A basketball player’s athleticism is the foundation of their entire game.  In order for a player to maximize their potential on the court, they need to create as wide of a foundation as possible (picture the base of a pyramid).

If a player can improve their strength, power, explosiveness, agility, reaction, quickness, flexibility and conditioning level, then they can perform the skills of shooting, passing, ball handling, rebounding, and defending at a much higher level.  They can also perform their skills with more efficiency and perform them for longer before fatigue sets in.  That is why the best players are in the best shape!

Just as a player’s athleticism is the foundation of their game, the pre-season lays the foundation for the up-coming season.  What players do from the start of the school year until the day of the first practice will determine the type of season they have.

Not all players, in fact very few, have the genetic potential to be as athletic as LeBron James or Derrick Rose.  However, every basketball player can make improvements to their athleticism.  Keep in mind, athleticism is not just jumping high or dunking.

With proper and purposeful training, players can make impressive strides in their hand/eye coordination, footwork, acceleration/deceleration, reaction, strength, mobility, and stamina.

It is these ‘little things’ that make a BIG difference!

Here are 12 thoughts regarding your pre-season training:

1) Goals:

·         No injuries during training & workouts.

·         Train to reduce preventable injuries.

·         Train to improve performance on the court.

2) Basketball is not a speed game! It is an agility game, a change of direction game and an acceleration/deceleration game. Your training should reflect this.

3) There is a difference between ‘working out’ and ‘training.’ Training has a purpose and takes you closer to your goal!

4) Just because a workout was hard, doesn’t mean it was productive. It must be purposeful! Shooting 20 full court lay-ups with a weighted vest and a medicine ball is very hard… but won’t get you any better. Train hard, train smart!

5) It takes 10,000 hours to truly master a skill. Repetition is not a form of punishment.  It can take 5,000-10,000 reps to change a movement pattern.

6) Why should you strength train? Do you want to be the bug or the windshield? Seven days without strength training makes one weak.

7) Proper strength training for basketball is more than just bench pressing and squatting. You must train your feet & ankles, core, and grip in addition to your upper and lower body.

8) Tight, weak ankles and feet limit your ability to run and jump as fast and as high as possible as well as increase the occurrence of injury. Train your feet! It all starts with your feet!

9) Most basketball bodies were not made to back squat safely, particularly under load. Utilize lunges, step-ups, and 1 legged deadlifts as alternatives.

10) Having a huge bench press has zero correlation to basketball success. Ask Kevin Durant. Enough said.

11) If you stand on one leg, it is physically impossible to move your knee without moving your ankle or hip.  Everything is connected and everything functions together. That is why having strong & mobile ankles and hips are the key to knee health!

12) Basketball conditioning stats to keep in mind when designing your training program (from the 2010 BSMPG Clinic):

·         Average heart rate: 165-170 bpm

·         High intensity sprints occur every 20-30 seconds

·         100+ high intensity sprints per game

·         40-50 maximal jumps per game

·         Change in movement every 2-3 seconds

·         30% of time is spent defensive sliding

·         15% of time is in high intensity

·         Movement patterns: Jogging – running – jumping/landing – back pedaling – planting/cutting – pivoting – defensive sliding

·         Categories – Offensive, Defensive, and Transition movements

·         Breakdown of categories – Guard specific, Wing specific, Post specific

“Success always looks easy to those who weren’t around when it was being earned.”

If you have any questions or need additional resources on your pre-season training, please feel free to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard. Train smart. Enjoy the journey.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom

As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to meet and begin working with Kevin Durant while he was a junior at Oak Hill.  We continued to work together the following year when he transferred to Montrose Christian (where I was the team’s strength & conditioning coach).  Although I don’t currently work with him, we still keep in touch and have maintained a solid friendship over the years.

While the entire planet is aware of what an exceptional basketball player KD is, I have always been most proud of him as a person.  His character is unmatched. He is kind, generous, humble, and authentic.  He is an exemplary role model in every sense of the word. His passion for the game is pure and his work ethic is unparalleled.  He is the real deal.

KD has had an unbelievable summer, thanks in part to the NBA lock-out, as he has traveled the country on a summer league tour – playing games both outside and indoors – and creating sick highlight reels.  Do you know the most impressive part? He does it all for a love of the game.  Not for fame. Not for money. He is a special talent and a special person and I am thankful to call him a friend.

Below is a list of 15 things you can learn from KD. As you will see, the things that make him successful extend beyond the court and can be applied to any part of your life.

