very much like dribbling.  Practice is the only thing that will get you better.

The Advanced…

How to make a proper lay up:

So many kids can not make a layup jumping off the proper leg and shooting with the proper hand.  This is the best technique you will ever teach a child learning the game.  You shoot a right handed layup with the right hand jumping off the left foot.  The right knee should come forward and help propel the entire body up toward the rim.  Just like you are skipping or jumping to touch something very high.  A left handed layup is the exact mirror image.  You shoot with your left hand jumping off your right leg.  Once again the left knee will go forward as if you are skipping or jumping for something very high (videos are all over the internet to get this technique correct).  Basketball is all about footwork and balance and learning to shoot a proper layup sets the foundation for everything your child will learn about the game.  Kids get cut from middle school and traveling teams because they can not make a proper layup.  Teach them early how to do it correctly.

How to Pivot:

This takes balance and proper technique.  When kids first start playing games they get stuck when they pick up the ball after dribbling.  They need to learn how to pivot to create good passing angles and passing lanes to pass the ball to a teammate.  Kids need to learn how to pivot on their toes and stay on balance.  There are 4 types of pivots. A right forward pivot, a right reverse pivot, a left forward pivot, and a left reverse pivot.  Understanding each one takes time and practice.  Being able to do just one pivot well will make a difference when playing games and not turning the ball over to the other team.

Triple threat position:

Triple threat means when you catch the ball you should be ready to dribble, pass, or shoot.  This means catching the ball and bringing the ball to your chest with your strongest hand behind the ball ready to dribble, pass, or shoot.  Every time you catch the ball you should teach your child that their first instinct should be to go to the basket with the dribble.  Most kids just starting out need to get within 6-8 feet of the basket to make a shot.  As your child gets a better understanding and skill level for the game they can tell when a pass or quick shot is the best option.

In conclusion…

Everything I have talked about in this article takes time and practice to master.  Children need to not only practice these skills but to practice them going at full speed.  Games happen at full speed and kids need to practice techniques at full speed.  If your son or daughter has a real interest in the game these early techniques are a necessity to building their skills for the future.  We all want our children to have success in sports so go find a driveway, a park, a basement, or a gym and get started to today and share these great skills with them.

Basketball Food Journal – Keep One & Get Ahead In The Game!

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Basketball Food Journal

Basketball Food Journal – What is That?

A basketball food journal, also known as a food log or food diary, is a daily form that serious players in basketball training use to track your nutrition intake over a set period of time.

I believe that all basketball players should keep a daily food journal for at least 2 weeks out of every month, if not just making it an ongoing part of their basketball nutrition strategy.

Keeping a food journal is fairly simple, yet does require an increased commitment to logging everything that you eat and drink for a set period of time.  You can choose to either create your own personal food journal, buy or find a pre-made one online or even use a phone app such as My Fitness Pal.  Whichever way you decide to go with logging your daily nutritional intake, be sure that it makes the most sense for your lifestyle and personality so that you will stick with it in the long run.  We also recommend periodically sharing your food journal in your discussions with your basketball trainer so they can help you pinpoint between your peaks and valleys in performance.

A basic food journal for basketball players should at the very least include: what you are eating (try to be as specific as possible), what time you ate each meal/snack, a way to track your water intake, how much time has passed between each meal/snack, how you felt before and after you ate.  More detailed journals centered on meeting specific goals like increasing muscle mass or reducing body fat percentage should include things like total calories along with fat, protein and carbohydrate content of each meal.

The most convenient time to log your food and fluid intake will be different for everyone.  Some players may find it easier to jot things down after each meal and snack as they go along in their days, while others may have more success doing it all at the very end of their day.  The only potential problem to waiting until the end of the day is the chance that you might forget to include something.

Making the decision to commit to tracking your nutritional intake as a basketball player can have a very positive impact on your overall health which will translate into your performance on the court.  How can you know whether or not you are consistently fueling your body with the right types and amounts of foods if you don’t take the time to review your days and weeks?  The bottom line is that you can’t, while it is effective to always choose as healthy foods as possible, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fine details of your diet that could be causing you to perform at less than your best.

I’d like to share with you my top 4 reasons why every basketball player should keep a food journal at least from time to time.

  1. Recognize patterns in your daily eating habits and basketball performance

    – unless it’s written down, often it’s easy to overlook small details in your eating habits. Keeping a food journal will help you distinguish between what you think you may or may not be doing on a regular basis in your diet in comparison to what you actually are.  For example, having everything written out will help you to pinpoint patterns like what kinds of food you tend to eat at certain points in the day,  times that you may be waiting too long to eat your next meal or snack and you might even be surprised at your actual water intake.

  2. Achieve specific basketball  nutritional goals

    – it’s difficult to achieve any goal without being able to measure success. A daily basketball food journal is a strategic and wise way to set yourself up to create the daily nutrition to meet your goals.  Whether you are wanting to increase your muscle mass or even reduce some unwanted body fat, it’s important to know what and how much you are eating each day.  Specific goals require specific action and a food journal is the easiest, most effective way to face the reality of what you are or aren’t putting into your body to get you to where you want to be physically to support your basketball performance in the least amount of time.

  3. Plan your pre- and –post basketball workout meals

    – on the days that you are busy, it can be easy to overlook the importance in fueling your body properly before and after a basketball practice, workout or game. Keeping a daily food journal can be especially helpful with you being able to choose the best foods and supplements to fuel your body with.  Logging what you are eating before you play will allow you to see which foods give you more energy and which foods seem to slow you down out on the court.  Also, it’s a great way to hold yourself accountable for getting in the best post workout nutrition possible after exerting yourself physically for hours. These two meals are the most important meals that a basketball player will eat aside from breakfast, so it’s important to recognize what you are fueling your body with consistently.

  4. Keep up with your daily supplementation

    – aside from food, including regular nutritional supplementation in your basketball game plan like taking a daily multi-vitamin can be incredibly beneficial. With so many things to remember in regards to healthy eating, sometimes remembering to take your supplements can slide under the radar.  Including these in your daily food journaling efforts can help you keep up with what and when you need to take your nutritional support products each day.

As you’ve now learned, sometimes getting a little more pro-active with your basketball nutrition goals by keeping a periodic food journal can really elevate you and give you a strategic advantage to success.  It’s always easier to make changes when you know exactly what areas you need to work on, rather than feeling like you’re drowning in changes that need to be made without any real idea of where to start.

Get ahead of the game and grab your pen and basketball food journal for healthier and more effective basketball nutrition!

Basketball Trainer Writer Danielle McDonald

7 Steps to a Stress-Busting Attitude for Basketball Players

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Basketball Stress Busting in 7 Steps

Stress is one of the leading contributing root causes of poor health for most Americans. In fact, it is linked to all six of the leading causes of death in the United States including heart disease, cancer, liver diseases, lung diseases and even suicide.

While most basketball players are healthy enough to not have to worry about the above listed chronic conditions, stress can still have a significantly negative impact on players who feel overloaded between the demands of school, work, family, romantic relationships and performing well on the court.

Even chronically low levels of stress can lead to poor sleeping patterns, anger, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, as well as a lowered immune system.  Basketball players who feel more stressed are often likely to suffer from the cold, flu and allergies throughout the season.

Stress targets the physical, mental and emotional aspects of the human body which means that basketball players are constantly under attack from all angles of life in order to maintain balance between these three aspects of well-being.

Mental, physical and emotional well-being are all interconnected so it’s often that if a player is suffering from severe stress in one of these areas the other two will suffer. For example, final exam week is a time of great mental and emotional stress which can mean that physically players may not perform at their best during practice because of the stressful mental distractions of worrying about studying for and passing their tests.  Likewise, when a basketball player is physically exhausted or even nursing an injury, their efforts in the classroom or at work are more likely to suffer as well.

Being a part of a competitive basketball team is stressful in itself. From competing for more playing time to memorizing and executing plays perfectly, there is a lot that players have to focus on and worry about in order to develop their skills enough to become a great asset to their team.  Not to mention the stress that comes with trying to perform consistently at a level on the court and in the classroom that will get them noticed by college recruiters and land them that college basketball scholarship they’ve been dreaming of for years.

Many people believe that a person’s attitude has a lot to do with their daily levels of stress.  The mind is an incredibly powerful force and if you can conquer your thought processes and mental stress as a player than the emotional and physical sides are likely to follow suit for an overall peaceful and stable life on and off the basketball court.

I’m going to share with you 7 proven steps to help you develop a stress-busting attitude no matter what you may be facing in order to bring more balance to your life as basketball player and all the responsibilities that it entails.

Step 1: Become an Optimist

basketball optimismOptimism can take you very far in life.  The way you view and deal with challenging situations can make all the difference in how you respond and sometimes even contribute to the outcome.  Rather than always seeing the glass half empty, strive to be someone who sees the glass half full at all times.  Basketball season comes with many challenging situations personally and as a team.  Competing for positions, battling injury and sickness, dealing with tough losses and sometimes struggling to get along with difficult teammates or even a coach can leave a player feeling rather pessimistic; but, if you focus on the good things and believe that the negative will turn to positive and work towards your ultimate benefit than life will be more of a breeze than a struggle.

