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

July 20, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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

In 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 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

In 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

The 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

A 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

Financial 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

Put 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

July 2, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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

June 28, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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

June 17, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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!

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.
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.
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.
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!

Big Man Basketball Training – Three Training Tips For Dominance

June 16, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Big 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

June 6, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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

May 29, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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!

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<img src=”https://basketballtrainer.com/?p=3465″ width=”540″> Maya Angelou <a href="https://basketballtrainer.com/basketball-rebounding-quotes/">Quotes To Inspire Basketball</a> Players Infographic – An infographic by the team at <a href=”https://basketballtrainer.com/”>Maya Angelou Quotes To Inspire Basketball Players Infographic</a>

Basketball Psychology Cheat Sheet

May 25, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Tips for Psychological Growth

Basketball training works. When you’re dealing with a quality professional basketball trainer, you’re not dealing with someone who is just going to take your money because he has a decent playing or coaching resume. We can tell you stories for days of the players we’ve worked with and how they’ve achieved increased success back with their school or club teams. When we work with a player, we truly help them develop. But part of that development is, and must be, psychological. That means taking those new skills and concepts you’ve learned in training and implementing them back in your home basketball environment, where your reputation may be that of a lesser player. Players who improve must break through the mental hurdles of how they perceive themselves, and how others perceive them, to truly function as the players they’ve developed into via training. That being the case, here are some tips for psychological growth.

Personal Perception Tips

Get It In Writing. Your basketball trainer is probably already vocally recognizing and affirming your basketball development, but ask him to put it in writing. Ask your trainer to rate you on a scale in various areas and to give you a general scouting report. Seeing positive things about you written down can do wonders for the psyche, and it is something you can revisit often to give yourself a boost.

Challenge Players in Your Area. Challenging players in your area in pickup games, or in 1-on-1 games is a good way to test yourself and flex your muscle. Performing well against players in your normal playing environment will really build your confidence. In your head you may not be “better” than these players until you prove it to yourself by playing against them again.

Play Basketball Outside of Your Normal Area. If you’re not fully comfortable with challenging other good players in your area, take this step first. Go outside of your normal playing area to a place where nobody really knows you. You don’t have to go by yourself; you can go with a friend. Showcase your new skills in this pickup or rec league environment to really start feeling what it’s like to be an improved, more skilled and more aggressive player. Being around people who don’t have a previous perception of you will make it easier for them to accept you as the new player you are, and the acceptance here can help you accept your improved self as well.

Outside Perception Tips

Go On a Challenge Tour. Challenging players around you is good for your outside perception as well. Identify some of the key guys in your area – guys who are the leaders of the school team, the social leaders, and the good players who play your position and challenge them outside of the confines of team practice. If you can generate respect from key players by playing them hard or defeating them in a 1-on-1 or pickup setting, they will spread the word about your new status as an improved player.

Perform In Front Of Your Coach. If it’s tough for you to gain respect from players around you, make an effort to perform in front of your coach. This could be in a gym period at school, at an open gym session after school, or just shooting around when he is in the gym. If you can catch the coach’s eye and make him realize that you’ve improved, he can be one of the most powerful advocates you can have. Since coaches have power on teams, even if your teammates haven’t caught on yet, the coach can do things like change your position or run new plays for you, almost forcing your teammates and other observers to look at you differently.

These are just a couple of tips to help change the personal and outside perception of you as a basketball player. Don’t let your mental hold you back while you develop your skills and understanding of the game. Get with your trainer to aid you with the psychological process of becoming a better basketball player inside and out. We can’t to see you moving and playing like a brand new player.

7 Steps To Up Your Basketball Skills This Summer

April 25, 2014 By basketballtrainer

7 Steps to Improving Your Basketball Skills This Summer

If you’re a serious basketball player, you want to get better! No matter how good you already are. If you DON’T want to get better, you won’t be a serious basketball player for long because the guys you had in your rearview you’ll soon see ahead of you. Here are seven steps to really improving your game this summer.

Get an Assessment of your Current Game

Don’t just look in the mirror! Sometimes our own vision of ourselves can be deceiving. Ask your coach, your teammates, your parents and your friends to asses your current game, including your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve done this before, and I still remember some of the feedback I got from one of my buddies one summer. It still sticks with me to this day, and it helped me get better at the time he gave it. Take the feedback from others who can see your blind spots, and combine that with what you know about yourself to get an accurate snapshot of yourself as a basketball player.