1.    KD holds himself to a very high standard. He puts every ounce of his heart, soul, and love into becoming the best player he can be.

2.    KD is extremely loyal to his family, friends, teammates, and coaches.  He keeps his inner circle tight and never forgets the folks who have helped him. 

3.    KD doesn’t care who he works out with, he just wants to play. He’ll do drills alongside high school players, many of which will never see an NBA court. He works out for one reason: to get better.

4.    KD is humble. He has not let success warp his values or his personality.

5.    KD genuinely cares about people and he isn’t afraid to show it.  He greats everyone with a smile and is always respectful and polite.

6.    KD keeps himself in great shape all of the time. Even when the start of the NBA season could be months and months away.

7.    KD is always positive. Always.

8.    KD loves his fans.  He signs more autographs and takes more pictures then anyone I have ever seen.  He interacts with thousands of fans on Twitter.  He is as accessible as any star player can be.

9.    KD accepts coaching.  He is humble enough to know that he still has a lot to learn.  He has no ego when it comes to taking direction.

10. KD develops his entire ‘game’… and don’t mean on the court.  He has matured tremendously as a public speaker (press conferences, commercials, etc.) and as a businessman (his brand’s reputation is impeccable). 

11. KD goes hard all of the time.  Every rep of every set of every workout. Sprints, shooting drills, ball-handling, it doesn’t matter.  He gives his best every time. He is never casual.

12. KD never gets complacent. He is one of the top players in the NBA and he still works out and practices more than almost every player in the league.  Coincidence? Nope!

13. KD is not flashy.  He is almost always the most talented player in the gym during workouts (not to mention the wealthiest), but you would never know that by the way he carries himself.  

14. KD works to help those around him get better.  He’ll correct a high school kid and offer tips on how he can improve his footwork.  He’ll stop a future NBA Hall of Famer and let him know he could have thrown a better pass. He wants to get better, and he wants everyone around him to get better too.

15. KD’s favorite quote is “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” He lives that quote to the fullest.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

PS: NEW Stronger Team Basketball Nuggets are now available! You can download for FREE here:

http://www.strongerteam.com/download/coachingnuggets.aspx

PSS: Here is a glimpse of one of our pre-season strength workouts as we attempt to win a 4th consecutive WCAC Conference Championship and Washington DC City Title:

http://youtu.be/IeGNIUUAsxY

‘It’s easier to become a champion than it is to stay a champion’

Need a good warm-up for your off-season workouts? The speed ladder is a great tool to promote coordination, concentration, rhythm, and ankle mobility:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVOGXZ9yQb8

Many of the questions I receive from players, coaches, and parents revolve around strength & conditioning testing. 

Testing is fine as long as it meets two criteria:

1)    It is safe and well supervised

2)    It is viewed as a way to monitor progress; not as a tool to compare players or to predict success on the court. 

No test done in the weight room can predict success on the court. Kevin Durant couldn’t bench press 185 lbs and had the 2^nd lowest overall score at the 2007 NBA Combine. He is now an NBA All-Star and in pursuit of back to back scoring titles.

If you choose to test, you should attempt to measure three key areas:

1)    Strength & power

2)    Quickness & agility

3)    Basketball specific conditioning

Each of these areas plays a role on the court.  Just testing one area is too narrow. 

Testing is only valuable if there are follow up tests to monitor progress. While there is no ‘right’ answer, four tests over the course of the year are more than enough. You can test at the:

1)    Beginning of your off-season training (now)

2)    End of the spring (before summer)

3)    Beginning of the pre-season (end of summer)

4)    End of the pre-season (right before the season starts). 

NOTE: I see no point in testing during the playing season.  That is when your focus should be on winning games!

While testing can be a valued part of your program, the most important part is the daily, weekly, and monthly workouts. Make sure you put most of your focus on training, not on testing!

WARNING: I do not recommend the use of 1 rep maxes with youth and high school age players because of the higher risk of injury and because it is an intricate skill that is rarely practiced (why test in something that is rarely practiced?).  Performing 1 rep maxes is unnecessary.  I know football coaches are rolling their eyes as they read this.

If you need more info on testing and evaluating, this is an invaluable resource:

http://shop.strongerteam.com/p-22-athletic-testing-and-evaluations-for-basketball-players.aspx

Stay strong,

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

PS: Here is my 2011 spring and summer event schedule. Please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com for more info.