Step 2: Listen to Your Self-Talk

Basketball Self TalkAs you go throughout your day you will notice that you are always talking to yourself.  Sometimes what you are saying is positive and sometimes it’s negative.  By beginning to pay closer attention to the way you are talking to yourself you can gain a great idea of why you tend be more positive or negative in general.  Your self-talk should be positive, encouraging and uplifting at all times in order to make yourself feel confident, empowered and ready to deal with the everyday challenges you will face as a basketball player and student.  If you can’t be your biggest fan, than who will be?

Step 3: Ask Better Questions as You Reflect

Ask Basketball QuestionsReflecting upon the questions you are asking yourself throughout the day when you face difficult situations takes self-talk a step further.  It’s easy to fall into a negative, stress inducing pattern of beating ourselves up with self-defeating questions like, “Why do I always miss my second free throw?” or “Why do I always have to mess up that play?” Instead, ask yourself questions that are going to help you overcome the situation or circumstance like “What do I need to learn from my failed attempts to make it better the next time?” or “How can I adjust my form and visualize my shots going in so that I can improve my free throw percentage?”  These are the kinds of questions that are focused on the positive and are going to get you much better results.

Step 4: Use Daily Positive Affirmations

Basketball AffirmationsPositive affirmations are one of the most powerful tools that you can equip yourself with as a competitor to overcome adversity and stress.  Affirmations are things that we believe and they become imprinted on our subconscious mind, so regardless of whether you are consciously thinking a positive or negative thought at the time, what your subconscious believes is typically how you will behave when you are faced with stress. For example, if you believe that you are not a good defender in your mind, than your emotions and physical body will limit themselves to your affirmative belief.  Employing daily positive affirmations can take you to the next level as a competitor.  A good way to start using them is to make a list of 3-5 statements that are going to begin changing your subconscious mind for the better.  Try powerful statements like, “I am blessed with an athletic body and gift that I use daily to the best of my abilities!” or “Every day in every way I am getting better and better as a basketball player.” You can see how these positive affirmations will you help you bust any stress you have and take you on to success.  

Step 5: Set Positive, Realistic Goals

Realistic Basketball GoalsLearning to set positive goals is a great way to build your self-esteem and confidence throughout the basketball seasons.  Remember to use positive words, be realistic and to keep everything in the present tense. Whether you want to increase your shooting percentage, decrease your turnovers or up your assists – keeping these things at the forefront of your mind will keep you motivated, focused and less likely to be stressing out about all the outside factors in life that can cause worry and tension.

Step 6: Practice Positive Visualizations

Positive VisualizationWhile thinking positive thoughts is incredibly powerful, putting energy into positive visualizations can bring success as well. How about picturing yourself hitting the game winning shot before you even take it, or how about seeing yourself shutting down the other teams’ best player?  If you can create visualization in your mind then technically you already are experiencing the emotions that come with the success of the moment. It won’t be a surprise or simply a chance of luck, instead you will succeed out on the court because you expect to!  Your mind is an incredibly powerful tool, so get creative and put it to work—your imagination is your friend during times of stress.

Step 7: Laugh Longer and More Often

Laughter As Basketball MedicineLightening up for more laughter and humor throughout your day no matter how hectic it may seem may be just what you need to take off that stressful edge. In fact, making time to laugh often is the most powerful stress-buster around.  Research and studies are also now showing that laughing has the potential to boost the immune system as well considering that stress levels and immunity do go hand-in-hand.

Life is always going to be a challenge regardless of whether you are playing basketball or not. The important thing to remember is that you have more power over the outcome of each day and your attitude than you might think!  By following the seven steps above to busting stress as a basketball player you will be happy to find that your days will flow with more ease and you won’t force yourself to spend so much time being pessimistic, focusing on the negative and beating lf or others up over small mistakes.  The less stressed and happier you are on a daily basis, the closer you are to reaching your basketball dreams and goals in life.

Don’t let challenges, obstacles, difficult people and situations get in your way of living a low-stress and peaceful life – it’s simply not worth it!

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Basketball Stress - 7 Steps To Busting Your Stress

 

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Basketball Training And Multivitamins – Take It To The Next Level

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Basketball & Multivitamins

Take Your Basketball Nutrition to the Next Level with the Right Daily Multivitamin

Your nutritional game plan is just as important as the development of your skills out on the court. From the types of foods you choose to include in your daily diet, the fluids you decide to hydrate yourself with and the nutritional supplements that you fill in the deficiencies with are all key to maintaining a healthy athletic body and mind to play basketball at your best.

With so much information out there about supplements and multi-vitamins it can be difficult to know who to believe or what products are going to be worth the investment and your time in taking them.

My goal within this article is to help answer those questions and give you a clearer picture of what’s really going on within the supplement industry and how taking the right kind of multi-vitamin can greatly impact your daily basketball nutrition.

The Truth Behind the Vitamins Research and Studies

Nearly half of Americans are currently taking some sort of multivitamin product and will continue to do so because of their belief in its ability to improve their overall health and well-being.

However, many medical institutes dispute the effectiveness of taking a daily multivitamin based upon government funded research.  There is a lot of controversy over the validity of these studies in that they are conducted using only pharmaceutical grade synthetic or “man made” vitamins when there are numerous multivitamins on the market today that provide all-natural, plant and food sourced vitamin and nutrient sources.  Despite these big pharmaceutical driven companies’ technical efforts, there is much “unproven evidence” that taking a food and plant-sourced multivitamin can have outstanding health benefits on one’s health.

An important thing to understand about the supplement industry is that it is heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.  The FDA has been known to be overly rigorous on supplement companies for what they can and cannot say about the health benefits of their products like multivitamins.  If the supplement company can’t provide a clinical trial that meets the FDA’s narrow standards than the product is simply considered to be unproven and cannot be associated with any distinct health benefits despite smaller studies having been performed proving otherwise.  Sadly, those studies and research are simply not recognized and are disregarded by the FDA.

Most people don’t realize that performing a full clinical research trial is not an easy feat since it is an incredibly expensive procedure costing anywhere from 10-33 million dollars total. [1] The ongoing dilemma for more natural companies and products ends up being that they cannot afford to run the appropriate clinical trials required by the government to have their products honored and published as valid.

Another perspective to consider is that the companies and people who do have the large sums of money to fund these clinical trials are not willing to invest in the research behind natural, plant and food based products.  This is because if research began to emerge proving that their effectiveness was equivalent or greater to the pharmaceutical drugs and vitamins that they are invested in, than they would ultimately lose money due to the inexpensiveness of the plant-based alternatives.

Why Do I Need a Multivitamin as a Basketball Player?

Vitamins, minerals and nutrients are all compounds found within the fresh foods that we eat like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.  While it is very important to maintain a daily diet that includes all of these categories, the nutritional issue that current society is posed with are the toxic and depleted soils that conventional store bought foods are grown in.

This depleted and toxic soil issue means that no matter how healthy or organic you think you are eating, you are still going to be barely getting by or even be deficient in at least a few key vitamins, minerals or nutrients.[2]

This health concern is not biased to any age group – children, teens, young and middle aged adults, seniors and basketball players alike ought to consider this known fact and fill in those nutritional gaps with an effective daily multivitamin!

Keep in mind that nutritional supplement manufacturers are able to partner up with companies that grow herbs and plants in more nutritionally enriched, pesticide-free soils to be used within their products. Some companies pay very good money to have these nutrient enriched and toxin-free crops in their products to offer to you!

Also, herb and plant sources of vitamins and minerals that we are either unable to purchase fresh in a grocery store because they are completely foreign to our area or that we normally wouldn’t add into our daily diets on a regular basis like wheat grass, spirulina and chlorella; can be infused into these products making for a highly dense, nutrient packed multi-vitamin that can certainly take non-athletes and basketball players alike to a whole new nutritional level!

It is especially important for basketball players to take a high quality daily multi-vitamin considering all of the physical effort they exert on a weekly basis.  While being in great athletic shape is a very healthy thing, most athletes need double the nutritional support that non-athletes do since they are working their muscles at least twice as hard through all of the strength and endurance workouts that they endure. It’s safe to say that including a multi-vitamin will definitely have an impact on a players’ overall energy levels, focus, and moods while helping to support the body during intense times of recovery.

Not All Multivitamins Are Created Equal

I believe that it goes without saying that not all multivitamins are created equal; yet, it can still be entirely confusing to know the distinct differences between the several forms that are offered.

Multivitamins come in several different forms including tablets, capsules, gummies, chewable wafers, powders and liquids.

Tablets, capsules, wafers and gummies tend to be the traditional favorites and are certainly the most cost effective; however, they don’t provide bio-available sources of vitamins, meaning that even if you are only spending 10-15 dollars per bottle each month, you might as well take that money and flush it down the toilet so to speak.

