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What Should I Look For In A Basketball Trainer?

November 16, 2014 By basketballtrainer

What Should I Look For In A Basketball Trainer

What Should I Look For In A Basketball Trainer?

We often get asked the question: “What should I look for in a basketball trainer?” Basketball trainers of all forms exist in the world of youth basketball today.   There are some truly great ones that use phenomenal methods to help their students become better players.  On the other hand, there are also those that claim to be worthy trainers, but fail to use any sort of effective methods to teach the game.  As a young player, you should be looking for these following simple  characteristics in your trainer to make certain that you are getting the most out of your time spent in the gym:

Basketball Expertise:

If you are paying for lessons from a basketball trainer, you want to ensure that they themselves have been through the ropes.  By this, I mean that the trainer should have experience in playing or coaching at least at the college level as a minimum.  The reason for this is because you want to know that they are knowledgeable on the fundamentals and have experienced the hard work it takes to play basketball at a high level before you take advice from them.  They must present an expertise and a knowhow of the game that shows that they have accurate information about basketball that they can teach.  Furthermore, you want to know that they can give you the tips you need to play basketball at a high level just as they have done.

Ability to Teach/ Instruct Basketball Skills:

Coach K of Duke University basketball once said, “I don’t look at myself as a basketball coach.  I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.”  This is the type of attitude you hope to see in a basketball trainer.

A key characteristic you should look for before deciding on a basketball trainer is seeing if they have the ability to teach the game effectively.  In order for you to benefit from their basketball expertise, they need to be able to instruct successfully.  A good basketball trainer should easily be able to put into words what basketball skills they want their trainees to work on, why they should be working on them, and how their extra work will benefit them in becoming a better player.  In addition to this, it also helps if your trainer is in shape enough that they can show you physically and specifically how they would like each drill performed.  Having someone that can model for you the correct way to perform a jab step or crossover dribble will help you in easily being able to copy these actions for your own game.

Enjoys their Basketball Job And Is Happy:

Nobody likes to be around someone that is unhappy.  It causes a loss in motivation and sucks the enjoyment out of that moment in time.  This pertains to your basketball trainer as well.  You should be looking for a basketball trainer that is genuinely excited every time he comes into the gym to teach his craft.  They should truly enjoy the time that they spend teaching the game of basketball and have an excitement about it that is contagious to the young individuals that they are training.  A trainer with a positive attitude is much more effective at teaching the game because he will instill a love for the game in his students that they will want to also exemplify.  When a basketball trainer can keep the game fun they promote a sort of willingness from the people they are training to exert as much effort as they can to improve their game.

To Sum Up, Your Basketball Trainer Should:

  1. Have high level basketball playing or coaching experience
  2. Show an ability to teach their craft
  3. Love teaching the game of basketball 

 Don’t hesitate to email us at BasketballTrainer.com with any questions you have or if we can help you find a basketball trainer in your area.

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball trainer, basketball training, questions about basketball trainer, what should I look for in a basketball trainer

Basketball Nutrition And Dairy Products: An Alternative Take

October 26, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Basketball Nutrition and Dairy Products An Alternative Take

The Surprising Effects of Dairy on Your Daily Basketball Nutrition 

I am a former college basketball player and during my freshmen season I had been struggling with severe digestive issues.  It was so bad that any time our team went out to the track or had a longer workout or practice; I began to dread it instantly, knowing that my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) was going to flare up forcing me to have to embarrassingly ask to excuse myself once again.  It also made it difficult for me to perform with the level of intensity I needed to in order to keep up with the rest of the team, which was very disheartening.

I knew that I had a serious health problem, but I didn’t know what the underlying cause was at the time.  Athletic trainers and team physicians kept telling me that it was all due to mental and physiological stress, but I wasn’t convinced.  My life wasn’t very stressful and I just intuitively knew that there was no way that stress was the root cause.

It wasn’t until I heard a theory about dairy products causing digestive upset in some people that I began to wonder if I fell into this group of people. I began to do tons of personal research and based upon what I found which I will lay out in the following sections of this article, I made the decision to completely cut out dairy products from my daily nutrition plan.

The results I quickly achieved were outstanding – my digestive system began to heal and I was no longer plagued with seasonal allergies!

I’ve never had any digestive issues like that since and the fact that my seasonal allergies were eliminated as well was enough for me to continue focusing on limiting my dairy intake.

I would like it to be known that the opinions and beliefs expressed within this article are based upon my personal experience with the consumption of dairy products, specifically cow’s milk and are intended to provide a new viewpoint to the table based upon my opinion, experience and research.

Milk in our Basketball Culture

Milk has long been thought of as the healthiest non-water beverage that you can consume.  Daily consumption of milk has long been promoted by the USDA and FDA as being the ideal source of non-meat protein and calcium to enhance growth development in young children and athletes as well as strong bones in the elderly.