March 19^th                 Hoop Group Camp in Chantilly, VA

March 20^th                 Hoop Group Camp in Baltimore, MD

March 26^th                 Carolina Challenge in Raleigh, NC

April 8^th                     Nike Championship Basketball Clinic in Pittsburgh, PA

April 13-16^th               Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte, NC

April 23^rd                   Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinic in Oakville, Canada

April 27^th                   Texas Basketball Clinic in Denton, TX

May 6^th                     Nike Championship Basketball Clinic in Las Vegas, NV

May 15^th                    Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinic in Clyde, OH

May 22^nd                   Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinic in New Haven, CT

June 3-5^th                  Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinics in Ontario, Canada

June 8^th                     Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinic in Des Moines, IA

June 9^th                     Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinic in St. Louis, MO

June 10-12^th              Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp in Winston-Salem, NC

June 15-19^th              NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, VA

June 22-29^th              Kevin Durant, Deron Williams & Amare Stoudemire Nike Skills Academies in Chicago, IL

July 4-9^th                   LeBron James Nike Skills Academy in Akron, OH

July 13-15^th               Hoop Group Skills Academy in PA

July 18^th                    North Carolina Coaches Association Clinic in Greensboro, NC

July 19-22^nd              One World Games in CT

July 29-30^th               Basketball Camp in Jordan

August 1-3^rd              Basketball Camp in England

August 12-13^th          Cutting Edge Quickness & Reaction Clinic in Boise, ID

I met Kevin Durant during his junior year at Oak Hill and began working him out that spring. He then transferred to Montrose Christian for his senior year (I was the team’s strength & conditioning coach). 

Fast forward to today. KD is an All-Star and one of the NBA’s most potent scorers. Even though I no longer work him out, we have kept in touch after all these years. 

This past weekend, Blair and I flew to Oklahoma City to see the Warriors play the Thunder.  It was a whirlwind trip – in and out in less than 24 hours. But it was one I will never forget.

KD rolled out the red carpet for us.  He had us picked up from the airport, let us stay at his house, autographed some stuff for our friends and family, and gave us an inside look at what NBA players do on game day (not to mention gave us courtside seats for the game).

Prior to our arrival, KD had a shootaround with the team at 9:00am, which was followed by a breakfast prepared by the team chef.  After relaxing at home, he ate his pre-game meal at 2:00pm (4 hours before tip-off), got dressed, and took us to the arena.

KD chooses to arrive at the arena 3 hours before tip-off to begin his preparation.  His routine includes treatment from the athletic trainer, corrective exercises with the strength coach, and shooting a couple hundred shots.

KD was all business on the way to the game. He takes his mental preparation very seriously.

Once we arrived at the arena, KD spoke to every person he passed on the way to the locker room… security officers, maintenance workers, PR folks, etc.  He looked them in the eye, shook their hand, and called them by name.

We got to speak with Dwight Daub, the Thunder strength coach.  He does an outstanding job.  He gave us a quick run-down of what the players do in-season:

·         Players have to get in a minimum of 10 strength workouts per month.  They have the option to lift on game day. Most choose not to and prefer to lift before/after practice.

·         Players have to get in a minimum of 12 corrective exercise workouts per month.  These brief workouts consist of movements tailored specifically for individualized weaknesses and injury prone areas.

·         Players that average playing less than 15 minutes have to get in 15 minutes of intervals on the elliptical or treadmill on game days to maintain their conditioning level.  They do 15 sets of :30 on, :30 off at an appropriate intensity level.

Even though the team had a shootaround that morning at 9:00am, almost every player (from both teams) came in early to put in extra work.Seeing NBA players work out on game day reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:

“There will be two buses leaving for tonight’s game. The 2:00pm bus will be for those who need some extra practice. The empty bus will leave at 5:00pm.”

Many young players make the mistake of thinking NBA players just play.  Nothing could be further from the truth. These guys are great players because they work on their game every day.

It’s not just the rookies or the guys trying to earn more time.  Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden were already going through intense shooting drills when KD joined them.

For the Warriors, Jeremy Lin was going through a ball handling and shooting workout with one of the assistant coaches. He was doing 2 ball drills and a series of running hooks and floaters.  He was working harder a few hours before a game than most high school players do in the off-season! 

Stephen Curry came out soon thereafter and went through his standard pre-game shooting routine… getting in a few hundred game shots, from game spots, at game speeds. Steph has always worked relentlessly on his game. 