In fact, tablets have been known to pass through the entire intestinal tract without being fully digested and are able to be detected in x-rays sitting within the body like rocks.  This is due to the method used to process these supplements using harmful binders and excipients that act as glue to hold the tablet together. Sounds nutritious right? Hardly![3]

Gummies and wafers are overly processed as well and typically contain too much added sugar to the point that it’s questionable as to why they are even considered a nutritional supplement. Sugar has been shown to be a leading cause of poor health conditions like diabetes, cancer and acidity in general so why should it be in your daily multi? I still can’t find a logical explanation.

Capsules are not quite as bad as the previous two, however there is concern over the gelatin often used to encapsulate the ingredients as well as filler ingredients that can be toxic. Also the actual amount of the active ingredients compared to inactive filler ingredients is something to consider as well. Are you actually getting what you pay for inside each capsule?  There are some capsule products out there that are not a complete waste of money and time, but again if you are looking for the most bio-available products to supercharge your basketball nutrition I’d simply look elsewhere.

Liquids are by far the most effective and readily absorbed form of multivitamin that you can take.  They are almost instantly taken up by the bloodstream and the vitamins, nutrients and minerals in them are able to be easily and effectively facilitated to the right places throughout the body.  Many people claim to even feel an immediate natural boost of energy after taking a high quality liquid, plant-based multivitamin.

Again, it’s important to ensure that you always double check the sugar content in these products and go with one that is sugar-free or at least contains a plant-based sweetener like stevia or licorice root.

Basketball players need to make sure that they are taking a liquid or powder form of multi-vitamin since their bodies require more nutrition than most. There’s no point in including a slow-absorbing form of multi-vitamin in your daily basketball nutrition just so to say that you do take one.  Players need to be sure that they are getting the instant concentrated nutrition they are wanting as soon as they take it!

How Do I Choose the Right Daily Multivitamin to Meet My Basketball Needs?

Now that you understand the difference between the different forms of multi-vitamins and are ready to pick out one to fill in those nutritional gaps, the decision becomes even easier when you know which supplement is actually going to do what it says and give you the competitive nutritional edge that you may be looking for to support your basketball activities and everyday life.

Your choice of multivitamin should be based upon the purity of the ingredients, the sourcing of the ingredients and where they came from, its overall formulation and its active bio-availability to the body.

Purity of the product’s ingredients should be obvious to you by containing only a small number of “other ingredients” on the fact panel as well as there not being any harmful and toxic additives like magnesium stearate, silica, artificial colors and titanium dioxide to name a few.

Sourcing and formulation go hand in hand and can be hard to distinguish amongst products; however, it’s not always about going with the product that has the highest amount of vitamins in it but rather about the blend of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, superfoods, superfruits and amino acids you are getting. Typically, the multivitamins that have specialty blends in them are your better supplement choices rather than the ones that simply just list out Vitamin A through D and that’s all it has to offer. Your first thought should be, “So then where do these vitamin sources come from?” You should certainly see recognizable foods, fruits and herbs on the nutrition fact panel as you are skimming over it and if you don’t then you can be assured that the product is synthetic, overly processed and made in a laboratory.

Finally, when choosing a multi-vitamin you must consider the products bio-availability.  Bio-availability means how readily available for absorption the vitamins and nutrients are within the supplement to your blood stream and body to be quickly digested, assimilated and absorbed. If the multi-vitamin is highly bio-available then you should feel more energy and well-being within minutes of taking a dosage.  If you can’t tell a distinct difference in the way you feel overall when you take your current multi-vitamin than I’d consider switching it up. Your body will certainly thank you!

How Often do Basketball Players Need to Take A Multi-Vitamin?

It’s all in the name – a daily multi-vitamin needs to be taken daily. However, the great thing about taking a plant-based and food sourced liquid supplement is that the body is going to utilize the nutrients much more quickly and efficiently than less desirable forms. This means that if a player takes one serving of their multi-vitamin at 7 A.M. with their breakfast, then goes off to school all day followed by a practice until about 6 P.M. – after 10 hours of mental and physical stress typically entailed within a student athletes’ day they may be due for another dose of a nutritional powerhouse supplement like a multi-vitamin. This somewhat goes outside of the thinking that you can only take a daily multi-vitamin once daily, but the reality is that if you are taking the right multi-vitamin you can call upon it whenever your basketball body needs a nutritional boost up to a few times each and every day.

Now that you have a lot of really great information regarding what makes a quality daily multi-vitamin product, it’s time that you either start utilizing the nutritional power of adding one into your daily routine or replacing your old one by taking the time to research and invest in a supplement that is going to provide you with what it longs for on a daily basis – an adequate source of quality vitamins, minerals and nutrients!  Ask your doctor or nutritionist what would be the right vitamin for you and your basketball health!

[1]http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/09/21/the-hidden-costs-of-running-a-biotech-company/

[2] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/

[3] http://www.bloodrootproducts.com/About_Fillers_and_Binders_s/271.htm

Overcome Your Fears: Part 4 of The Definitive Guide To Your College Basketball Dream

By

All In Basketball Trainer

Scared of Your Basketball Dream?

Don’t be.

Great rewards are proceeded by great adversity.

In order to chase the dream of playing college basketball hopeful prospects must see beyond the rare full ride (Part 1), crunch numbers in order to package themselves utilizing as many resources as possible (Part 2 Numbers Game), and then work through (Part 3 The Process) the maze that is the recruiting process with a careful diligently planned attack.  Part 4 of this seven part series deals with developing the confidence, perseverance and the commitment to go “all in” to fulfill the dream.

If it is your basketball dream, go all in!Basketball Dreams Have Obstacles

College basketball is a year round commitment.  In a Varsityedge.com article Myths and Realities of College Athletics and Recruiting this level of commitment is discussed; “Playing college athletics is an unbelievable commitment in time and in dedication and will be nowhere close to your high school experience. In college you will play or practice for 3 seasons, in the fall, winter and in the spring, and be required to do lifting and running programs as well. You may also be practicing at 6AM or Midnight or twice a day depending what facilities are available at your school.”

If recruits are lucky enough to earn a spot on a college roster, programs then expect them to address their game on a regular basis.  The phrase “there is no off-season” becomes reality.

Before one can live this reality, they must get there.  And in order to get there, recruits will need to dedicate themselves to the game of basketball year round taking advantage of the many people and resources available to them.  Most importantly they will need to be prepared for adversity, set-backs and have the courage and due diligence to see the process through and the commitment to always try to get better.  Are your individual workouts in the gym and weight room both intense and scientific?  Are you focused on basketball nutrition and have a quality recovery and sleep plan in place as well?

One way to get better is to seek out and use a basketball trainer.  An example of a great resource for improving your game is Austin, Texas based Austin Youth Basketball. Austin Youth Basketball is growing rapidly and has impacted thousands of Austin basketball players.  Look at a recent basketball trainer job description in order to better understand the criteria you should be looking for in a partner for your success.

“The BasketballTrainer.com team is comprised of former college & pro players and coaches focused on the needs of American youth basketball players.  We believe that the basketball culture of America often has it’s heart in the right place but that we [coaches, trainers, parents] have strayed from teaching and sharing the foundations of the game that help kids to excel on and off the court.”  According to founder Austin Youth Basketball and BasketballTrainer.com Founder Chris Corbett, who has over 20 years of experience in basketball training, “90% of our focus here is on year round personalized basketball skills training.”   College basketball dreams require an edge in working harder AND smarter.  A qualified basketball trainer can help.  Click here to find a qualified basketball trainer.

Players have a hard time making a college roster if they don’t work on their game year round and seek out individual attention to improve upon and hone their skills.  On the flip side, players now a days all too easily pick up bad habits while shelling out big bucks on AAU, travel teams and showcase leagues.  If they aren’t spending too much money playing organized ball because they don’t have the resources, young players also fall victim to 5-vs-5 pick-up games where they are hosting up NBA threes, throwing around the back no-look passes and cherry picking on defense for run out fast breaks.  Similar to education, these bad habits when practiced on a regular basis when your young, become hard to break when it counts, looking for a significant scholarship and college roster to join.  Players no-longer feel that they need to work on their game and instead, work on finding the easiest way to gain the most exposure by playing as many games as possible.  In a July 28, 2011 blog posted by Marcus Bray, a club coach states that “Putting in the work to improve as a basketball player has become ‘not sexy enough’ for most young players. What I mean by this is that players today would rather travel to tournaments and play basketball games than put in the time and effort to improve their basketball skills.”[3]

The problem is that if a prospect is lucky enough to get on a college roster, College coaches actually PREFER and require that their players to go through individual workouts.

