|
One rudimentary truth has remained the same for numerous years and is very evident today. There is one and only one path to getting a good basketball player. Hard work! This truth has been proved over and over for the past century and remains a proven template for basketball players. Young humans are besieged by products, gadgets and promotion that proclaim mysteries to success. Our society as a whole would rather use the drive up window to pick up dinner than get out of the car. Our world attempts to take each task and make it easier. Certainly there are gains of the microwave oven and more effective cars. The problem lies in an athlete’s approach to athletic success as they grow up in this fast feed world. I am often amused by the ads for jumping shoes or machines. These ads assert unbelievable results and rapid increase in vertical jump. I don’t doubt that these productions and claims are rightful and sound. What strikes me in regards to it is that jumping is one of dozens of attainments a player ought to have to excel or just to reach his potential. Of these dozens of skills, I would rate explosive jumping capacity at the bottom of the list. The following list will explain why players waste their time carrying out or participate in the goal to be a great jumper. 1. Joey Johnson is a household name in basketball, isn’t he? No, of course he isn’t. In fact, I doubt whether you’ve ever heard of him. I saw video of Joey in high school and he is in all likelihood the biggest leaper in the history of high school and college basketball. His problem was that jumping specified his game and led to intermediate ball skills, knowledge, and shooting ability. Show me a player who is described as a great leaper and I’ll bet the rest of his game is lacking. 2. In my 18 year college coaching career I recruited hundreds of players. Not one of them was recruited because of his jumping ability. Unfortunately, I saw some players who could jump but could not play and never made it to the college basketball arena. 3. Steve Nash has been the NBA’s MVP for the past two seasons because he knows how to play and has an unbelievable desire for the game. You won’t see him on the list of great leapers anytime soon.
4. According to fans of the game, leaping capacity will heighten rebounding and shot blocking ability. This is a fallacy. Great rebounders will tell you that position, remainder and lower body strength are the keys to getting the ball around the basket. Charles Barkley proved that for years at Auburn and in the NBA. The art of shot blocking is one of the most overrated accomplishments a player could have because most blocked shots end up out of bounds. 5. Developing into a good player is still when it comes to passing, dribbling, and shooting. If this is the case, why does todays player work so much on dunking the basketball. What is most disturbing in regards to young players is their disability to perceive the true constituents of the game that need attention daily. If a young man wants to increase his jumping capacity I’m all for it. Too often, though, it comes at the expense of working on the fundamental principle of the game. Good players have remainder and have mastered the pivot. They may handle the ball in each game circumstance without turnovers. They don’t leave the floor to pass and make sure passes that arrive safely at their destination. Shooting is worked on daily hundreds of shots at a time. The good player is a devoted viewer of video tape to seriously make an analyzation of his own game and how it may be improved. Footwork is an anchor for all good players and must be worked on daily. Reading screens, penetrating, sealing to rebound, cutting, and communicating are cornerstones of the game. Players become good because they have a game plan and put that plan in action. Hard work is the only thing amidst any player and the end result. Today, just being a good high school player does not guarantee a college scholarship. Hundreds of excellent, hard working players are passed up each year for the chance to play in college. If your goal is to become the best high school player you may be, then go for it. If college basketball is your desire, set a goal and persevere until your goal is reached. Work only on the achievements that will genuinely make you better. Avoid the quick repair method to basketball success. The temptation is there for those who are not more than willing to work for their goals and dreams. Stay true to yourself and work your dream everyday. |