We’ve all seen the “Got Milk!” advertisements and other commercial products heavily promoting the dairy industry as they’ve flooded us with over $300 million in advertisements each year.  Many of these marketing campaigns have featured sports stars and movie celebrities reminding us to drink milk every day for all of its nutritional benefits.

For decades the American culture has widely believed and followed this popular general health recommendation – however, today there are many people that have begun to question the validity of these supposed healthy living claims as seen on the government regulated ‘Food Guide Pyramid’.

The potentially misleading information given about the nutritional benefits of dairy products is not the only thing that poses a potential health threat to those that consume it on a regular basis; an even bigger and nastier issue is the manufacturing process of the dairy products.

Artificial hormones and antibiotics are being pumped into the sick livestock which has contaminated the overall milk supply and the only way to make the milk from these sick animals saleable is to pasteurize it which kills off any pathogens.  However,  issue still remains since pasteurization doesn’t address the toxic overload issue in the supply that directly impacts the American public’s health and safety.

This article is not intended to bash the dairy industry, but rather to inform and educate basketball players to help them make the wisest nutritional choices possible to support their athletic bodies through building a wise nutrition plan.

Knowledge is power, and understanding the harmful effects that today’s dairy products can have on the human body is game changing information.  Fortunately, in today’s health foods market there are several milk alternatives to choose from providing safer and more wholesome health benefits for basketball players and non-athletes alike.

Does Dairy Have a Rightful Place in a Healing Diet for Basketball Players?

Basketball players and athletes have high demands put on their bodies, so it’s important that they are only fueling up with foods sources that are going to keep it functioning effectively and efficiently while avoiding any sources that could potentially cause health issues.

While milk has long been touted as a very nutritious food source, the fact is that dairy foods are mucous producing agents that promote the growth of bad bacteria in the body.  This auto-immune reaction interferes with the cleansing-healing process, making it practically impossible to allow your body’s own natural healing mechanisms to work optimally.

Dairy foods are very dense and high in saturated fats that challenge digestion, immunity and metabolism.   Basketball players need to consider this alarming physiological truth because anything that is going to hinder those three basic bodily functions is certainly not something that you want to include in your healthy basketball nutrition plan on a regular basis because it could slow you down on the court so to speak.

In fact, over one-quarter of Americans are intolerant to dairy foods (lactose intolerant), meaning they will experience allergic reactions, very poor elimination and digestion (weight gain and constipation) and severe mucous build-up (inflammation). Sounds nasty right? That’s because it is.

Another startling fact is that dairy foods become harder to digest as we age because our bodies don’t naturally produce high levels of milk-digesting enzymes (lactase) and after we’re done nursing from our own mothers the need for this enzyme is no longer needed theoretically – unless you choose to drink cow’s milk consistently of course.

Despite whether your body is completely intolerant to dairy products or not, the strain put on the eliminative organs like the colon and urinary system is caused from the clogging that occurs over time due to the overproduction of mucous. Dairy literally acts like toxic sludge in the body slowing everything down for the worse.

Many people claim to gain higher, more consistent energy levels after greatly reducing or eliminating their daily dairy intake – this is directly related to the reduction in mucous and the improved functioning of vital eliminative organs. It’s safe to assume that all basketball players are aiming to keep their health in tip top shape and dairy doesn’t seem to fit the equation for a wholesome, clean daily diet.

What about all of the Nutritional Content in Cow’s Milk Building up Strong Bodies for Basketball Players?

Since the early 1990’s, the dairy industry has done a great job of marketing their products as an essential part of any health eating program by posting pictures of basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquile O’ Neal all over media sources to influence young players to drink their daily intake of dairy to build up a strong body to help make them a better player – the raw truth is that this is all very misleading information.

Michael Jordan did not become the basketball great that he was because he drank milk every day.  This is not to say that he didn’t drink milk, but he certainly didn’t get most of his daily recommended calcium from it considering that the human body doesn’t absorb dairy calcium well because of the pasteurizing and homogenizing processes it takes to make the milk safe for human consumption.

“A 12 year study, formally known as the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study finds that high intake of milk and other dairy foods does not reduce bone breaks or osteoporosis.  The study found that instead that hip fracture risk was 1.45 times higher in women who drank 2 or more glasses of milk per day compared to women who only had one glass or less per week.”[1]

This study proves that homogenized milk is a poor source of absorbable calcium and has very low levels of magnesium to make matters less nutritious.  Any good source of calcium will have a 1:1 ration of magnesium along with it to increase absorbability of the essential mineral. Instead, the protein found in cow’s milk may actually cause the loss of calcium via the urinary tract ultimately leading to poor skeletal health overall.

Another factor to consider is that conventional milk is not extracted from grass-fed cattle; instead the dairy cows are being fed artificial grains that are loaded with even more toxic substances making their way into your body with each sip.