Visiting the Basketballhq.com site, we see from Mercer University (Atlanta, GA), that college programs stress the need and value of the individual work.  In regards to their Individual Basketball Skill Development Philosophy, Assistant Coach Doug Esleeck explains in a basketballhq.com entry that “One of the most important aspects of our program under [Head] Coach Hoffman at Mercer University has been individual development.  We work our guys hard day in and day out on the basketball fundamentals of the game.  This develops our players’ skills, improves their confidence, and instills a work ethic that has led to a culture in which players value individual development.  This, in turn, produces players who work on their game on their own, and as these players see success it has encouraged our entire team to spend time in the gym outside of practice.”

College Coaches could care less if you play 5 vs. 5 outside of the season.  They’re more concerned that you are getting enough reps on your shot, ball handling, and position specific stuff (post or perimeter) as well as addressing your strength and conditioning then how you did in the local organized summer league game.  They want their players to address their weaknesses and build off their current strengths.  This isn’t going to happen in a two hour league game.  Players simply won’t get enough touches with the ball and when they do, they won’t be doing program specific stuff.  From a college program perspective, it is more efficient to have small groups of no more than four players, working for no longer than an hour on the court and then another hour on their body in an effort to get bigger, stronger and faster to prepare for a game which now demands so much of your body and mind.

You are your chief sales and marketing officerMarketing Your Basketball

While AAU, showcases, recruiting agencies, coaches, parents and basketball trainers can help you “sell” yourself to college recruiters, you are ultimately the chief sales and marketing officer for your future as a college player.  Do not wait to be chosen.  Choose yourself!  Putting aside self doubt and overcoming your fears are critical at this phase.

One unique option out there that strives to help high school age kids navigate through the college maze is The Sport Source.com – they are not a recruiting agency but instead a guide for recruits and parents.  As put in simple and direct terms, “Our goal has remained the same – to ensure all kids who can make it in college make it to college.  Making a smooth transition from high school to college is what we are all about. Though we can’t guarantee everyone will receive a full athletic scholarship, we can promise that if you are honest with your abilities, you will find the right opportunity to make your dream a reality.”  So much time, effort and organization goes into finding the perfect fit for players dreaming to play college ball.  The Sport Source provides direction, advising, options and will give kids choices from a network of 5800 colleges in the US and Canada and over 30,000 Coaches looking for the diamond in the rough.

As discussed in Part 2: The Numbers Game, recruits that display not only athletics but academic ability are attractive to college recruiters.  Prospects must continue to work on their grades, take College Prep courses, focus on SAT-ACT tests, write strong essays.  NCAA sports are an incredible experience but as the famous commercial states, “There are more than 400,000 NCAA student-athletes, and most of them go pro in something other than sports.”

Stay tuned for more info on your marketing plan and communication with colleges!

Expanding your contacts into colleges and coaches

Resources such as basketballtrainer.com, BasketballHQ.com, and The Sport Source will help you become more attractive to college coaches and once you have built your body and organized a way to present yourself go forth and build an “A” list of where do you want to be.  Remember, you want exposure, not to get exposed.  Work on your skills, build your team up, and then worry about marketing.

Careful planning, utilizing the RIGHT resources and then carefully weighing all your options will help you to get through THE PROCESS on top!

 

 

Sleep Tips For Better Basketball Training

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Sleep and Basketball Training

 Does Your Basketball Training Plan Monitor Your Sleep?

You know those mornings when you feel like you got out of bed on the wrong side so to speak?

This is a result of not getting enough deep sleep during the night to promote full relaxation which typically sets a tired tone for the day.

It’s a known fact that sleeping is an essential daily activity needed to maintain excellent health and well-being. If this is the case, then why are so many of us putting getting enough rest every night towards the end of our priority list? It just doesn’t make sense.

Did you realize that 40 million people in the United States are currently suffering from some form of ongoing sleep disorder while 62% are not getting enough quality sleep at least a few nights each week?

Sleeping plays a vital role in several functions of the body including learning, memory, and immune function as well as being one of the greatest remedies for stress. Making more time for sleep each night can make a huge difference not only for your health but also for success in life with your family, school, job, and basketball performance.

The Importance of Sleep for Basketball Performance

Basketball players need extra quality snooze time to help the body and mind cleanse, repair and regenerate for the next workout, practice or game.

However, it’s too often that players are running on less than the ideal amount of sleep due to late nights after games, traveling during season, early practices and other major responsibilities like school or family.

Regardless of whether you feel that you’re currently getting enough sleep each night, it’s important to understand that a chronic lack of sleep takes a huge toll on basketball performance and according to sleep expert, Dr. Charles Czeisler of Harvard University, it’s the sleep immediately after an event, lesson or game that is the most crucial for memory retention.  He quotes, “If you don’t sleep the night after training, then even if you sleep the next night or the next night, you never learn.”

Dr. Czeisler suggests that players getting adequate rest can be more decisive and confident of their performance quality, and this factor is even more important than that extra hour of practice or time spent watching film in some cases.

He believes that playing on little sleep is like playing with one hand tied behind your back due to delayed reaction time and decreased bodily awareness — maybe you’ve felt that way during a practice or game before.

In fact, there’s a good chance that you have experienced a lagging performance due to exhaustion considering that 7 out of 10 athletes are currently not getting enough ‘Z’s’ on a regular basis.

It’s important to realize that whether you get plenty of quality, uninterrupted sleep every night or not is going to directly affect your learning ability during practice and your performance on game day!

Don’t let something as enjoyable and refreshing as sleep become an obstacle for you to becoming the best basketball player possible.

The Health Concerns of Accruing Sleep Debt as a Basketball Player

We now know that both the mind and body are negatively impacted by sleep debt, and the main concerns for basketball players because of sleep deprivation are a decline in the hormone testosterone, decreased coordination, mobility, agility, focus, mood and energy.

Testosterone is mostly known for benefiting the male reproductive system, however it is also key to building strong muscle mass, maintaining a healthy body fat percentage, bone density, vigor and vitality. It’s obvious how all of these factors have a direct effect on the level of your performance on the court.

Along with a decline in testosterone levels, sleep deprived basketball players will experience decreased hand and eye coordination causing their shot to be off or their passes to be just a little bit too slow.

Mobility and agility are also impacted and lessened, which in turn could have a negative effect on basic basketball moves like sprinting, cutting, defensive sliding, blocking out and jumping for rebounds.

Finally, a drop in focus, mood and energy certainly won’t turn you into a basketball champion.  When you lack these things consistently it’s safe to say that you might just find yourself on the bench rather than guarding the other teams’ best player or taking the game winning shot!

How much Sleep is Enough For Basketball Players?

It’s recommended that children ages 5-12 get about 11 hours of sleep per night, teens get at least 9 hours while adults need to focus on capturing 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each day.

In a recent survey conducted by the Better Sleep Council, 73% of adults are getting only 7 hours or less of sleep each night. In time, you become so far into sleep debt that the only remedy is to begin getting at least 8-9 hours for several consecutive nights.

As a basketball player, you must take these numbers seriously, because each night that you don’t get enough rest you are compromising your physical effectiveness and abilities out on the court.

Players should get up to at least 9 hours on nights after games, long practices or intense workouts.

Tips for Building a Good Sleep Credit

  • Practice relaxation rituals before bed – whether you take a warm bath with Epsom salts, read a book, use a heating pad or write in a journal, try to find a low-key activity each night that helps you to start winding down and preparing for sleep.
  • Stick to a sleep schedule – the body likes routine, so it’s best to try and plan your day around your sleep cycles. Go to bed and wake up each day as close to the same time as possible.
  • Check your sleeping environment – ensure that the environment you are sleeping in is ideal for deep, restful sleep. A comfortable mattress, clean sheets, cooler temperature and dark room are all best to promote a good night’s slumber.
  • Eat light at night – don’t wait until an hour or so before bed to eat a heavy meal. Instead, stick to light snacking preferably with foods high in easily digested proteins and complex carbs like oatmeal or quinoa.
  • Drink herbal teas – a cup of warm tea can do just the trick to take you from an energetic mood to one ready to pull up the sheets and sleep. Try calming, caffeine-free herbal teas that have lavender, chamomile, hops, peppermint, spearmint, holy basil (tulsi), catnip, valerian root, lemon verbena and passionflower.
  • Try aromatherapy – aromatherapy can trigger chemical reactions in the body that promote relaxation. Putting a diffuser in your living room or next to your bed with calming essential oils like lavender, peppermint, cedar wood, rose and sandalwood can set the tone for a peaceful night.
  • Give yourself a light massage – you can also use essential oils for massage therapy which promotes relaxation by mixing them with a carrier oil like almond or jojoba. Take time to rub the achy parts of your body then follow with a heating pad or ice pack depending on whichever feels best.
  • Reduce or eliminate your caffeine intake – consistent use of synthetic and acidic caffeine like coffee, soda, commodity sports supplements that you find on the shelves of stores and even poor quality teas can lead to an overstimulated nervous system making it very difficult to relax when you need to most. You don’t have to cut out all caffeine, just be sure to only use caffeine that is from high-quality teas and specialty sports supplements that use caffeine from plant sources like guarana seed extract from the Amazon rainforest, which is gentler on the nervous system. Also, don’t consume caffeine in the late afternoon or early evening which can lead to restlessness at bedtime. If you’re someone who has depended on these bad caffeine sources for a long period of time, it would be wise to detox your body from it and go completely without it for up to 4 weeks or more.
  • Cut off the electronics – excess mental stimulation is part of our fast paced, technologically based society. Unfortunately, too many people are winding down their days to a cell phone screen or movie which actually prevents the body and mind from settling into a deep state of relaxation needed to cleanse, repair and regenerate. Swap out Facebook and the cell phone for a book or word puzzle and you’ll find yourself sailing off to dreamland in no time.
  • Ask your doctor about food and plant-based supplements to boost serotonin levels – in many cases, the inability to truly relax and achieve proper sleep is due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Eating a healthy diet is great, but due to the lack of minerals in our overworked and depleted soils today, we are not getting everything we need from “healthy foods” like we used to even just 20 years ago. This is where food and plant-based supplementation can really help the body to supercharge its nutrient stores and help you sleep better.  A multi-mineral supplement that has calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and other key minerals are known to promote a healthy central nervous system which leads to relaxation. Noni, an exotic super fruit from the Pacific Islands, has been shown to support the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the body which helps the body to begin to naturally relax once the sun goes down. Tart cherry juice concentrate is another food-based supplement that can help to build natural melatonin stores in the body rather taking synthetic versions of it which has shown to be less effective overtime.  Finally, valerian root and lemon balm are a great duo that are widely known for promoting healthy consistent sleep.

