In this article today I’d like to talk about several tips, tricks, and techniques that anybody can use to become a starter on their basketball team.
Basketball is the most exciting game in the world, unfortunately there are only five spots on the team and everybody else sits on the bench. Competition for those five spots can be fierce, so how do you make sure that you are one of the starting five? That’s exactly what I’d like to talk about in this article today.
Basketball coaches are looking for just a couple of things when they pick their teams. First they’re looking for athletic ability and second they’re looking for skill. Anything you can do to improve your ability in these two areas can help guarantee your spot on the team.
Over the years I’ve developed a near foolproof method that people can use to become a starter. It takes an incredible amount of work, but it’s worth it.
In lower levels of basketball such as junior high and high school, athletic ability is not as prevalent as it is in college basketball and in the NBA. So if you can stand out as an incredibly athletic person then right away you’ve got a better chance than everybody else on your team. There’s a fairly simple way to become more athletic and that is through distance running.
You should get in the habit of jogging every morning before school. Ideally you should focus on 4 mile jogs but it may take you a while to build up the strength for that so begin by jogging 2 miles and slowly build up to three and four or even five miles. This can be incredibly difficult for most people but if you stick to it you’ll be amazed at the results. If your school has a cross country running team then I suggest you join. Cross country season is usually in the fall before basketball season starts making this a great way to gear up for the season and get in shape quick.
Next you need to focus on your skills and this means practicing everyday. You should focus on shooting for at least 2 to 4 hours every day after school. Pick 10 spots on the basketball court and shoot baskets at those spots until you make 10 in a row at each spot, then move on to the next spot. This may be very difficult to begin with so you may have to start out making only five in a row from each spot and then gradually upping it to 10 in a row. Choose a variety of different spots all over the floor including three pointers. You should also make 50 free throws every single day to bulk up on your free-throw shooting skills.
These two things; building your stamina through cross country running and building your shooting by practicing making 10 baskets in a row from various spots on the floor will have an amazing effect on your overall game and almost guarantee you a starting spot on the team no matter what. The hard part is having the discipline to stick to the plan but as long as you do good things will happen.