The fundamental question in this instance is how can the milk from artificial grain fed cattle have significant amounts of calcium, minerals, and vitamin D when these minerals can only be present in the cow’s body if the cow is eating grass which is the original source of the minerals?  It simply can’t.

On the contrary, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables positively affects bone health.

In fact, studies have been conducted comparing the absorption of the calcium content in cow’s milk to that of vegetable sources.  It was discovered that the absorption of the calcium from brussels sprouts was 63.8%, broccoli was 52.6%, kale was 50%, compared to only 32% from milk.

Leafy greens, other vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and non-GMO soy foods have much higher amounts of absorbable calcium as well as other important minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and selenium.

Basketball players need the benefits from calcium and other minerals to help prevent sidelining injuries and illnesses, so you are much better off focusing on getting in your 3-5 servings of vegetables each day than you are by serving up a cold glass of cow’s milk.

The protein content in cow’s milk is equally as ineffective for the human body as its calcium content.  Cow’s milk contains a specific protein known as bovine serum albumin and actually triggers an auto-immune reaction in the body causing antibodies to attack and destroy insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas.  This is why children who are given cow’s milk during infancy have a higher risk of developing diabetes later on in life as mentioned in the New England Journal of Medicine.[2]

Finally, the saturated fat (unhealthy fat) content in dairy is very dense, high and unhealthy.  Even if you do choose 2% or 1% milk, you are still consuming 35% and 25% saturated fat per glass respectively.

The bottom line is that dairy products are not contributing to your muscle building and athletic efforts on or off the court in the weight room.

How do Today’s Dairy Manufacturing Processes Affect my Health?

“On November 5, 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved genetically engineered Artificial Bovine Growth Hormone (rBST, rBGH, BGH) for commercial use in the United States.”[3]

These artificial hormones are used to increase the milk production of cattle in order to meet the high supply and demand of American dairy products.

Due to America’s surplus milk demand and dairy subsidies, it’s easy to understand why farmers would use these unnatural and health hazardous hormones to promote more milk production from their cattle.

Although the research is slimmer, the International Journal of Health Services does show that genetically engineered rBGH may promote breast and colon cancer in humans.

Europe and Canada already ban the use of artificial hormones in dairy cows, and has taken it a step further by banning the importation of U.S. dairy goods to their countries for this reason.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, it’s safe to assume that common sense prevails over this matter – if only the United States had more of it considering that other countries clearly value the people more by putting the public health and safety of its citizens and livestock over the almighty dollar.

It is known, however, that cows treated with these artificial hormones have increased incidences of mastitis infections (inflammation, infection, cancer).

These infections start a vicious cycle by forcing farmers to treat the sick cattle with more antibiotics to keep them healthy enough to continue producing milk.  If the farmers lose their cattle, they lose money and they are willing to do anything to keep that from happening.

“The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that an astounding 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics are fed to animals every year to help fight illnesses that break out in overcrowded, unsanitary feed lots.”[4]

The over worked cattle’s swollen utters dragging on the manure-laden floors not only increase the risk of bacterial infections, but also contaminates the milk; in combination with the antibiotics given to the cattle to treat the infections which are also found in the milk, this creates more of a creamy toxic substance rather than fresh, raw, organic milk like nature intended.

The dairy industry’s solution to this problem is to pasteurize the milk, however pasteurization only knocks out the bacterial pathogens – it doesn’t address the matter of there also being significant amounts of hormones and pesticides still being present after the pasteurization process served straight to the American public.

The reality is that the diary industry’s current practices are not in you or your family’s best interests, it’s all to increase supply and demand for a  profit by whatever means they have to do that – healthy and safe or not!

Is Raw Milk and Fermented Dairy Products Equally Unhealthy?

Raw milk is a much healthier choice to make if you are going to continue using dairy products in your basketball nutrition plan.  Raw milk can only be found at your local farmer’s market or through a private farmer, but is definitely the way to go.

Fermented dairy products like kefir and yogurt are also healthier dairy products.  They are cultured foods that present health benefits by providing the body with significant amounts of healthy bacteria (probiotics) and absorbable calcium for the body.  These fermented foods are actually considered living because they contain intestinal flora that aide the digestive process, and since the lactase enzyme is not needed to breakdown these forms of dairy products they are much easier to assimilate and absorb than milk, cheese or butter.

There are no health issues with continuing or adding these forms of dairy into your nutrition plan unless you are completely intolerant to lactose.

What Healthy Milk Alternatives Should Basketball Players look for?

Just because the dairy industry has fallen to the wayside, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy your favorite cereal, smoothies, shakes, ice cream and baked goods.  The creamy consistency of milk is what makes it so enjoyable and while it’s obviously not the best idea to continue rushing out to the grocery store to buy another gallon when you’ve run out, it is a good idea to start looking to healthier milk alternatives that actually do provide nutritional benefits for your basketball body and nutrition plan.

