It doesn’t matter what level you’re playing at — the start of school is a crucial time to prepare and make the most out of the upcoming basketball season. Even for highly skilled players, there’s an adjustment period to high school basketball and we offer tips on how quicken the adjustment period and maximize your potential.
High school basketball season is just around the corner and for players entering high school, it’s an exciting time. But the experience can turn frustrating or even negatively affect the other aspects of school (social, academic) if incoming players don’t know what to expect or have unrealistic expectations.
The first thing to keep in mind is your coach will likely have a different outlook of the game that perhaps your mentor, travel ball coach, or relative that taught you the game does. He or she may look for things in a young player’s game that you may not realize or feel some components of the game are more important than ones you were taught to focus on in middle school.
For instance, some coaches feel the most important aspect of a two-guard’s game is to make the perimeter shot. Others like their two-guard to be the best perimeter defender — even if it means guarding a forward or a point guard — and even if means compromising outside shooting.
If you have a solid foundation of the game’s fundamentals, those minor differences shouldn’t matter much over time. Also, if your lacking in any specific area (outside shooting, ball-handling, etc.) if you really get locked in and concentrate of defense, your chances of getting on the floor will increase.
Most players nowadays know a lot about the program they are entering (it wasn’t always like that, years ago you just went to the high school in your attendance area and figured out your place on the team), but if you’re not sure make sure to clearly communicate with your coach. Ask questions. Ask him or her what the expectations are and what areas the coaching staff feels you can improve upon. Don’t have your parents do this for you or someone else, you’re the one that is going to be playing. It will show your coach you are serious about playing time and confident in your ability to improve.
Keep in mind, it’s not always the 12 most skilled players that make the team or eight or nine that get playing time. Many times, unless you’re so skilled that your abilities demand you be on the court, you will have to fill a role. Perhaps you are supposed to come in and rebound and set hard screens. If that’s the case, don’t go in and jack the ball up the first time you touch it. You’ll quickly be back on the bench. Know you role, make sure you know your role well, then learn what other’s roles are. Keep in mind, you have to practice on your weaknesses on your own time as well.
You can be one of the better pick-up players in the school, but ask yourself why are you not playing more? Are you developing an all-around better game, or do you just revert back to what feels normal and comfortable? Do you listen in practice and stay intense, or do you think you already know everything about the game coming in? You don’t, so stay focused and positive and run the play or practice the way your coach wants it done. Even if you don’t agree with it, two wrongs don’t make a right and the high school season is too short to hold grudges or try to consistently “test” coach. Do you think every player in the NBA gets along with his coach or all the other players on the team? Of course not, so conduct yourself in a way that shows you don’t put yourself before the team. You have to learn how to succeed through adversity.
Most of all, realize the game is supposed to be fun. Relax and don’t put so much pressure on yourself that you can’t play to your capabilities. If you feel like your out of breath or are playing slow (and you now you’re in good physical shape), chances are you are not relaxed out on the court. Something doesn’t feel comfortable — perhaps you’re eating too much, eating too little before the game, thinking about trying not to make a mistake, or are trying to impress with every single movement — and it’s difficult to play to your maximum potential like that. Find a routine, try to stick to it and enjoy the game. Chances are, your season will go much more to your liking and you won’t have regrets when you reflect back later on.
If You Play On The Freshman Team
Know many play basketball to get exercise or for recreation and they are good enough to play on this team. But they might have other interests and may focus more on academics than anything else. That’s okay, just try to encourage teammates and don’t sulk if someone makes a bad play or doesn’t take basketball as serious as you do. That’s one thing I evaluate a lot at this level — if one player makes a bad play it lingers and affects his or her play for longer than it should.
At this level, there is going to be a lot of rebounds and a lot of swings of momentum. Stay around the action and don’t hide from the ball. Alot of younger players think if they are not as good as the opponent or can’t handle the ball well, running to the corner or away from the ball solves this problem and doesn’t hurt the team. Veteran coaches know this and see that you lack confidence in certain aspects of the game. It’s better to make a mistake and impact the game than to not impact the game by staying away from the action. Make the simple play, don’t over dribble and keep moving without the ball. You may not be playing with Magic Johnson, but if you keep moving something positive will happen for your team.