There’s certainly no question that if you work on getting better sleep each night you’re performance on the basketball court and in life will improve. Who couldn’t use better memory, learning, focus, moods, energy, coordination, agility, speed and strength?  The best basketball players in the world are focusing on proper rest and relaxation every day which is why you should too if you want to take your game to the next level. Sometimes you need to put down the ball and take off your sneakers and simply snuggle up in bed and get to snoozing overtime!  Connect with a local basketball trainer to help you optimize your basketball training.

Sleep and Basketball Training

 

Play With Heart: Leave It All On The Court

By

Train With All Your Heart

Leaving it All on the Court will Help You Achieve Your Basketball Dreams

There’s 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter and you’ve played practically, if not every minute of the game up to this point. You’re exhausted and drained from your efforts, but it’s such a close game that to let up now might mean that your team doesn’t get the win.

So, what will you do?  Do you begin to play half speed, slacking on defense and giving up easy points to the other team? Or, do you light a fire within and begin pouring every bit of yourself into the game playing obviously harder and smarter than anyone else out on the court?

What you choose to do in the game of basketball during these moments, despite the score and whether it looks like your team is going to come out on top, determines your level of heart that you possess for the game.

To play with heart means to give so much of yourself physically and mentally during the basketball game that by the time that buzzer goes off and the last shot has been taken, you can confidently go within yourself as you walk back to the locker room and be proud of your efforts regardless of a win or loss.

This is what true leaders possess, that inner fire inside their gut that ignites right at those moments when diving for a loose ball or boxing out to get another rebound seems physically impossible, yet they somehow seem to always find the strength to give 150% every time that they set foot on the basketball court – refusing to let anyone else out hustle or show more heart than them.

As you enter into or already are in your high school basketball years, college prospecting becomes a big part of your summer camps and seasons.   It’s important to understand that sometimes, college coaches and recruiters aren’t always looking for the most talented players, but rather the ones that they see play with heart, are coachable and can be sculpted into more skilled players once recruited.

So, rather than just focusing on your skills, although this is obviously vital, don’t forget to work on your inner character and lead by example to rally your team during those tough moments when things might seem impossible.

A good place to start showing more heart is in practice.  There are certainly those practice days that the team seems a little off and there’s a low, sluggish energy amongst the team – this is when the players with heart will step up and make a big play to get the team energized, focused and playing better overall.

As you begin to focus on giving your all every time you lace up your basketball shoes, you will notice that this level of commitment is contagious; pour it all out and watch as your teammates respond and begin to do the same right alongside you.

Strive to be the inspiration, the motivation, the leader, and the one that gives their all every workout, practice and game by playing with so much heart that it spreads like a wildfire!

When you become this player, your dreams of playing at a higher level of basketball will become more vivid and real since having this quality is very impressive and noticed by everyone.

 

The Process of Chasing Your College Basketball Dream – Part 3 In Series: Definitive Guide To Your College Basketball Dream

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College Basketball Guide

Part 3:  The Process of Chasing Your College Basketball Dream

Before we talk about The Process in Part 3 of Chasing the Full Ride – A Definitive Guide to Your College Basketball Dream it’s important to understand how and why so many players get intimidated and are undervalued or left out entirely in the recruiting game and how many more are just intimidated by the process itself.   Part 1 and Part 2 of the guides are also available for reading by clicking on their link.

Showcase Events & The Harsh Reality

basketball showcaseIn an effort to gain more exposure prospects will often attend showcase events run by a variety of different organizations in the summer, fall and spring.   Showcase events also occur during the high school season when organizers look to schedule multiple games pitting non-conference opponents against each other in a day-long, weekend or a holiday setting drawing recruiters while they look to cash in on sponsors, fans, concessions and merchandise.  Showcases are very often attended by college, prep and junior college coaches from all levels and give kids a chance to really make a great impression.  However, prospects can also often leave these events overwhelmed, intimidated and under the radar with such an influx of talent all at one location in a condensed time setting.  Various factors including politicking by high school and all-star coaches as well as parents and even the showcase promoters cause a high percentage of quality prospects to miss out.  These events have become platforms for grassroots organizers to promote their product while putting on a great show which showcases individualized play.  AAU basketball which used to dominate summer has actually taken a back seat to major shoe companies such as Adidas and Nike as well as local, regional and national celebrities who now run about 99% of showcase events.[1]  Off-Season basketball has become big business and many people could care less about finding a partial scholarship for a local “super-star” who isn’t getting a full ride and is “just” playing AAU ball.

Location, location, location and international prospects

New York City Basketball ExposureNew York City is known as a breeding ground for point guards.  Nate Archibald (Bronx), Mark Jackson (Brooklyn), Earl “The Pearl” Washington (Brooklyn), Bob Cousy (Cambria Heights), Sebastian Telfair (Brooklyn) and Kenny Anderson (Queens) to name just a few have given the world of basketball some of the best pure point guards ever seen.[2]  On the flip side of the city life, there are the Larry Bird-prospects that rise to the NBA from rural small towns in underpopulated remote areas.  The players that live in obscurity but gain national attention with their incredible basketball talent.  Then there is the international fundamentally sound geniuses like Sarunas Marciulinois and Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania), Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), Tony Parker (Belgium-France), Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Steve Nash (South Africa-Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon (Nigeria).  These players have become household names for basketball junkies.[3]

Unfortunately, the NYC point guard, small town legends and international studs are rare finds and for every one sure thing, there are thousands of prospects in these locations who are left behind.  How do these kids get exposure each year?  Who’s going to fulfill their basketball dreams?  That is where the importance of The Process really comes into play.

 

The Process

Choosing the right school for both academics and basketball can be a very daunting, time consuming, expensive endeavor but if attacked carefully and with due diligence all students can and should find the perfect fit.  The Process starts as early as freshmen year in high school for many college recruits.

Eligibility Center for Basketball Dreams

NCAA Basketball Eligibility ProcessIn order to qualify for the NCAA clearing house, NCAA D1 and D2 schools require a specific academic track beginning with the first year of high school.  The core courses are defined as “an academic course in one or a combination of these areas: English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy” and high students seeking a NCAA division 1 or 2 scholarship need 16 core course by graduation.[4]  NCAA D3 schools don’t require a core courses to play.

Students seeking an athletic scholarship to a NCAA I or II school or an NAIA school need to register through the associations respective eligibility center prior to receiving athletic aid.  It is recommended that students register at the beginning of their junior year.[5]  The clearing house also requires that all incoming student-athletes provide information about their amateur status as part of their registration into the NCAA Eligibility Center.[6]  The purpose of this is to keep a level playing field.  The NAIA has a similar process to the NCAA Clearing House which was enacted in the fall of 2010 called the NAIA Eligibility Center or “PlayNAIA.” [7]  The idea is the same concept as the NCAA with the intent to track all student-athletes at the national office level to be sure that everyone is in compliance.  The cost of the NCAA and NAIA Eligibility Center registration is $70 for US students and $120 for international[8] [9]

SAT / ACT Scores

Basketball SAT & ACTThe NCAA also require SAT or ACT minimum “sliding scale” scores for admissions.  The sliding scale is in place to give students flexibility in regards to their low GPA or test scores.[10]   To qualify to play intercollegiate athletics at the NAIA level, students must meet two out of the following three requirements; a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT (Critical Reading and Match only), earn an overall high school GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and/or graduate in the top 50% of their graduating class.[11]  The NAIA offers the two out of three instead of the NCAA sliding scale test score method but both have the same purpose, give lower academic students some flexibility to become eligible.  Passing through NCAA and/or NAIA Eligibility Center does not guarantee admission into a given school.  The final decision for acceptance to a school and the completion of The Process lies in the hands of the admissions department at each respective institution.