Listed below are the most nutritious milk alternatives found on the market.  All of them can be substituted for milk in all recipes and are excellent served in many of your traditionally milk-based treats like smoothies and ice cream.  These milk alternatives are made using highly nutritious nuts and seeds and offer the benefits of healthy fats, protein, minerals, vitamins as well as being free from artificial sugars.

There are so many options available that you are destined to find one that suits your consistency, texture, and taste needs. Many of these alternatives are also found in vanilla and chocolate flavors and are sweetened using natural cane sugar, which still amounts to much less than that found in conventional cow’s milk.

If you are interested in making your own nut or seed milk, there are easy recipes online for making them at home as well.

Flax Milk – rich in healthy omega-3 fats, flax milk is made using flax seeds and is a great option for those looking for a creamy consistency with a slightly nutty taste. Flax milk is lactose, cholesterol and saturated fat free making it an ideal choice for replacing your cow’s milk with. The only pitfall to flax milk is that it doesn’t contain any protein, however you can find it with fortified protein if you desire.

Hemp Milk – this milk alternative is made using hemp seeds and is very rich in omega-3 and omega-6 healthy fats.  It is also a great source of amino acids, providing about 4 grams of protein per serving. Hemp milk contains 46% of your RDA of absorbable calcium and is also rich in other vitamins and nutrients like Vitamin A, E, B12, folic acid, iron and magnesium.

Coconut Milk – great for adding to smoothies and ice cream recipes, coconut milk offers a delicious milk alternative.  Coconut milk is made from the meat of mature coconuts and is easy to digest. You will benefit from drinking coconut milk because of the healthy fat content, antioxidants, Vitamins C, E and B, as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium and phosphorous.

Almond Milk – one of the most popular milk alternatives, almond milk, is known for being a low-calorie, saturated fat and cholesterol free beverage that can also help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.  Offering the nutritional benefits of calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and fiber are a few other perks to including this in your daily basketball nutrition plan.

A few honorable mention milk alternative products include soy milk, rice milk, quinoa milk and cashew milk that all are great options.

Although cow’s milk and other dairy products have long been a staple in the traditional American diet, many people are now turning to healthier, less toxic alternatives in order to prevent the risks associated with consuming today’s conventional dairy.

Basketball players need the best nutrition possible to maintain a healthy body and immune system during the season and the current facts and studies point out some valid reasons to reconsider your choices for dairy as part of your daily nutrition plan.  By focusing on getting your daily servings of fruits, veggies, and other wholesome foods as well as trying out some of the milk alternatives mentioned, you are on your way to getting enough calcium, protein and other minerals necessary to support your basketball health goals on and off the court!

 

[1] Healthy Healing, 14th ed. Page, Linda. Pg. 156

[2] Healthy Healing, 14th ed. Page, Linda. Pg. 155

[3] http://milk.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000018

[4] Healthy Healing. 14th ed. Page, Linda. Pg. 158

Basketball Trainer Writer Danielle McDonald

Note from Basketball Trainer Publisher Chris Corbett: 

When Danielle first sent me this article, I was taken aback a bit as it challenged several of my own beliefs.  After reading it a second and third time I thought it was important to share this article with our audience for a few reasons: 

  1. Many people have digestive issues and struggle with it during training. This might shed some light on their struggle. 
  2. We all need to take a better look at the sugars we consume as they are hidden in many products we view as “healthy.”  
  3. This article provides a starting point conversation that should continue with your doctor and parents (if you are a minor.)  Everyone has a different digestive system but after consulting a doctor, education and monitoring thru the use of a basketball nutrition food journal you should be able to make strides to improve your overall health and your game.  Looking at dairy intake can be one factor.  
  4. The world needs to be aware of the power that mighty lobbying groups have on our daily basketball nutrition.  Danielle brings a fresh voice to challenge our assumptions and make us think at the supermarket.  
  5. We welcome a response from the dairy industry or trainers with a different viewpoint if it can expand the breadth of this dialogue.  We will be contacting the dairy industry to hear their response and hopefully get to share that.

 

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball dairy, basketball nutrition, basketball nutrition and dairy, basketball trainer, basketball training

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

October 20, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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

Filed Under: Basketball Parenting, Basketball Player Development, Basketball Trainer Blog, blog Tagged With: basketball nutrition, basketball training, basketball training tips

Basketball Training & Nutrition – Healthy Carbs

July 2, 2014 By basketballtrainer

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.

 

Filed Under: Basketball Parenting, Basketball Player Development, Basketball Trainer Blog, blog Tagged With: basketball nutrition, basketball training

Basketball Stretching – 5 Benefits That Enhance Your Performance

June 15, 2014 By basketballtrainer


Basketball Stretching

Basketball Stretching – Have You Committed Yet?   

