December 05, 2021 | Tagged Skills
Build Your Strength On and Off the Basketball Court
NBC Basketball Camps
Becoming a strong basketball player and person is a crucial goal for aspirational athletes. Here are some key ways to become strong.
Use your own body weight. One of the tools we use often at NBC Basketball Camps is push-ups. A push up can be done anywhere. Doing 2 to 5 great push-ups in a row a number of times throughout the day is a great way to build strength for the younger athlete. High school athletes should aim for 30-50 perfect pushups in a minute. Owing yourself push-ups for missed free throws when practicing is an example of a solid consequence that helps you get stronger in the process.
Learn to be strong on defense. If you start getting pushed around when defending, widen your stance, dig deep and straddle the leg of your opponent. Leverage and angles are key. Play with better, older players and ask them how to improve your understanding of leverage. Play defense by squaring your chest to your opponent and spreading your arms in order to give a wider defensive posture, making it more difficult for the offensive player to go around you. Move your feet. Be quick. Be smart. Give the extra effort, beyond what most people think is the end of the play. Often the offensive player will give a fake or a serious of fakes, but holding your focus through to the end and keeping your hands ready to be up on the shot in the end, can mean victory in the specific individual plays of a game. These specific victories add up to winning the game.
Find a mentor who can help you develop a quality weight lifting program. Work with people who understand your body. Get assessments from a skilled physical therapist to decide where your body weaknesses are and to help you make sure your exercises aren’t hindering your development or making you injury prone.
Get mentally stronger. Don’t let mistakes take you out of your game. Visualize being strong on the court. Mentally erase images where you feel pushed around. Picture yourself playing with strength.
Always choose the more difficult tasks. Don’t back down from jobs or chores which require you to be mentally or physically tough. Be known as a person who is unafraid of the difficult road.
Speak with strength. People who are strong don’t lose control. They don’t have to scream, threaten, rage, swear, pout, or blame. They can say what they need to say with dignity, calmly and with great internal tenacity and force. Speak directly. Look in the person's eyes. Say very clearly what you need to say. Don’t attack, just state the facts.
Eliminate what makes you weak: gossip, comparison, defensiveness, lack of confidence, criticizing self or others, blame, racism, and quitting. If you participate in these activities it weakens your character and moral fiber. Plus if you speak this way, you will attract people who do these things and who will by association make you weaker.
Become the full package—speed, strength, quickness, skills, leadership, toughness. Strength is a big component of this package. Don’t take the easy way out. You need to push yourself through your own personal hard work and through the insight of a skilled mentor.
About NBC Basketball Camps
Our mission is to help you become a stronger player and person. We want to help you achieve these goals. NBC Basketball Camps are located worldwide. Find a program near you or visit us at http://www.nbccamps.com/basket... or call 1-800-406-3926