Admission

College Basketball AdmissionsA typical admissions checklist for a college or university will include an application ($40 fee), official high school transcripts, letter of recommendation and a brief essay.  Admissions departments will also encourage a campus visit and once they have the prospective student touring their grounds, they will conduct an interview.  More and more schools have moved to the on-line approach of recruiting which enables them to attract and filter through large numbers of recruits without physically having them on-campus.  While college coaches are targeting student-athletes for their teams as early as middle schools, the admissions process typically begins junior year in high school when students, guidance counselors along with parents and or guardians will target schools and map out some possible campus visits.  Some highly regarded academic high schools have students begin this process their sophomore year but generally some prep work and “feeling out” is done junior year and The Process really takes flight senior year.   Students will prepare essays (1-2 pages), gather letters of recommendation (usually 1 or 2 from a teach, guidance counselor or other school official) and official transcripts (complete with grades, class rank and test scores) while deciding which colleges they would like to apply to and figure out if they want to go for early or general admissions to the chosen institution(s).[12]  Once application files are complete, schools make a decision and put the ball in the court of the recruit.

Financial planning & financial aid

College Basketball Financial AidFinancial planning and financial aid are often a deal breaker in the recruits’ decision to where they go to school.  While the hope is that students will be able to afford college with a full-ride athletic scholarship (Part 1) or some sort of family trust, nest egg or a big dip into savings, the reality is that two thirds[13] of all students take advantage of academic merit scholarships, athletic scholarships and/or FAFSA as discussed in Part 2 (link or even excerpt here).  Students can apply for FAFSA beginning on January 1 of their senior year in high school.  Early application is encouraged as much of the funds are awarded first come, first serve once the need is determined to be equal.  The Process for the ‘average’ basketball recruit is complex and while finances are a huge factor, the level of comfort, value and attention the player has from the team can close the deal.

Where to start and how to get there?  Narrow down your choices

Narrow Down College Basketball ChoicesPut quite simply, the more a coach wants a player, the more attention he or she is going to get during The Process.  However, recruits should never stop trying to prove themselves and should not settle for a team because it is local, or their sibling or friend is there or because they are being pushed there by a community, parents, high school coach or some other outside influence.  If you are looking to get  a start in narrowing down college choices that might be a fit for you, then I recommend you use a tool developed by a company I am involved with.   The Sport Source has a tool that is free for 24 hours use that permits you to input some of your criteria and also qualifications and then helps create a personalized database of which schools could be a fit for you.  Click here to learn more about MATCHFIT.

The campus visit is vital in getting the proper level of comfort with a team.  A chance to bond with the players, sit down with the coaching staff, check out the facilities, possibly catch a game or practice and just take in the environment where they may spend the next four years of their life is high encouraged.   In other words, don’t wait to get chosen, choose yourself!!

Once this has been done, recruits should seek out what their athletic value to team could possibly be.  In order to reach the point in The Process where a recruit is truly wanted and valued by a program, most prospects must use their “knowledge and persistence as weapons”   They have to be able to “accept criticism, be honest with their ability in order to find the best fit”.  Players develop by taking advantage of their strengths and really working to get better in the off-season.  Individual Workouts, hiring a Basketball Trainer, and utilizing teammates are all ways to close the gap on the competition and earn a spot on a college team.

The Process then becomes what you make of it.  Enjoy The Process, make it an experience of a lifetime while carefully navigating through colleges and basketball programs that fit your need, comfort level and desires as a college basketball player and before you know it you will be living the college basketball dream!

 

[1] The Truth About AAU Basketball – By Ryan Wood, iHoops.com

http://youth.usab.com/locker-room/summer-basketball/articles/The-Truth-About-AAU-Basketball.htm?cmp=39-31–iHoops

[2]    Top 10: New York City’s Greatest Point Guards – By Kevin Askeland (MaxPreps.com)

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/s6vRpaQxhkGX5goss-dOfA/top-10–new-york-citys-greatest-point-guards.htm

[3]   The 30 Best Players Born Outside Of The States In NBA History – By Joseph Duruaku

http://dimemag.com/2013/08/the-top-30-nba-players-born-outside-of-the-states-in-nba-history/6/

[4] NCAA Course Work Requirements – College Board

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/prepare/athletes/ncaa

[5] Information about the NCAA Eligibility Center formally known as the NCAA Clearinghouse

http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/ncaaclearinghouse.htm

[6] Amateurism

http://www.ncaa.org/amateurism

[7] NAIA Eligibility Center

http://www.playnaia.org/

[8] NCAA Eligibility Center

http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp

[9] http://www.playnaia.org/page/fees.php

[10] Eligibility Center Quick Reference Guide

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Quick_Reference_Sheet.pdf

[11] NAIA Eligibility

http://www.playnaia.org/page/eligibility.php

[12] College admissions in the United States – Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_admissions_in_the_United_States

[13] Financial Aid: FAQs

Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Aid –

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/financial-aid-faqs

Basketball Training & Nutrition – Healthy Carbs

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Basketball Training & Nutrition

Choosing Healthy Carbohydrates for Optimal Basketball Performance  

There is a lot of controversy over carbohydrates floating around the internet these days.  While some diets recommend that you go as low carb as possible, others simply recommend that you switch to focusing on what kind of carbohydrates you are consuming.

Basketball players certainly need carbohydrates because of all the energy expended during workouts, practices and games. I like to think of carbohydrates like the gas in a car – without it, you aren’t getting anywhere very quickly right?  So, when it comes to basketball performance, carbohydrates are a must!

The main health concerns with the over consumption of unhealthy carbohydrates over a period of time are unstable blood sugar levels, unwanted weight gain, heart disease and metabolic disease (type 2 diabetes).

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be overweight to suffer from health issues like unstable blood sugar levels and diabetes, making it important as a basketball player to understand why you need to be choosing your carbohydrate sources wisely to support your overall health and basketball performance.

What are Bad Basketball Carbs?

Bad carbs, most commonly referred to as ‘simple carbohydrates’ are made up of only one or two sugar molecules.  Simple carbs are rapidly digested in the body and are the quickest source of energy available; however, the main problem with relying on simple carbs as a fuel source for basketball performance is that the energy is not sustainable and they cause unstable blood sugar levels and insulin production.

The digestion of simple carbs happens so fast in the body that blood sugar levels skyrocket almost instantly causing a surge of energy.  This rapid rise in blood sugar is always shortly followed by an equally fast decline known as a ‘blood sugar crash’.  A blood sugar crash typically leaves you feeling tired, stressed and hungry again, which is why the overconsumption of simple carbs can lead to overeating and is unhealthy in general.

Each time this rapid rise and fall in blood sugar happens, the pancreas secretes insulin.  Insulin is a hormone that is important for regulating several metabolic functions in the body including blood glucose uptake and fat storage.  Basically, insulin is responsible for helping the cells pull glucose (energy) from the blood which is why it is such a key part of healthy energy and metabolism.

Over time, if you continually rely on simple carbs as a main fuel source then your body either stops responding to the insulin that the pancreas sends out or the pancreas becomes overworked and quits releasing insulin altogether.  At this point, you are headed for more serious health problems.

Another key thing to know about simple carbs is that they have little to no fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Fiber plays a huge role in healthy digestion and stable blood sugar levels and without it, your metabolism and energy levels will continue to be on a roller coaster ride of instability and inefficiency.

Sources of simple carbs to greatly reduce or completely eliminate mostly include items that contain refined sugars and flours like table sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, candy, soft drinks, conventional fruit drinks, jellies, white, wheat and multi-grain breads, wheat pasta, chips, cookies, baked goods and packaged cereals. There are healthier versions of many of these foods, but generally speaking these should be on your list to avoid. 

 

What are Good Basketball Carbs?

On the other hand, good carbs or ‘complex carbohydrates’, are an ideal source of sustainable energy for basketball performance. Complex carbs are made of sugar molecules that are woven together like a braid which digest much more slowly in the body.

Digesting slowly means that blood sugar levels gradually increase and insulin production is much slower making complex carbs more suitable for a healthy metabolism.

Since complex carbohydrates are whole food and plant based, they are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Sources of complex carbs include: green vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole-grains like buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, millet and spelt, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash and corn, and legumes like beans, peas and lentils.

 

Simple Vs. Complex Carbs for Basketball Performance

Basketball performance is comprised of several repetitive stop-and-go movements, sprinting and endurance.  This requires a lot of energy for the body, especially over the course of an intense 40 minute game or two hour practice.

Your choice of carbohydrates for fueling your body before a basketball workout, practice or game is going to determine how much steam you have in your engine so to speak.