Basketball stretching is an essential component of fitness that is often undervalued by young athletes for its ability to enhance overall basketball performance.  Many young players are only spending a bare minimum of about 5-10 minutes simply “going through the motions” of their stretching routine without any real commitment to achieving the benefits that stretching has to offer. Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

This lack of stretching issue isn’t a matter of ‘want to ‘in most cases, it’s simply a lack of education as to what stretching does for the body.  Whether you’re a player that already enjoys spending time stretching or one that wouldn’t spend any time doing it if it weren’t for your coach or trainer requiring that you do so – my goal within this article is to teach you more about the ways that stretching can help take your basketball performance to the next level by increasing your flexibility and range of motion, reducing muscular imbalances, preventing injuries, increasing circulation in the body and strengthening the nervous system.

 

Increase Basketball Flexibility and Range of Motion

basketball yoga stretchingFlexibility comes more naturally for some people than others, however anyone can reach their full flexibility potential by increasing their average daily stretching time from 5-10 minutes to at least 30 minutes.  Some people take it a step further by utilizing a yoga practice that typically lasts up to an hour.  Basically, the more time you spend stretching the more flexible you will become and the better range of motion you will have in your shoulder and pelvic girdles.

An increased range of motion means a lot for a basketball player. How would you like to increase the size of your first step to the basket? What about being able to extend your reach to the goal a bit further on your layups or dunks? Or, maybe you need to lengthen your defensive shuffle strides to make you a more effective defender.  Increased flexibility and range of motion can take you to the next level with your basketball game by giving you a competitive edge physically in all of those tiny ways that you need it most!

 

Reduce Muscular Imbalances In Basketball Bodies

basketball muscular imbalanceEvery basketball player is susceptible to muscular imbalances simply because of the nature of the game.  Hours of strength training, maneuvering laterally on cuts and explosive jumping take a toll on the muscles and joints.

Muscular imbalance happens when opposing muscles in the body such as the quadriceps and hamstrings of the knee joint become out of sync due to repetitive movements or poor posture over an extended period of time. Basically, one of the opposing muscles either becomes too tight, too weak or often both causing increased tension on the joint that the imbalanced muscles surround leading to aches, pains and potentially injury.

For example, what do you guess is going to happen to the knees of a player who has been playing defense with their weight distributed too forward over their body rather than centered for years? Hopefully you get the picture here – they have developed a serious muscular imbalance between the quads and hamstrings which could lead to aching, injury prone knees even at a young age. You can be sure that this player is not going to reach their full potential athletically until they correct the muscular imbalance.

The good news is that most muscular imbalances can be alleviated and even prevented by including a quality stretching regimen into your program. If you have a knee, hip, shoulder or ankle joint that has been bothering you and don’t recall any traumatic incident that would have caused the pain, then it’s safe to assume that you are needing to spend more time stretching yourself out. Proper daily stretching will ensure that you are giving much needed attention to all of your major muscle groups to help maintain balance for healthy muscular function.

 

Prevent Basketball Injuries

Reduce Basketball InjuriesSome of the most common basketball injuries involve the hips, knees, ankles and feet.  From ligament tears in the knees, chronic ankle sprains, inflammation of the tendons in the feet and pulled hip muscles – all of these injuries can cause players to miss several games if not the rest of the season.

Quality routine stretching, before and after you exercise and play, can give you a peace of mind by knowing that you are doing the number one preventative thing to offset these most common basketball injuries.  It isn’t always a guarantee because sometimes things just happen, but the facts are that the more flexible you are, the less likely you are to suffer from common basketball injuries.  It’s impossible to make a difference on the court if you are always worried about injury or nursing injuries, so the best thing to do is take action to prevent them the best way possible.

 

Lessen Recovery Time  

Basketball Stretching and Speeding RecoveryA strenuous basketball workout or game can really push your physical limits leaving you sore and less mobile for hours and sometimes days after.

The soreness that you feel after a limit pushing game is due to micro tears in the muscles. Once these tiny tears have occurred, the body needs to send more blood to the damaged muscles to help them begin to repair and heal.  Stretching helps speed up this process by increasing circulation and blood flow; where blood travels, so do oxygen and nutrients.  So, the more time you devote to stretching, the less time it will take your body to recover and be ready for the next workout, practice or game.

 

Strengthen the Nervous System

Basketball Stretching and Nervous SystemDaily stretching is a practice that not only benefits your muscles, but also helps to strengthen your nervous system.

The nervous system is bundled within connective tissues that run along the muscles of the body, meaning the health and function of your muscles and nerves are closely related. Proper stretching incorporates deep breathing techniques which helps balance the mind and body.  When you are breathing deeply rather than shallow and rapid, your nervous system is able to relax and reset resulting in an overall strengthened system. A healthy nervous system can enhance your basketball performance by preparing you to handle and withstand stress that happens often in high pressure game situations.