This is also the level of the game where if you’re tough, you’ll get more playing time and the coaches of the higher levels will see it. You have to want it more than the next player and even if your skills are not there yet, showing you have the desire and ability to improve will go along way. If you feel your getting pushed around, start by getting strong enough to lift your own body weight. Start doing a bunch of push-ups, sit-ups and crunches (along with ample recover time). I guarantee you’ll begin seeing results.
If You Play On The Junior Varsity Team
Not all programs have a sophomore team, but on this level coaches will generally favor a younger player with the same skill set as a junior. Most serious basketball programs don’t carry seniors on the junior varsity, so this level is crucial to keep improving your game and show you have what it takes to one day contribute to the varsity club.
If you’re dribbling with your head down and are picking up the ball all the time under pressure, you won’t be seeing the varsity floor anytime soon. On this level, you have to display the ability to run a play under pressure and in a close game. Junior varsity players often try to show their individual skills if the original play doesn’t work. Reset and try to run a play again. On this level, it’s important to learn to play under control. There are a lot of players on this level than can score, but the finer aspects of the game don’t come as easily and you have to work on them. Do you know how to reserve the ball? Pass at angles into the post? As a post player, are you developing a couple of moves that you can execute under pressure? On this level, you have to learn to rely more than on just your athletic ability and learn how to play the game.
Half of the junior varsity players are not strong enough yet to play varsity and the other half are not developed in certain aspects of their games. That means the coach doesn’t feel comfortable that you are quite ready to perform in the same manner against a varsity defensive player and varsity intensity.
Many times, the intensity of a junior varsity game is very similar to a varsity game, but the play is not as fluid because players on this level are just as interested in impressing the varsity coach as they are with making the correct basketball play. Learn what your shortcomings are and spend time to improve them. If you’re a young player and are as talented as some of the varsity players, don’t worry your time will come. Be ready when it does and know the varsity game is played a bit faster and the correct decision has to be made just a bit quicker.
If You Play On The Varsity Team
In you’re in ninth or tenth-grade entering high school and playing on the varsity, you’re a pretty talented player. Be confident in your abilities, but don’t come in too cocky. If you’re one of the better players on the team, it will show over time and your teammates will learn where to get you the ball. You don’t want to “lose” the upperclassmen and create a situation where the team is divided or jealous of a budding star. This shouldn’t happen on a team that is serious about winning, but it does so be mindful of it.
When you are 14 or 15, just know there are plenty of seniors that are just plain stronger than you. You may be more skilled, but they might get to some balls or be able to outmuscle you on some plays. It’s okay, don’t get frustrated and try to compensate by being extra physical and getting in foul trouble. Learn subtle things, like how to get away from a defender with quick jab steps, knowing when to tug a jersey and side-stepping.
You got to also learn how the ref is calling a game. In certain tournaments and perhaps in non-league games compared to district/league games, be aware that the refs may call the game differently. You have to adjust.
A good player has to know basketball is about starting, stopping, resetting and exploding again. You can’t play at one speed the whole game. As a post player, you have to learn how to run to your spots and create space on the block. As a perimeter player, you can’t over penetrate just because you can get by your defender all the time.
Right now, the offensive mindset is a 3-pointer or lay-up, so if you can develop a mid-range game and learn how to shoot while pulling up after an explosive move, you’ll be an impact offensive player. Don’t begin your dribble unless you are ready to make a basketball move. Too many high school players dribble aimlessly and it often gets them into trouble.
Younger level players try an offensive move and quickly pass, shoot or pick up their dribble if it doesn’t work. A good varsity player knows how to square, reset, and try a move again. It takes a lot of repetition and confidence to not pick up the dribble under good varsity defensive pressure, but if you learn how to back the ball up, reset and try your offensive move again, it will open up your game, especially if your don’t favor going in one direction over the other.
The keys to being a good high school basketball player is being coachable, know you don’t know everything about the game, playing with your head up and keep moving without the ball. When you do get the ball, if you are a threat to drive in either direction and maintain your poise (and your dribble) under defensive pressure, you’ll develop into a player that coaches take notice of.
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