You Can Improve Your Game Daily
A lot more goes into preparation for a season than AAU, practice or training, and summertime school ball. Football players cannot gather grown men and teenagers to go play full pads on a daily basis and very rarely can you muster up a competitive baseball/softball game at the drop of a hat, but you can always hoop! So back to the title of this article, “How Can You Separate Yourself Before The First Basketball Game?” Set a schedule for your homework, instructional training from a coach or trainer, pickup sessions, and weight room workouts. My oldest brother told me when I was in high school, every time you decide to watch TV or play PlayStation before bed you should go outside jump rope, do push-ups and run sprints. It may take 15 minutes out of your night (25 minutes if you include the shower) to start the process of getting ahead of other athletes. There has been a huge jump from multi-sport athletes to more single sport athletes. During my youth, football season would help with muscle building and strength while the hoopers were long and lanky and behind physically. Therefore, while your friends or teammates are in football, they are gaining an edge mentally and physically that will have you sitting the bench if you are not putting in extra work outside of practice and just shooting jump shots.
Love The Game
The dawn of social media has helped gain exposure for many athletes, but it has been the cause of more college coaches removing potential recruits than to add them. Next Level Basketball has utilized space in almost every gym in the metro and the hours in each gym are similar. There are high intense pickup basketball games throughout the city and coaches everywhere opening up their schools for extra work. Yet and still many players snapchats and Instagram’s show hanging out with friends, girl/boyfriends, video games and memes. If you research a college coach or a potential NBA/WNBA prospect and look at their social media, you will see basketball basketball basketball! A person can tell a lot about you based off your interest and there is no better way to gauge a person’s interest than to look through their social media.
Use The Game
Agility, stretching, weight based workouts, and basketball training are all options that can go directly into improving your game. After putting in extra work consistently, you will feel the transformation in your body and mind going forward. Next Level provides individual based training and would love to give tips and at home workouts for you if you are dedicated to play the game that we all love!
Last Word
Be the best you every day! Do not set long-range goals of playing in the NBA or being the next Michael Jordan, because those goals will leave your mind by the end of the day. Set immediate goals like starting varsity, averaging 10 rebounds, or locking up the best player on your team in practice today. Those short realistic goals are a start of a better, stronger you! Oh Yea, do some push-ups!
By: Jade Carter