As you’ve now learned, stretching is not something to be taken lightly. It is a key component of fitness that is capable of helping you improve the function of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints and nerves in your body which is sure to enhance your overall basketball performance.  Austin basketball trainer Chris Corbett has a couple of students who are also in Austin Gymnastics programs.  Their commitment to gymnastics and stretching makes them standout amongst their peers as their balance, flexibility, and core strength keeps them on their feet and flexible.

Aim to spend no less than 15 minutes during both your warm-up and cool-down before workouts, practices and games. Remember, always stretch after a brief cardio warm-up since cold muscles are more inflexible and you won’t get the results you will with already warm muscles. Get to your basketball trainer, discuss basketball stretching and enjoy the great benefits it has to offer your body and game!

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Basketball Trainer Writer Danielle McDonald

 

 

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball stretching, basketball training

Move From Good To Great In Basketball Training

June 1, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Basketball Training From Good To Great

Skill development is great for youth basketball players. Developing skills is great for players of al levels in fact. But it takes more than just skills to be a great basketball player. There is an intangible component to greatness that one can’t measure in a per game average or shooting percentage. But you can still see greatness when it’s there. From over 20 years of being a diehard basketball fan in addition to being a player at various levels, there are 3 qualities I’ve noticed that most, if not all, great players have. Here are 3 major keys to being great on the basketball court. And these are things that you can implement starting today.

Here Are Three Keys To Go From Good To Great In Basketball Training

Great Basketball Players… Set the Tone

Great players set the tone on the basketball court. There’s a quote by author Robert T. Kiyosaki that sums up what setting the tones means: “There are those who make things happen, there are those who watch things happen and there are those who say ‘what happened’?” Great players make things happen. And they do that from the opening tip. No waiting for your teammate to give you the ‘green light’ to go block a shot on one end or attack the rim with the ball on the other. No waiting to see how good the other team is before you start to exhibit your skills. Great players go out and cause the other team to react to what they are doing, not the other way around. If you want to be a great player, you have to be a tone setter with your skills, no matter what your skills may be. You can set the tone with shot blocking, perimeter defense, running in transition, 3 point shooting, passing, driving, post scoring, etc. Whatever it is that you do, there is some way for you to set the tone for your team. And great players make sure to do it.

Great Players… Take Responsibility

Great players take responsibility for their own performance and sometimes even the performance of their team. Taking responsibility for your own performance means not blaming the refs for an off night, holding yourself to a high standard, and working on your game in the offseason. Players who take responsibility allow themselves to be great because they take complete ownership of their game and performance. When you take ownership like this, you can effectively correct mistakes and work to improve your game in the areas where it is lacking. Conversely, players who don’t get what they want in the game of basketball can choose the lower road of blaming referees, politics, and teammates, etc. for their own lack of success. These players limit their ability to improve because of their “it’s not my fault” attitude. Players who take responsibility for the performance of their team don’t blame teammates after losses. Even when he or she might have played well, a great player will ask themselves “what could I have done better to help my team win?” This attitude causes great players in the NBA to raise their production in the playoffs. Instead of saying “Well, I scored about what I usually did tonight; I did my job”, a great player will say “Well, I’ve scored 30 so far but I need to do more so we can get this win.”

Great Players… Play with Competitive Fire

Truly great players play and train with a competitive fire. Do you know what this means? A competitive “fire” refers to an insatiable appetite. That appetite “burns” inside the great player just like a fire. The figurative fire or appetite cannot be quenched by looking good on the basketball court. It can’t be quenched by a few highlight plays. It cannot be quenched by “not messing up”, and it cannot even be quenched by statistics. A competitive fire can only be quenched by competing and winning! Players with this mindset often end up looking good, making highlight plays and having pretty good statistics. This is because that competitive fire drives you to put it all on the line and do whatever it takes with whatever skills you have to win the game. When you are playing this way, those other things are the by-product.

My advice to youth basketball players work on being GREAT on the basketball court. Do not settle for anything less than greatness in doing what you do. Being great does not mean you have to average 30 points per game, nor does it mean you must have the best skills of those around you. It means bringing greatness to the things that YOU do on the basketball court. We encourage you not to settle for anything less than greatness in this wonderful game of basketball. Be great!

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball training, basketball training tips

How Do You Handle Basketball Criticism?

May 26, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Tips On Handling Basketball Criticism A big part of the growth and development process for players is getting critical feedback from a team coach or basketball trainer. It is sometimes hard for players to accept criticism, but without it they are limiting their potential. We don’t want you to fall into the trap of rejecting or reacting strongly against criticism, so here are some tips on how to accept and grow from criticism.

