Regardless of where you live, if you are a high school basketball player, you are about to start practice (if you haven’t started already). This is an exciting time of year as now high school, college, and the NBA will be in full swing!
As the season starts and you begin practice you will certainly get some bumps and bruises along the way. Don’t be surprised if your body is overwhelmingly sore the first couple of days. That is not to imply that you weren’t in shape, it is just your body’s way of adjusting to the new demands placed on it. You are finally going full speed with contact. In particular, your low back will probably get very tight at times and your ankles, knees, and hips will be pretty sore. It is very important you take great care of your body throughout the season, especially now while these are minor issues. For these little nagging aches and pains, apply ice, not heat (unless a PT or doctor tells you otherwise). With parental consent, you can also take an ibuprofen or Advil to alleviate soreness. Make sure you eat well, get lots of rest when you can, and properly warm-up and stretch before every practice (even if your team doesn’t). If you incur any major injuries or feel like you really did something serious, make sure you tell your coach, athletic trainer, parents, etc. so you can get the proper help. It is important to address these issues when they are small so they don’t turn into something big!
But in many cases, you have to tough it out. Basketball is a contact sport and if some part of your body isn’t sore, you probably aren’t playing hard enough!
Despite the minor aches and pains associated with starting practice, it is important you make the most of this time. There is no time like the present, as playing well and competing during the practice is the reason you put in so much time over the spring, summer, and fall working on your game, lifting weights, and running sprints. This is the time real players thrive. Regardless of how things start during the first week or two, you have to keep in mind that it is a long season. If you get off to a rough start, don’t throw in the towel, there is plenty of time to turn things around. Most high schools don’t start playing games until the beginning of December, so you still have a few weeks to show your coach what you can do and try to earn some playing time or a starting position. And if you have started off hot, don’t get cocky or complacent as staying on top is one of the hardest things to do in sports. Don’t take anything for granted.
Here are some tips to make sure you play your best this season:
1) Get rest whenever you can, your body and mind needs it! Try and get to bed early both one and two nights before a game and take naps when possible. While the off season regiment is tough, there is nothing harder on your body than in-season practices, games, and travel.
2) Eat well and stay hydrated. Your body is a machine and needs to be properly fueled. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast EVERY morning and try to eat a light snack an hour or so before practice. You should aim to eat quality pre-game meal about 3-4 hours before tip-off. This will ensure you are well fueled without making you feel full and lethargic. You should eat something with adequate carbs and protein (pasta or rice and chicken). Also, you body does EVERYTHING better when hydrated, so drink water constantly.
3) Warm-up and stretch properly before all practices and games. Hopefully your team has a standardized warm-up, but if not, you need to make sure you do! This will ensure your body is ready to compete and help reduce the likelihood of injury. If you do get a nagging injury of any sort, seek professional advice immediately.
4) Continue to strength train during the season. Strength is an attribute that is quickly diminished. In as little as three weeks you begin to lose strength if you don’t lift weights. So if you don’t lift weights at all during the season, you will be physically at your weakest come playoff time. That makes no sense! All you need to maintain strength is one or two brief (yet intense) lifts per week during the season, working all major muscle groups.
5) Get in extra shots before/after practice and before games. Shooting is all about rhythm and repetition. The more “game like” shots you can take in practice and before games, the more “automatic” you will be when you play. Same for ball handling. The best players in the world come in and get in shots before practice and stay after practice to do the same.
6) Be a good teammate. Do the little things to help your teammates and be very positive and enthusiastic, even when things aren’t going so well. The teams that play well together and care about each other… win. Period.
7) Talk to your coach. Your coach is the leader of your team. He/she is basically the “CEO of your company” and it is important you have and show proper respect at all times. No exceptions. If you don’t agree with something your coach says or does, or if you have questions on certain things (like why you aren’t playing as much, what your role on the team is, etc.), it is important you communicate effectively, appropriately, and maturely. Most coaches are more than happy to talk with you one on one if you have an issue or a question and you ask politely.
8) Stay on top of your school work. I know how hard it is to balance a busy schedule during the hectic season, but as a student-athlete, your academic work must always be a priority. Don’t let issues in the classroom distract you from handling business on the court. And don’t do the bare minimum just to stay eligible, do your best to in every class, every day. Creating that standard of excellence will carry over to every aspect of your life.
If you would like to contact me about this blog, my MVP Vertical Jump Training DVD, my training and/or camps and clinics, please email me atAlan@StrongerTeam.com. I will respond as quickly as possible!
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS
www.StrongerTeam.com