Simple carbs may give you a quick burst of energy, but if you rely on them to get you all the way through, it’s likely that you will be left at the halfway mark or sooner feeling drained, hungry and craving more fuel.  Have you ever had to grab a snack at halftime or during practice because you already felt exhausted because your blood sugar dropped so low? This is an example of what happens when you fuel your body with carbohydrate choices that simply don’t last.

Complex carbs are obviously the best choice since they will digest more slowly and the energy extracted from them will be distributed to you over a longer period of time, leaving you with more endurance to enhance your overall performance.

Using the Glycemic Index Chart to Choose Carbs

The glycemic index is a popular way to distinguish between good and bad carbs.  This chart displays foods based upon a low (0-55), medium (56-69) and high (70 or greater) value.  The higher a food falls on the Glycemic Index, the faster it raises blood sugar levels.

While it’s common sense that the simple carbs I listed above generally have a high GI value, this chart provides an efficient way to determine between the healthier complex carb choices.  Instead of just relying on the fact that all fruits and vegetables are complex carbs, this is a way for you to get more specific with your choices if you’d like.

Although carbohydrates tend to catch a bad reputation these days because of the over-processing of many popular foods, they are a necessity for basketball players.  Understanding the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is the key to knowing how to fuel your basketball body properly when gearing up for performance.   Ask your basketball trainer how he / she can help you manage your carbs for optimal performance.

 

Game Changing Basketball Nutrition While Eating Out

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Basketball Nutrition While Eating Out

Struggling With Basketball Nutrition While Eating Out?

 

7 Keys to Maintaining a Healthy Diet 

 

Eating out can be a huge hurdle for any basketball player wanting to stick to a healthy eating program. With countless restaurant options and even more menu items, it can be confusing to know which meals are actually healthy or not.  It’s easier once you learn what to look for and how to decide what your healthier options are for building a meal worthy of your healthy basketball nutrition diet.

Unfortunately, there won’t always be the perfect healthy meal option available when eating out, so try not to stress or overthink it in those situations – especially when you aren’t able to choose the place you eat.  Simply, do you best to make the healthiest choices possible.

I’m going to share with you my top seven tips for choosing the healthiest meal options available to you when eating out as a basketball player no matter where you may end up!

1.  Eat at local restaurants – there are more benefits to eating local cuisine than choosing larger chain restaurants. Not only are you supporting the local economy, but there are typically fresher, locally-sourced organic options when you eat at local places. While it’s impossible to completely skip out on the large chain joints, every time you do end up local you can smile knowing that you will have fresher, healthier foods to choose from for a healthy basketball diet.

2.  Don’t be afraid to ask for several modifications to your order – sometimes, it can seem like an inconvenience to the restaurant staff to ask for changes to a dish.  While some restaurants don’t allow modifications to dishes, most do.  Depending on where you are, you may need to request up to four or five changes to a menu item in order to tailor it to meet your basketball nutrition needs. Don’t hesitate to ask for what you want or need, so long as you are courteous and polite.  There is no shame in making several changes to a dish if that’s what it’s going to take to help you stick to a healthy basketball nutrition plan while eating out – just smile and ask!

3.  Jumpstart your meal with water – there are several tasty and tempting sugar filled drink options on menus these days, but the best way to jumpstart your meal is by having a glass of water with no ice and squeezed lemon. Room temperature water is close to body temperature, allowing water to flow through the digestive system easily to prepare the body for digestion.  Keep in mind that dehydration is easily mistaken for excessive hunger, so a glass before your meals can help keep you from overeating. Drinking water during or immediately after meals disrupts the digestive enzyme activity interfering with proper digestion.  Try to avoid having water at these times.  Generally, it’s fine to have water again about 20 minutes after you are finished eating.

4.  Overlook the low-calorie marketing scheme – while fewer calories certainly can mean a healthier meal, this is not always the case.  It’s very common to see large chain restaurants promoting a “low-calorie menu” in order to appeal to the healthy living crowd. The problem with this ‘tunnel vision focus on calories’ approach is that they leave out all of the more important information like the fat, sugar and sodium content.  For example, it’s safe to assume that a smaller portion of macaroni and cheese will have fewer calories than a larger portion, yet both are still the same processed, refined food with the same amount of fat and sodium regardless of how many calories are in the actual dish. When making your decision for staying on track with your healthy basketball nutrition, don’t place too much importance on the calories and consider whether the foods are fresh and unprocessed instead.

5.  Consider the sugar, sodium and unhealthy fat content —Fried foods are the number one thing to steer clear of regardless of whether it’s a meat or vegetable due to unhealthy oils high in bad fat and sodium that are typically used in the frying process.  The next big thing to avoid are substitute sugars that you’ll find on the table. These contain harmful ingredients for the body.  Some soups can be very high in sodium, so try to limit your consumption of these as well. If you stick to fresh, whole foods like lean, grilled meats, whole grains, fruits and veggies then you won’t have to worry much about the sugar, sodium and unhealthy fat content in your meal. Healthy fats, natural sugars and unrefined salts are ok though since they actually provide nutritional benefit to the body.  Healthy fat options include avocado, nuts, seeds and fresh olives. The healthiest sweetener typically available is going to be honey, and stick with sea salt if the restaurant has it.

6.  Start with a lean protein source – Protein is a basic part of any balanced, nutritious diet.  Basketball players have an extra need for protein to support strong muscles because of all the energy expended on a daily basis at workouts, practices and games.  A high-quality, lean protein source should be the first thing you consider when putting together your healthy meal for basketball nutrition. Protein helps you to feel full more quickly and for a longer period of time. Choosing lean animal sources of protein like fish, turkey and chicken as well as plant-based sources like avocados, seeds, whole grains, beans and nuts are ideal.  Remember, skip out on the fried meats as well as keeping your consumption of more fatty meats like beef and pork to a minimum.

7.  Stick with whole grains, fruits and veggies as your sides – most entrées come with side dish choices, and your healthiest picks are always going to be whole grains like quinoa and brown rice, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.  The healthiest ways to order your veggies are raw, steamed or grilled and contrary to popular American belief – french fries don’t count as a veggie! Apart from choosing veggies as your side dishes, salads are always a very healthy option so long as you choose a bad fat-free dressing like lemon juice and olive or a healthy vinaigrette.  Bring your own dressing with you if you can’t count on the restaurant having what you need.  Sticking to a healthy basketball diet while eating out shouldn’t have to seem impossible or be confusing.

There will be times that it seems more difficult than others, but by following these tips you will be able to wisely pick out the healthiest food options available to meet your basketball nutrition needs while eating out.

 

Basketball Breakfast To Jumpstart Performance

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 Basketball Breakfast For Champions

4 Tips for Eating Breakfast like a Basketball Champion

Basketball players have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  As we sleep, our bodies use up most of what we consumed the day before, so after not eating for 6-12 hours overnight – it’s easy to understand why the foods that we choose to eat first thing upon rising are key to overall healthy nutrition and lifestyle.  Given that modern day basketball often includes extreme training and as many as 4 -5 tournament games in a day, it is critical that we embrace the importance of enhancing performance and health via nutrition.

The typical American breakfast usually consists of a large bowl of sugar-laden cereal with a glass of artificial orange juice or maybe a plate of syrup topped pancakes with fatty bacon.  Regardless of what your breakfast plate or bowl might currently look like, the most common breakfast foods consumed today are nutritionally deficient leaving the body starving for nutrient packed foods.  Regardless of how these foods may taste, the reality is that a breakfast void of nutrients does not promote a healthy metabolism or digestion and increases your chances of making poor food choices throughout the rest of the day.

It’s time to start changing our view on the most important meal of the day, so I’m going to share with you my top four tips for eating breakfast like a true basketball champion!

  1. Start by making time – the most common hurdle to not eating a healthy breakfast every day is having enough time.  Healthy eating preparation usually requires more time than convenience, processed foods, so it can be challenging when you have to be at work or school early in the morning and you want to take advantage of as much time in bed as possible. Unfortunately, this is an excuse and the decision to begin eating a wholesome breakfast each day starts with you deciding to get up 20-30 minutes earlier and making time for it. I can’t think of many wholesome, balanced breakfasts that can be made in 5 minutes or less unless you intend on continuing to grab the pop-tarts and doughnuts.  The first step to eating breakfast like a champion is to set your alarm earlier and make time to fuel yourself properly in the mornings. 
  2. Pack on the lean protein – in order to build strong, lean muscles the body must have enough amino acids (building blocks of protein) from protein each day and this starts at breakfast!  Rather than grabbing for the cereal bars, doughnuts and pop-tarts, start by filling your plate with high quality, lean protein choices like eggs (or egg whites if you prefer), low-sugar greek yogurt, a protein shake, black beans and turkey bacon or sausage.  Increasing your protein intake in the mornings will leave you feeling full longer rather than driving up your blood sugar quickly which always leads to a mid-morning crash. When this blood sugar crash happens you’re more likely to make poor snack and lunch choices setting a bad nutritional tone for your entire day.
  3. Complex carbs are your friend – there are currently several “diets” out there that promote a low-carb strategy to achieving the best nutrition.  While eliminating your intake of simple carbohydrates like refined flours, sugars and foods is a great idea for everyone, decreasing your intake of complex carbohydrates is not a good idea.  Complex carbohydrates are digested much more slowly than simple carbs, therefore their effect on the body is very different. Complex carbs don’t cause a rapid increase in blood sugar or insulin like simple carbs do and are necessary to support a healthy, efficient metabolism – especially for highly active people like athletes. Just as a car needs gas to operate, our bodies need complex carbs for energy. Be sure to add complex carbs like oatmeal (not instant), whole grain cereals (Bob’s 10-grain or Nature’s Path) and fresh veggies and fruits to your breakfast each day.
  4. Fill up on fiber – many Americans are not getting their recommended daily amount of fiber (30g). Fiber is an essential part of balanced nutrition in that it helps the body to maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day and keeps the intestinal tract squeaky clean by promoting healthy bowel movements.  Most complex carbs contain a good amount of fiber, but it’s always a good idea to add more to give yourself a jump start for the day on your fiber intake.  Including a few tablespoons of ground flax and chia seeds are a simple way to add more fiber to your protein shakes, oatmeal and whole grain cereals. Don’t be stingy with the fiber because champions get enough fiber for breakfast!