Four Tips To Handle Basketball Criticism

1.  Delay Your Response

Criticism can be very hard to hear. It can shock you. It can hurt. And it can make you angry. Criticism can even rob you of the confidence you’ve built in a certain skill you’ve developed, or on your overall ability as a basketball player. A natural, human reaction to criticism is to lash out at the person giving it to you, or to instantly defend yourself against it. Try delaying your response to the criticism, as this will do a couple of things for you. First, it will give you time to ponder what your coach or trainer is saying to see if it is true. After the initial hurt or anger wears away, did the criticism have any merit? Sometimes with a little time to reflect you may see that it does. Secondly, if a response to the criticism is warranted, a delayed response will allow you to respond without anger. Although you may very well want to express a feeling of anger towards the giver of criticism, that anger may cloud the clarity of the message you want to get across.

2.  Ask Questions

Nobody has a perfect command of the English (or any other) language. Maybe your coach is meaning to say one thing, but you are hearing another thing because of how it is communicated. When it comes to criticism, this can happen often. Ask your coach or trainer questions about things you don’t understand or may not agree with. This may give your coach or trainer the opportunity to give examples that can help you see what he is saying, or it may give him an opportunity to change the wording of the criticism such that you can understand it better. Players who deeply care about their development may also ask “how can I improve in this area”, turning the conversation from a hard one to one that ends emotionally positive for the player.

3.  Get a Second Opinion

Getting a second or third opinion on a coach’s or trainer’s criticism can be helpful for you as a player. This does not mean to go find someone who is going to tell you that your coach doesn’t know what in the world he’s talking about. It means finding a trusted buddy, a parent, or other knowledgeable basketball person and asking them, “Hey, my coach said [fill in the blank] to me. Do you know why he would say that? Do you see it like that?” Sometimes hearing the same criticism from a different source can help you accept it better. Also, if you are receiving criticism that you simply don’t agree with and can’t understand, maybe hearing someone else validate your feelings can be helpful for you. If you are receiving criticism you don’t agree with, you can simply have a later conversation with your trainer or coach, and ask questions about why it was given.

4. Consider the Basketball Source Consider the Source

From the outside looking in, you may understand the value of constructive criticism. But when you are receiving it, criticism may not seem so constructive. And it actually may not be constructive in delivery. For that reason, try considering the source. If you have a coach who you believe both knows the game of basketball and wants what’s best for you as a player, you might be very well be able to trust his intentions. If he gives you criticism that hurts you on delivery, it is likely for your good and will help you in the long run. If you have a coach who is tough and hard nosed but good at heart, you might assume the same. Maybe the delivery wasn’t optimal, but you can see the good in it. However if you have a coach you do not trust, criticism can feel like a personal attack and you might want to disregard it. But the aforementioned tips may help you deal with this. Even if the criticism is not given constructively, you may still take the message and grow from it. Mature players learn how to do this because they know that every team coach they have may not be on their side. For instance if a coach tells you, “I’m not going to play you because you’re the worst shooter on this team. I would hate to have to ever put you in the game” you can internalize a response like “okay, I may not be in a good situation on this team, but I know I can work on my shooting. That will help me in the future whether it’s with this team or not.” Negative criticism has actually fueled the fire of many a great player as they have looked to prove doubters wrong. You can do the same thing with the negative criticism you receive. Criticism is a critical part of youth basketball, player development and life in general.

Learn how to deal with and accept criticism to better yourself as a basketball player. Whether it is given constructively or not, we’ve given you methods here to either validate or qualify criticism, understand criticism, as well as considering using some negative criticism for your own good. Take everything in stride, and don’t let any piece of criticism steal your love for and drive in the game. Allow criticism to be one of the things that helps you become great in this great game of basketball!

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball mental training, basketball training

Train To Win In Basketball – 4 Cornerstones

May 21, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Cornerstones of Winning Basketball Training

4 Cornerstones of Training To Win In Basketball

Basketball is a fun game… training to win requires higher focus and work ethic within the fun framework.   It allows for so much creativity and a showcase of various skills. But basketball is also a competitive sport, one that pits two teams against each other to determine a clear winner. The beauty of the game is merging talent, skills and teamwork together to gain a victory over the other team. That being said, the game is won and lost on more than just skills. Here are some tips for being a winning basketball player every time you play.

Take Pride in Your Basketball Performance

This is something kids playing youth basketball all need to learn. Although you should truly be loose and free playing the game, know that how you perform while on the floor affects the outcome of the game. So you need to take pride in how you perform. Personal pride in your own performance can have more affect on your game than a coach’s instructions. For example, if the man you are guarding has scored on you a couple of times in a row, personal pride is going to make sure you start locking in, giving a greater effort and playing more soundly the next time he tries to score on you. This sense of personal pride will carry more weight to you than your coach barking instructions to you from the sidelines. And this type of attitude breeds winning. On the other hand, a player with no personal pride would not make the necessary effort to tighten up on defense no matter how much the coach instructs him to do so. A player like this is not playing winning basketball.

