03:57
Faizan
The pride of achieving a sports-oriented goal stays with you for a lifetime, and so do the bonds you form in the crucible of the test. But for you to experience hard-fought joy, you need to make the team. Set a goal to have an effective basketball tryout weeks ahead of time, and commit.
Build an Athletic Foundation
The process starts weeks, or even months, beforehand. Basketball challenges the body -- running, sprinting, shuffling, backpedaling, jumping and physical contact saturate the game. Preparing for the rigors takes time. Eric Cressey, a top athletic trainer, says it takes about eight weeks to feel a real difference through a four- to six-day-per-week conditioning program. Focus on game-specific workouts, such as sprinting, change-of-direction drills, agility training, plyometrics and weightlifting. Add range of motion with daily mobility work and static stretching. Ideally, commit to the program 16 weeks before the tryout date.
Skills Pay the Bills
Scoring gets all the glamour, but it's not the only skill you can work on. Try to buddy-up for skills practice so that you can work on dribbling and shooting off picks; passing; boxing out; and post moves. Work on reading rebound trajectories while your partner practices shooting. And don't forget the fundamentals -- dribbling and free-throw shooting. Get your skills practice in before your workout so you’re not too fatigued to sharpen your abilities. Or work on your skills in-game. Find a local pickup game that is at or above your skill level, playing with older, stronger players, if you can.
Eat Right on Tryout Day
Energize your body with nutritional fuel. Eat a low-fat meal high in protein and carbohydrates three to four hours before the tryout, getting nutrients from healthy sources such as sweet potato, whole-wheat bread and lean meats. Eat one or two bananas an hour before for a healthy, sustained energy boost, and drink lots of water throughout the day. Avoid sugary foods and sports drinks until after the tryout.
Get Your Mind Right
Bill Russell, the winningest player in NBA history, vomited before every playoff game in his 11-championship career. Rehearsal can help calm your fears. Sit in a quiet location and focus on your breath. Feel it dragging into your body, filling your lungs and steaming out of your chest. Once you're calmed by this centering technique, imagine a well-played tryout. See yourself, in all the detail that you can muster, succeeding, and feel good about it. Rehearsal puts you into a mental groove so you can hit the court with confidence. Do this before warm-up at the tryout, or use it to settle nerves so you can sleep the night before.
Focus on Things You Can Control
The tryout has begun and it is your time to shine. Just remember that some shots may fall and others may miss, so focus on things you know you can influence -- setting picks, defending with energy, following coaches' instructions and the fundamentals. Coaches want to see players who know how to take orders and play the game correctly. By hustling, listening and executing, you'll put yourself in a good position to make the team.
Build an Athletic Foundation
The process starts weeks, or even months, beforehand. Basketball challenges the body -- running, sprinting, shuffling, backpedaling, jumping and physical contact saturate the game. Preparing for the rigors takes time. Eric Cressey, a top athletic trainer, says it takes about eight weeks to feel a real difference through a four- to six-day-per-week conditioning program. Focus on game-specific workouts, such as sprinting, change-of-direction drills, agility training, plyometrics and weightlifting. Add range of motion with daily mobility work and static stretching. Ideally, commit to the program 16 weeks before the tryout date.
Skills Pay the Bills
Scoring gets all the glamour, but it's not the only skill you can work on. Try to buddy-up for skills practice so that you can work on dribbling and shooting off picks; passing; boxing out; and post moves. Work on reading rebound trajectories while your partner practices shooting. And don't forget the fundamentals -- dribbling and free-throw shooting. Get your skills practice in before your workout so you’re not too fatigued to sharpen your abilities. Or work on your skills in-game. Find a local pickup game that is at or above your skill level, playing with older, stronger players, if you can.
Eat Right on Tryout Day
Energize your body with nutritional fuel. Eat a low-fat meal high in protein and carbohydrates three to four hours before the tryout, getting nutrients from healthy sources such as sweet potato, whole-wheat bread and lean meats. Eat one or two bananas an hour before for a healthy, sustained energy boost, and drink lots of water throughout the day. Avoid sugary foods and sports drinks until after the tryout.
Get Your Mind Right
Bill Russell, the winningest player in NBA history, vomited before every playoff game in his 11-championship career. Rehearsal can help calm your fears. Sit in a quiet location and focus on your breath. Feel it dragging into your body, filling your lungs and steaming out of your chest. Once you're calmed by this centering technique, imagine a well-played tryout. See yourself, in all the detail that you can muster, succeeding, and feel good about it. Rehearsal puts you into a mental groove so you can hit the court with confidence. Do this before warm-up at the tryout, or use it to settle nerves so you can sleep the night before.
Focus on Things You Can Control
The tryout has begun and it is your time to shine. Just remember that some shots may fall and others may miss, so focus on things you know you can influence -- setting picks, defending with energy, following coaches' instructions and the fundamentals. Coaches want to see players who know how to take orders and play the game correctly. By hustling, listening and executing, you'll put yourself in a good position to make the team.
Posted in: basketball