 

5 Day Healthy Basketball Breakfast Plan For Champions

Now that you understand the macronutrients that should make up your breakfast, I’m going to help kick start your new regimen by providing you with five different meal examples. Feel free to mix and match all of these as you’d like, but you’ll notice that in each day I was sure to include protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber no what the combination of foods were. If you stick to this rule, you will be eating a balanced breakfast. 

Basketball Breakfast #1: 2-3 scrambled eggs (or egg whites), 1/2 – 1 cup oatmeal with 2 Tbsp. ground chia seeds sweetened with raw honey (add nuts or dried fruit if you’d like), pineapple slices

Breakfast #2: Omelet with your choice of veggies like spinach, onions, garlic, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, etc… 1 Ezekiel English muffin topped with raw honey and a pinch of ground chia or flax seeds, handful of blueberries

Breakfast #3: 1/2 -1 cup of black beans with sautéed asparagus, 1 large apple with peanut or almond butter

Breakfast #4: 1/2-1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain cereal, 1 scoop of protein shake with non-dairy (flax, almond, soy, hemp, coconut) or low-fat milk add fruit of choice if desired

Breakfast #5: 1 high-fiber, low-sugar bran muffin, 1 hard-boiled egg, choice of lean turkey sausage or bacon

The keys to eating a healthy breakfast are strategy and time. Now that you understand the kinds of foods that should be filling your plates and bowls you are on your way to fueling your muscles and metabolism properly so that you can enjoy breakfast like a basketball champion!

 

Basketball Trainer Writer Danielle McDonald

 

Big Man Basketball Training – Three Training Tips For Dominance

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Big Man Basketball TrainingBig men, the game has changed for you. Twenty years ago you were relied on more heavily for offense and because of that were more celebrated by the viewing public. However coaches and basketball people still know how important you are to basketball teams. We still love you and value the things that you do. You are the defensive anchor, rim protector and possession finisher that teams still need to win games. And you can still be effective in today’s more perimeter oriented offensive attacks.

Three Tips For Big Man Basketball Training:

 

1.  Train to Flash and Crash

If you want to keep the game easy you can think about a simple rhyme: Flash and Crash. If you’re playing in an offense that doesn’t feature getting you the ball on the low post, two great places to go get the ball are in the short corner and at the free throw line. Flashing to get the ball in these two areas gives you options as a big man. You can knock down your 15 ft jumper here. You can drive from these spots. You can even be an effective passer from these spots. From the free throw line especially you can reverse the ball to the opposite wing or look to feed a teammate close to the basket. Big men who are comfortable catching and being a scoring threat via flashing have great value, as flashing players are great at helping to beat zone defenses and getting a good look when the offense breaks down. The other part of the rhyme, crashing, is something every big man must do when a shot goes up. Although big men should look to rebound on both ends of the floor, if you can focus on “flashing” on offense and “crashing” the boards on defense you’ll be a valuable asset to your team on both ends.

 

2.  Train On Your Two Man Basketball Game

Big man, you’re the other component in the Two Man game along with the ball handler. The Two Man game might be a part of your team offense, but if it’s not this is something else you can do to help your team when the play breaks down. The pick and roll, pick and pop, pick and slip and dribble handoff are all great options for getting someone an open look. And big men should really be familiar with executing all of these options. However you can really enhance your value if you identify which aspects of the two man game you are most comfortable with. Develop yourself as a “roller”, a “popper” or a dribble handoff threat. Big men on the college level and above usually know which of these components they’re best at and play to their strengths. You can do the same at your level.

 

3.  Run The Floor

Do you know what running the floor means? It doesn’t just mean technically getting up and down the floor like everyone else in a jersey. Running the floor essentially means getting up the floor quickly in offensive transition, beating your man and others down to the other end. This could mean running the wing as a part of a two or three man break, or it could be mean running the pipe in a delayed break. Big men who run the floor do two very important things for their teams. One, it gives teams an opportunity to send the ball up the floor for easy scoring opportunities. As a big man you can add upwards of 4 points per game to your scoring average this way. Two, it affects the other team’s big man and overall defense. If you are constantly running in transition, you may tire the other team’s big man out as he tries to keep up with you. You may also force a lineup change. If the opposing team is not able to keep a big, plodding big man on the floor because he can’t or won’t keep up with you, how much value do you think that has for your team’s offense? If that plodding big man is a shot blocker, the impact can be huge.

Big men, if you think “flash and crash”, get comfortable with the two man game and make a habit of running the floor, you are going to make a big difference for your team. Some of these things take practice and may require you getting with someone who can teach you the finer points. But look to train and  implement these basketball skills and watch your effectiveness go to another level. We can’t wait to see you dominating your basketball big man position.

Ask The Basketball Trainer

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ask a basketball trainer

Ask a Basketball Trainer Part 1

We get questions from parents and players all the time regarding player development, so we thought we’d take the time to answer some of these questions publicly. Let’s go to the mailbag.

I’m concerned that my son is not using the tools and skills you are giving him in basketball training during his games. He thinks he is playing well, but from an observer’s perspective he looks no better than he did 6 months ago in games. He is simply not being aggressive enough on offense, and therefore is not making a real imprint on the game. I think you have been awesome, but is there something you can do to help him realize he needs to implement more of his new skills in the games?                                                                                                                 – Mother of 11 year old shooting guard

I think your son has really developed some good skills over the last 6 months, but of course the key is to use those skills in game action. Let’s try three things. First, I will have him do a self-evaluation survey about his performance in the games. If there is a disconnect between perception and reality, we can address it head on. Sometimes young players can mistakenly find their value in what they are merely able to do, meaning the ability to do ball handling moves, having a good general shooting stroke, etc.

However coaches and observers value players for what they are actually doing in the games. If we find a major disconnect is there, I can talk to him about being the type of player his coach will love and that his team needs. Critical feedback about his game at this age may be uncomfortable for him, but it will help him in the long run. Secondly, I’ll give him a game within the game. Since your son has become a pretty good ball handler and is depended on to make plays for his team, I’ll give him a goal of six red zone touches per game.

We’ll start at six and increase as he consistently hits that number. In this case we’ll refer to the red zone as the area inside the 3 point line. As a shooting guard he needs to utilize his footwork, ball handling ability and explosiveness to beat perimeter defenders in driving towards the basket. Holding him to a certain amount of red zone touches will force him to use what he’s learned in training. And getting inside the three point line with explosive drives is going to translate into positive things for his team, whether it’s him scoring or making a good pass to a teammate on the inside. The third thing we will implement will come from you.

We’ll have you give him an Aggressiveness grade after each game. For his position and role on his team we want him at an 8 on a scale of 1-10. If he’s not performing at an 8 on the Aggressiveness scale, he may not be giving enough value to his team for his position. If he wants to play that shooting guard position, he’s got to realize that it comes with offensive responsibility. I think if we implement these three things immediately – one thing from me, one thing from him, and one from you – we can get him on the right track towards being a more effective basketball player.

 

 

Maya Angelou Quotes To Inspire Basketball Players

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People of the world often look to athletes and coaches for inspirational basketball quotations they can apply to their lives outside sports.  The BasketballTrainer.com team believes inspiration is all around us – both on and off the court.  We also believe basketball is not life; but rather it can be a tool to help us learn how to fulfill our lives with a sense of passion, purpose, and power.  Maya Angelou and her work have been an American Treasure and we thought we should share her wisdom with our players, coaches and basketball trainers.  So let’s bring some “real world” wisdom into our world of sports and flip the inspiration funnel.  Please feel free to share this infographic on your site and with your social contacts.  Enjoy!

Maya Angelou Quotes To Inspire Basketball Players

Embed Maya Angelou Quotes To Inspire Basketball Players Infographic on Your Site: Copy and Paste the Code Below

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