Strong in Body

As a player, you will find you can only control two things - preparation and effort. Effort is simply a matter of focusing your energy. However, preparation involves much more. Basketball is extremely demanding, both physically and mentally. To meet these demands, players must invest in caring for their bodies so they will survive the rigors of the season and provide a platform for success. These are the important factors in maintaining physical performance: - Commitment - Dedicate yourself to the process of physical and mental preparation, including the time and effort it requires. (Hint: Don't act like you're in the men's league and show up to play without any warmup/preparation.) - Consistency & Planning - Develop a regular routine and schedule enough time for preparation activities. - Feedback - Listen to your body and pay attention to your mental state during the season as this is important feedback that helps you decide where to focus your efforts. Warming up: The purpose of warming up is to raise the body's core temperature 1-2 degrees and increase blood flow to the joints and muscles. It also signals the body to be ready for action. Warming up helps reduce injuries, contributes to a faster start and increases mental focus. Do NOT confuse warming up with stretching. Warmups are low intensity activities, such as jumping rope, jogging, skipping, lunges, marching, etc., that utilize the lower body and result in a light sweat after 8-10 minutes. Proper pre-game preparation includes: - Warm up for 8-10 minutes - Dynamic flexibility work (see below) - Limited static stretching - On-court work (shooting, ballhandling) - can occur before and/or after static stretching - Mental focus time - just prior to the team taking the floor Retaining flexibility: Should be done on a daily/weekly basis. a) Dynamic flexibility work, such as heel kicks, jogging hi knees, carioca, leg kicks (front - back or side - side). b) Limited static stretching ONLY after warming up or dynamic flexibility work Injury prevention: Athletic trainers refer to this as "Pre-hab" - preventing injury BEFORE one occurs, rather than rehabbing after one. Players use exercises to increase stability and range of motion in specific joints and muscles - primarily the ankles -- although some attention should be given to the wrists, hamstrings and low back. For example, to work on ankle flexion and extension, use a balance board. If a balance board is not an option, use a firm pillow and fold it over. Try to balance your entire body on one foot for 15-30 seconds. Nutritional maintenance: It is essential that players monitor the "fuel" they are providing their bodies. Getting a nutritional profile from a nutritionist or athletic trainer is strongly advised. Regardless of individual nutritional needs, ALL players should drink lots of water during season and limit fat intake, especially from fast foods. Physical maintenance: Players should work to maintain their off-season gains during the season. However any in-season strength and plyometric training should be limited to maintenance, keeping in mind: 1) Focus should be on good technique 2) Workouts should be high intensity with lower rest intervals, working on muscular endurance (typically higher reps, moderate weights, two sets per exercise) 3) Only two whole-body routines per week 4) Pre/post workout warmup and cool down MUST be done 5) Only simple plyometric work: jump rope, cone hops, line jumps Rest: Proper in-season rest is KEY for any athlete to be successful both physically and mentally. ALL players should have at least one rest day per week with no basketball or conditioning activities. Flexibility work may continue as normal. GAME TIME ... Where preparation meets effort Game-day Prep - Use the same routine for each week, each day, regardless of whether it's a game day or a practice day. This creates familiarity and routine and keeps players "in rhythm" -- and from being over-hyped. Morning stretching continues as in preseason/tryout periods. - Players MUST get into a set routine for ALL game days. There are two types of game-day prep: Weekend and weekday. Preparation differs for each as in the table below. Daily Activity Waking time As necessary for school - build in morning flexibility and time for proper nutrition. On weekends, set a defined time that is similar to your normal waking time. Not too early, not too late. Morning stretching/flexibility - Keep morning stretching and dynamic flexibility as used in the pre-season Game-day eating: Breakfast - make it your largest meal; proteins, carbs, very low fat Lunch - light, NON-greasy. Limit any fast foods Dinner/pre-game meal - ideally 2-2.5 hours prior to game time; protein, limited carbs. NO fast foods or greasy foods. ** Lots of water or sports drinks on game day PRIOR to game time** Activities/diversions Pre-determined school related activity on weekdays. On weekends, stick to normal activities as if it were NOT a game day (X-box, shopping, reading, TV, etc.) Keep moderate activity in the day - not too much sitting around, nor too much running around. - NOTE: Spend some early morning time on weekend game days in gym shooting around if possible. Nothing too intense, just very active and very brief working on shooting, shooting off dribble and free throws - 20 to 30 minutes total. Pre-game activity at gym - Plan how much time you need by working backward from the time your team normally takes the floor before a game. Allow the same amount of time before EVERY game. - Build in: ➢ time to get taped (if necessary) ➢ time to get dressed in uniform/warmup ➢ personal time on court before the game - individual shooting and stretching time and any dynamic flexibility needed.