Identify the Player You Want to Be in the Fall

Sometimes players start to work on various skills without identifying what they want the end result to be. You definitely want to know what you’re working towards. If you’re not exactly sure how to decide “the player you want to be”, an easy way to do this is to look at your favorite NBA or college player. Find the player you really want to play like. Look at the skills he has and how he plays the game. You can use him as a temporary standard. You can say “I want to handle like Kyrie”, or “I want to pass like CP3”. Identify the skills they have that you currently don’t but that you want to acquire.

Find a Gym

This sounds simple, but it is important. Find a practice space where you have access to a dribbling space and a 10 foot basketball goal. This can be your driveway, or it can be the park down the street. It can also be your local gym where you have a membership. Nobody gets better by waking up with the desire but not knowing where to go. You want to wake up and get right to your practice area. Find a place where you know the times you’ll have that space to train so you can get on a consistent schedule as well.

Find a Basketball Trainer and a Workout Partner

You may know “what” you want to develop, but a good basketball trainer can give you the “how”. Again the concept of blind spots comes into play. You may think you look one way while shooting or dribbling, but you really look a different way. Your trainer can help correct and guide you. A workout partner is also good for accountability. You don’t need or want a partner all the time while you are working on your game, but having a partner to work with at least once or twice per week will help keep you accountable, focused and on enthusiastic.

Find a Good Pickup Game

You’ve got to find a good weekly pickup game to work on your new skills. You want to work on skills in a pickup setting because there are generally less restrictions than organized games and you can play more freely. If you are working on that new double crossover move, it’s okay if you mess up in a pickup game. If you are working on shooting and all you want to do is shoot the ball from long distance, that’s fine as well. You’ll get more confidence and key feedback as you try things in a pickup game setting.

Find a Summer League

Whatever you’ve been working on, you gotta do it with the lights on! We all know there is a different pressure and feel when playing in an organized game as opposed to playing with your buddies. Most players are more conservative in organized games and only display skills they are 100% confident with. You’ve got to convert some of your new skills into toolkit skills. And by toolkit skills I mean skills that are second nature to you. Get practice with your new game in this setting before your fall season comes. If you can be successful with your new game here, you can do it in your fall season.

Develop a Long-Term Practice Regimen

Lastly, a long-term practice regimen is important for maintaining what you’ve worked on. We all know that the basketball season starts in the fall or winter, but your summer vacation ends in August. You’ve got to come up with practice time to hold you over so you don’t lose your skills Even if your school has a basketball offseason class, that time is usually not dedicated to you doing whatever you want to do to develop perosnally. You still need personal practice time. Find a location and two or three days per week that you can work on your basketball game in the midst of homework, projects and the football season.

We’ve just given you 7 steps tips to improving your basketball game this summer. Get started now with an assessment, and contact us to help you with the process of developing into the player you want to be. Have fun practicing and playing games this summer. We can’t wait to see how you grow!

Top Ten Reasons to Work on Your Shooting This Summer

April 24, 2014 By basketballtrainer

When I was a kid, Michael Jordan was the best player in the world. As a result, kids all across the world wanted to play just like him. That meant driving to the basket, getting steals, and hitting game-winning shots. When I was a kid I even drove to the basket with my tongue out! As people my age got older, we wanted to dunk on people like Michael and score crazy amounts of points like Michael. We wanted to be like Mike. One thing that me and a lot of other people didn’t work on until later in our basketball lives was the art of shooting, because shooting wasn’t as cool as driving and dunking.

Fast forward to today. Who is the best player in the world? Lebron James. He’s actually a good shooter but is not known for his shooting. His best attributes are in other areas. But kids today should still work on their shooting.

Here Are Your Top Ten Reasons to Work on Your Shooting This Summer

10. Everybody can be a good shooter. Everybody’s not going to be able to dunk from the free throw line or sprint up the floor in 3 seconds, but everybody has the potential to be a good shooter. So even if you aren’t blessed with MJ’s or Lebron’s physical gifts (which most of us aren’t), you can still have value on the basketball court.

9 . 3 points is better than 2. If you’ve played basketball for any amount of time you know this is true. You can make the prettiest, most creative and athletic move to the rim and score 2 points, and the guy you are guarding can come right back and hit a quick shot and score 3 points! It’s frustrating but that’s life. 3 is better than 2.

8. Shooters get to stay in at the end of games. There are three types of players who coaches trust at the end of games – guys who can handle the ball, guys who can play defense, and guys who can shoot. 3 point shooting is needed to make big comebacks, and free throw shooting is needed to close-out games.

