July 15, 2022 | Tagged Skills
5 Ways to be a Top High School Basketball Player
If you want to be one of the top high school basketball players in your state or region, here are five key goals to make.
1. Be willing to work harder than the competition. Can you define hard work? For a top-level high school and college basketball coach, here is what demanding work means. Your attitude and demeanor on the court need to be intense, focused, aggressive, and no-nonsense. Your play should include taking charges, diving on the floor for loose balls, running the floor, constant "in your face" pressure on the ball when defending, and strong attack moves to the hoop which is effective.
Effective=ends with a basket.
2. Be powerful. Great high school basketball players are not pushed around. They dictate the tempo, intensity, and rhythm of the game. You decide where you want to go or not go on the offensive, not your opponent. On the defensive, you decide where your opponent goes. You disrupt his or her game. Learn to use your body to impose your WILL both offensively and defensively.
3. Be smart and understand the system. Every coach has a system and philosophy to be successful. You need to know what he or she wants. Some teams require a point guard to have no more than three turnovers a game. If you take too many risks on that team as a point guard, you are going to sit down. Know what the coach values. Does he or she value conservative play? Does he or she want run and gun? See the big picture and learn how to play within this system.
4. Be strong, fast, and quick. These are the separators between high school athletes who will go on to the college level. One of our alum campers playing in the NBA is an amazing athlete, a premier shooter, but he is getting beat on defense because his foot speed is too slow to stop a player one-on-one and even though he is 6'7" he is not strong enough in the post. We want him to do well and encourage him to work on his strength and speed, to get a program, and change his game by elevating his quickness and strength.
Be sure to meet with a physical therapist as well as a trainer because you need to know what you must do to prevent injury. Live in the weight room during the off-season.
5. Be humble and lead by example. Care for the team by being selfless and by not being concerned about your name in the paper. Do the little things well, serve others and you will be rewarded.
Key Thoughts: God has given each of us natural abilities. A girl who is 6'3" as a sophomore, quick, long, and strong may not have good skills but she will get letters from Division 1 programs. Coaches recruit body types. If you genetically do not have a Division 1 build, you have a much harder road. You must rise above the multitude of athletes who all have the same dream. You must find the separators: speed, strength, wisdom, leadership, shooting, passing, impeccable skills, and the WILL to work harder than your competition.
About NBC Basketball
NBC Basketball is one of the largest, most-respected basketball camps in the country located in sixteen states and six countries. Camps focus on accurate fundamental skills, basketball IQ, leadership, and the total player. For more information visit www.nbccamps.com