Step Number 12: Court Awareness

Court awareness is probably the most important asset that you can have at any position. Knowing where you are on the floor and where you need to be is key to playing good. If four of your teammates are on one side of the floor then you should be on the opposite side to balance it out. Now if your teammate is being double teamed by two players and the person defending you goes to your teammate, then you should flash and get open so your teammate can see you. Court awareness also applies to defense as well. You have to communicate with your teammates to make sure you are on one accord and assigned to the correct assignment. The main goal to remember is to have your head up at all times. This video is a great drill that you can do to help you keep your head up aware of the whole court.

Step Number 11: Playing at the Next Level

Most kids who play basketball dream of playing on the big stage in their lifetime. Although this task is very difficult, it can be done if you do things the right way. This week I came up with some great tips that can primarily help high school students get into college and play basketball at virtually any level.

Skill- Bottom line you have to be good enough to play at the highest level in college which is considered Division I. That is a primary level for a lot young athletes because the NBA does most of their recruiting from this level. You have to make sure that if you are serious about the game that you work on your game constantly both on and off the floor.

Grades- This is just as important if not more important than skill. Every college coach is looking for a student athlete. A student athlete is one who can excel both on the court and in the classroom. This is very hard for a lot of athletes because it is difficult for most to excel in both. You don't have to a 4.0 GPA but you will need to have passing grades and a good ACT score preferably 20 and above. Also once you make the team you still have to have good grades to play so make sure you stay on top of them.

Exposure- This has become a big deal in the last decade when it comes to the sport. Making people aware of your talent can be beneficial in so many ways. The more people that know your game the more you will be recruited. Some things you can do is go to high level camps, play AAU, make a highlight tape, and have good numbers in the stat book. 

Contact Coaches- A lot of athletes are not aware that you can contact any coach to express your interest. Most kids think if you are good they will come to you. That may be the case but coaches don't know every single good player in the nation. They rely heavily on AAU and recruiting service networks but that isn't enough. You can contact any coach by email. Make sure you have proper grammar and sell yourself (Why Should They Recruit You?). Make sure you give them important information like stats, highlights, and awards. You'll be surprised who you receive contact from. 

Step Number 10: Motivation

Every so often in the game of basketball, sports, and life in general you are going to have good times and bad times. It's what we call "a part of the game". There will be games where you play really good and do everything you planned and some. There will also be games where you don't play your best and begin to intimidate yourself. I say all that to say athletes need motivation to continue to work hard just like 4.0 students need motivation to get straight A's. Some seek motivation from themselves while other's seek motivation from family, loved ones, friends, fans, etc. This video by phenomenal motivational speaker Eric Thomas is where I go to seek motivation. Although the video highlights the greatest players in the NBA today, Thomas' words can be applied to anything that you aspire to be in life. I encourage all my viewers to watch!

Step Number 9: Taking Care of Your Body

This week I wanted to take a break from skill work and focus on a more beneficial aspect of basketball. Making sure you take care of your is vital for your performance on the floor. Of course it is not recommended that you smoke or drink alcohol but it goes deeper than that. This week I will give you some helpful tips to keep your body in shape and full of energy

What should you eat? - There is no physical restrictions when it comes to eating. However, when it comes to playing basketball you want to make sure you eat healthy and lightweight. This could include fruits, vegetables, pastas, and salads. Remember in the game you will be doing a lot of running so you don't want to eat heavy.

What should you drink? - Water is great for any sport but specifically basketball because you are exerting a lot of energy. Drinking water will keep you hydrated and avoid cramps. Be careful not to consume a lot at one time. Also sport drinks are good because they have electrolytes in them. This will give you that extra push you might need late in the game.

Anything else? - Yes! Make sure you ice your muscles after each game especially if they are hurting. It is ok to take a couple days off if you experience minor injuries as it is apart of the recovery process. Also make sure you stretch good before and after games and get plenty of rest. The video below shows a great example of how to properly stretch your muscles in 4 segments.

Step Number 8: Defense on the Ball

Having knowledge to defending the person with the ball is very important. You don't just want to defend the ball handler any kind of way. You want to make sure if the ball handler is a good shooter to get up close on them and limit the space between you two. If the ball handler is good at getting to the basket, you want to give them a little space and try to make them change direction by cutting off the path they are trying to go. Good defense can definitely determine the outcome of the game. After all in order to win a game of basketball you have to score. More importantly you have to stop the offensive player from scoring. This video is a great example of some of the best defensive plays of the past NBA season from some of the greatest players in the league. Concentrate on where the player who is defending the play is before the play and where they end up.

Step Number 7: Defense

This week's tutorials are all about my personal favorite part of the game. You might have once heard the phrase "defense wins championships". That quote holds a lot of truth. Defense is a very important part of the game of basketball. It is the opportunity of physically stopping or altering the opponent from scoring. Defense is so important that there are a number of plays you can run similar to offense. Defense however is stopping the opponent. This can be done by stealing the ball, blocking the ball, deflecting the ball, or just making the defender miss the shot. Some of the most popular defensive plays are:

Man to Man: One on one between the offensive player and the defender. This is the most standard defense to call and also the most effective.

2-3 Zone: Two defenders at the top of the key and three defenders in the paint. This defense is used primarily to stop penetration in the lane.

3-2 Zone: Similar to 2-3 zone but instead of two players at the top its three and two players down low. This defense is used to stop long range shooters.

1-3-1 Zone: just like it sounds there is a man at the top, three in the middle, and one man in the paint. This zone is used to control both penetration and long range shooting. You can do a lot of double teaming within this defense.

Step Number 6: Free Throws Continued

As previously mentioned in the last post, Step #3 is a key step in making a free throw. When developing a rhythm you want to do something that will relax your from any nervousness you may have. Think of it like motivating yourself before you're about to do something big! I have used many techniques over the years but my personal favorite is three dribbles, spin the ball, one dribble, then shoot. The important thing to remember is to find something that is comfortable to you and repeat each time at the line. This week's video includes some NBA greats and their unique patterns at the free throw line! You can also check out this week's hotspot videos on the right of the blog centering around free throw.