7. You get free scoring opportunities at the end of games. Do you know what happens when you are a good free throw shooter and your team is up by 4 points with 30 seconds left? Your teammates will give you the ball, the other team will foul you, and you get a chance to score more points at the free throw line. Woohoo!
6. Everybody needs a shooter. I have a buddy who is 6 foot tall and 180 pounds soaking wet. He played big time college basketball on a full basketball scholarship. Do you know why? Because he can shoot, consistently, from faaaar beyond the 3 point line. Every team needs a shooter and shooting can be your way onto your middle school, club, or high school basketball team. If you’re an outstanding shooter, you may even have a chance at college basketball.

5. Chicks dig the long ball. Okay, that’s a baseball joke, but I had to get that in there. Do you know the best way to hear a gym or arena go crazy? Hit a big 3 pointer! There’s nothing like it. Fans dig the 3 ball. Your team digs the 3 ball.

4. Shooting opens the rest of your game up. As I got older I realized that Michael Jordan was a great jump shooter. He used his jumpshot to score when defenders sagged off of him, and he used a shot fake to get defenders in the air to go to the basket. If you can shoot, it actually helps you to get easier driving opportunities and get those highlight finishes we all love.

3. Shooting is cool again. Kevin Durant is a great shooter, and there are whispers that Kevin Durant might be better than Lebron James *gasp*. Most people (including me) will still say that Lebron is still better, but Kevin is at least making it a real argument. Kevin is a shooter who is one of the Top 2 players in the world. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to say that. Shooters are coming back in style.

2. Shooting is the great equalizer. When I was a sophomore in HS school still playing sub varsity basketball, I got a chance to play one of my school’s varsity starters, a senior, in a game of 1-on-1. I was able to beat him… mainly because I hit a lot of long distance shots. He was bigger, stronger and faster than me, so he felt he should have beaten me. He wanted a rematch. I beat him again. And again. At the end of it, he asked me not to tell anyone about it. Sorry Nigel, I’ve got to finally tell somebody. I was a decent shooter then, but not a great one. If I would have really developed my shooting ability at that time, I could have played Varsity basketball earlier than I did. Shooting is a unique skill that allows players to play at a higher level than their physical attributes or other skills may allow. It really is great to be a shooter.

And number 1 *drumroll*…

1. You can achieve greatness with a single shot!!!

If you’re not inspired to work on your shooting after that, you don’t love this game! Happy shooting!

BasketballTrainer.com writer Chris Price is a former Texas Longhorn, a basketball trainer at Austin Youth Basketball, and a big Houston Rockets fan.

AUSTIN GIRLS BASKETBALL CAMP

May 12, 2013 By basketballtrainer

Click Here For Austin Girls Basketball Camp Info

Your Basketball Trainer and Game Plan for Success

December 14, 2012 By basketballtrainer

Most basketball players have the desire to become a better player but they are unsure of what to do and how to accomplish their goals. You wouldn’t leave for a trip without first looking at a map to figure the directions of how to get there, it is the same with basketball. Once you set a specific goal for yourself you need to figure what you are going to do to get to that goal. Setting goals without having any plans to follow through are no good, here is your game plan for success.

The first thing that a good basketball trainer should do is what we just talked about and that is helping you in setting some goals. Each person’s goals are going to be different so make your goals specific to you. Also you need to make your goals realistic. If you are playing 5 minutes a game, don’t make your goal to average 30 points a game by the end of the year. Make your goal to play 20 minutes a game, then once you get that aim to be a starter, and so on. You can also set skill development goals. Maybe you want to be able finish better with your weak hand or shooter a higher percent from the 3 point line. Set short and long term goals and then write them down somewhere that you will be constantly reminded of them.

Next you need to sit down and write out what you are going to do on a daily basis to achieve your goals. For example if one of your goals is to become a better shooter than you could write something like shoot 200 shots per day. Make sure that when you write out your schedule that you are able to realistically do it. If you can only work 30 minutes on your game a day start there and work your way up. When you do get in the gym to work on your game though put everything else aside and get to work. This time is dedicated specifically for achieving your dreams and goals don’t water it down with any other distractions.

Anybody can set a goal and write down what they are going to do to get there. They might even start on their way to achieving the goals they set but this is where most people drop off. To have success you must learn to be consistent. Getting in the gym for 3 days in a row and then taking two weeks off is not going to cut it. Becoming better as a player is about consistency and getting better on a daily basis. This is where you will see real improvement in your game.

If you are able to do these three things then you will give yourself a chance to have success and accomplish your goals. Don’t wait till tomorrow or next week to get started. Sit down right now and begin making steps to get where you want to be as a basketball player.

Now that you have outlined your basketball goals, head over to www.basketballhq.com to design the curriculum you need to reach your basketball goals.