 Don’t Be Discouraged In Training or Games

Youth basketball games range anywhere from 24-40 minutes in duration. That’s a long time running, jumping, shooting and rebounding. There are ebbs and slows throughout the game. If things are not going well at a certain point, do not get discouraged. There’s still time on the clock to turn it around because the game is not over until the final buzzer sounds. This can be hard for young players to understand, as sometimes getting scored on a couple of times or missing a couple of shots can cause them to lose confidence. But keep fighting. There have been so many epic comebacks in the game of basketball because a team kept fighting and believing. And remember, if you are playing discouraged basketball, you are doing the other team’s work for them. Don’t help them in their cause to beat you down. Keep putting pressure on the other team by fighting until the final buzzer.

Be Selfless As A Basketball Teammate

Selfless players and teams are winning players and teams. Selfish players do things that hinder winning. Being selfless means doing little things like passing to the open man and encouraging teammates. After all, if the goal is winning you want your teammates to stay encouraged the entire game. Passing to an open teammate when you feel like you want to try to score may cause you to lose out on a shot attempt, but winning players don’t let personal stats get in the way of team success. In actuality good stats have a funny way of following winning players.

Be Fearless on the Basketball Court

An important aspect of winning in basketball competition is being fearless. You don’t want to be the type of player who looks good in practices and drills, but when it comes to games you all of a sudden freeze up. If you’re known as a shooter, in games your team needs you to shoot. If you’re a good driver and scorer, in games your team needs that from you. In competitive basketball, you can’t consistently win if you’re not giving it your all. You can practice being fearless by being aggressive at the beginning of games when you are nervous. Eventually the nerves will go away and you can focus on using your skills and talent to help your team win. Being fearless is VERY important in winning basketball, so learn to develop this quality now.

Competition, whether it is in basketball or anything else, is about playing to win. Along with developing your physical skills, work on developing a winning attitude towards the game of basketball. That includes implementing the tips here, along with some others. Get with your local basketball trainer today to help you with that development. We can’t wait to see you out there playing to win using the 4 cornerstones of winning basketball training.

 

 

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball training

Basketball Training Frequently Asked Questions

May 18, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Basketball Training Frequently Asked Questions

Basketball Training Frequently Asked Questions

There are a lot of questions out there about basketball training, so I decided to take some time out to answer some common ones. Hopefully this will clear up some misconceptions and give you a clearer picture about professional basketball training.

Q: Is my son or daughter good enough for basketball training?

A: Yes. Basketball training is not only for the elite. There are certain trainers that cater to elite players, but that is by no means the case for all trainers. You can find a basketball trainer to work with your son or daughter no matter his or her skill level. Basketball training is designed to build fundamental skills as well as advanced ones, so training is beneficial for beginner or limited players as well as advanced or experienced players. If your son or daughter is a new or limited player, that is no problem.

 Q: Are basketball training sessions any different than team practices?

A: Yes. Team practices primarily focus on developing team execution and chemistry, while basketball training sessions focus on individual player growth and development. Basketball training can supplement team practices, as your young player becoming a better individual player helps him to be more of an asset to his team. When you take your young player to a basketball training session, he is given personalized attention that is designed to help him maximize his individual basketball potential.

Q: Is basketball training expensive?

A: The price of basketball training depends on the trainer, but quality basketball training is a professional service. That being the case, when you are working with a good trainer the price of training should not outweigh the delivered benefit. In relative terms, the cost of basketball training is less than the cost associated with AAU basketball when measured over the same length of time.

 Q: Why should my son or daughter attend basketball training?

A: Well, there are a lot of reasons I can give. But in general, if your son or daughter is playing organized basketball, basketball training can enhance that experience by helping him or her develop into a better player. They might end up with a cool story like this.

 Q: What makes somebody qualified to be a professional basketball trainer?

A: A good basketball trainer will possess certain must-have qualities. But in addition to those, YOU have the power to qualify the basketball trainer that will train your son or daughter by checking out the provided playing and coaching resume, and checking training references. The power is in your hand to determine who the best basketball trainer is for your young player.

Q: Can a trainer make my son or daughter good enough to…?

A: A basketball trainer’s job is to develop players to the best of his ability. There are certain qualities a trainer must have, as well as certain qualities a trainee must bring to the table, to get the most out of player development training. A trainer should not be guaranteeing lofty results for your player sight unseen. Any trainer doing so may not be able to deliver on these promises. After a proper evaluation and a buy-in from the trainee to the training process, a good trainer may be able to answer this question more specifically.

I hope this has cleared up some of the misinformation out there about basketball training and basketball trainers. To learn more, and to possibly get the ball rolling with a trainer today, let us help you find a good trainer in your area. Thanks!

 

 

Filed Under: Basketball Trainer Blog Tagged With: basketball training

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