Sitting courtside reminded me how fast and explosive NBA players are. The pace of an NBA game is incredible.  The players are so big and so strong… the game is just as physical as it is fast. TV doesn’t do it justice. Anyone who thinks that NBA players only play hard during the playoffs doesn’t have a clue.  These guys get after it, night in and night out. There is a reason the best players in the world are in the NBA.

After the game was over (Thunder held on to win by 3), KD came over to say good-bye, as he had to go straight to the airport to fly to Chicago for their game against the Bulls the following night.

The last thing he said to me was, “thanks for coming man, I always appreciate your support.”

I just had one of the best days of my professional life… and he thanked me.

Wow.  He is one of kind.  Kevin Durant is every bit as good of a person as he is a basketball player.

Days like that remind me how truly fortunate I am.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom

In addition to horrible officiating, there is something else that all coaches can’t stand… turnovers. Turning the ball over in basketball is a cardinal sin.  After all, winning the turnover battle is usually the key to victory.

But is there such a thing as a good turnover? I wouldn’t go that far… but all turnovers are not equal.  There is difference between trying to pivot through a trap to pass to an open teammate and getting called for traveling and making a casual perimeter pass that gets stolen.  There is a difference between attacking the rim and being called for an offensive foul and tossing an ill advised behind the back pass out of bounds during a simple 2-on-1 fast break.

What’s the difference? One was an assertive play and the other wasn’t.   You have to learn to live with assertive turnovers.

If you want to be a successful basketball player; you need to be assertive.  You need to take calculated risks on the court.  You will never maximize your potential by always playing it safe.  You need to leave your comfort zone; in workouts, in practice, and in games.  However, when you assert yourself, you must be fully prepared to reap the rewards or suffer the consequences.  That’s accountability.

What do Steve Nash, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony all have in common? 

1)    They are all NBA All-Stars.

2)    They are the NBA’s most talented offensive players.

3)    They were all ranked in the top 15 in turnovers committed last season! 

Part of their offensive genius is taking risks and being aggressive with the ball.  Turnovers happen as a result.  You have to take the bad with the good. Even John Stockton, the NBA’s all-time leader in assists, is 2^nd all-time in turnovers committed.  It goes with the territory!  Anyone who watched Stockton play can agree that his turnovers were assertive in nature.

This is not an invitation to be careless or reckless with the ball.  I am not condoning turnovers. You must value the ball… every possession is important. But you have to take chances and be assertive to be successful. You have to take risks. “With great risk come great rewards.”

Assertive players are aggressive and decisive.  They don’t hesitate. They survey the situation and go with the best option. They have confidence in whatever decision they make.  And if they make a mistake (or turnover), they learn from it and don’t repeat it. Fighting to establish post position on the block and getting called for 3 seconds is OK.  Getting called for it a second or third time is not!

When an assertive player makes a mistake offensively, they bust their butt to “make it up on defense.”  Assertive players don’t wallow in mistakes.  If they turn the ball over… they immediately move to the next play. They don’t compound their mistake by standing around and pouting.

And you can be an invaluable offensive player even if you don’t have a sick handle or a killer jump shot.  An assertive offensive player sets solid screens, runs the floor on every position, makes hard basket cuts, and crashes the offensive glass every time a shot is taken (assertive players think, “shot is taken, shot is missed.”).  Ask any defender… assertive offensive players are the worst to guard!

Assertive players don’t play with fear.  They aren’t scared to make a play because they fear turning it over.  Assertive players take risks, play hard, and in the end… are successful.

So coaches, before you berate your player for committing a turnover… take a second to judge what kind of turnover it was.  If it was an assertive turnover; be supportive and positive. 

If it wasn’t; do what you do!

To be a great player, you need to have strong hands.  Grip strength plays a key role in being strong (assertive) with the ball. Here is a video of some unconventional, yet highly effective grip strength exercises: http://TinyUrl.com/BasketballGripTraining 

Lastly, I highly recommend you read Play Their Hearts Out by George Dohrmann.  It is a fascinating emotional roller coaster with unbelievable insight into youth basketball. The book does a tremendous job of highlighting the myriad of problems we face.  I have read over 100 books in the past 2+ years and Play Their Hearts Out just moved into my top 3.  It is that good. Whether you are a player, coach, or parent, you have to read this book!

As the high school season approaches, please let me know if I can be of service to you or your program.  Feel free to email me any time at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

PS: If you haven’t already done so, make sure you sign up for our monthly email newsletter.  We will be sending out a new batch of Coaching Nuggets in early November… you don’t want to miss these!

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