Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Three Simple Steps to Success for Young Coaches

Starting a basketball coaching career can basketball an intimidating experience. A game that once was thought to be easy as a player becomes much more difficult from the bench. Three simple but imperative steps can be followed by any rookie hoop coach to get off to a good start in coaching.

The learning curve is very sharp for the first time basketball coach. The inclination is to give the players a lot of drills and information, thinking they can handle it. In time though, your players will be confused and you may be a basket case. These three key steps apply not only to the roookie coach but the seasoned coach also.

1. Teach only what you know. If your are not able to teach a concept in basketball, don't consider it until you have mastered it. Some coaches think that coaching is making kids go through drills and yell directions at them. That is not teaching, that is not having a clue. Remember, the best coaches are the best teachers. The best coaches also present basketball as an easy game and one that all players can grasp from an individual and team standpoint. The best way to minimize a player's play is to confuse them.

2. Keep the game simple for the players. It doesn't matter how much you know as a coach but it does matter how much the players know and UNDERSTAND. Players must first know what to execute before they can actually perform on the floor. Good coaches explain why certain skills and drills are used and make up the team's style of play.

3. Be on a constant search for information from other coaches, go to clinics, read and find things on the internet. You can be the best coach that you want to be! As the saying goes, "When you are done learning, you are done." Growing as a coach depends on a constant basketball to improve and analyze your own coaching. Some coaches get set in their ways and style of play after a few years. A growing coach will always look to tweak, refine, and adjust his or her coaching to maximize their effectiveness as a coach.

In my extensive college coaching career I can say that the best coaches I've every seen are the coaches that teach a simple game. Clarity is the goal for players and coaches and cannot be understated. Less is more when it comes to effective coaching and is the ultimate challenge of all basketball coaches.

Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com.

Top 5 Athletes of All Time

Even though the list of talented athletes is endless we have attempted to group together who we think are the best athletes of basketball time, we initially thought 10 was basketball good even number but after great thought we decided to be brutal and whittle it down to a meager 5 names!

We should point out that these names are in no particular order; they are all as great as each other.

Muhammad Ali, born in 1942 Ali is a three time world heavyweight champion and the only boxer to have won the linear heavyweight championship three times, in his 20 year career he fought in a massive 61 fights, 56 of which he won and for a magnificent ten years he remained undefeated.
His deserved place in our top five sporting champs is only illustrated by the fact that he has been awarded 'Sportsman of the century' by both Sports Illustrated and the BBC.

Pele, playing national football at the tender age of 16, Edison Arantes do Nascimento has been a top athlete from a very young age. FIFA recognises that Pele has scored 1281 goals across his entire career, however for many of his time playing in Brazil goal scoring was not recognised therefore this number is no doubt significantly higher, either way FIFA consider this figure as the highest number of goals achieved by any one player.

Golfer Tiger Woods, deserves a place in the top athletes for the fact that he has won 65 official PGA Tour events, an additional 22 individual professional titles, owns two team titles in the two-man World Golf Championships-World Cup, and won the inaugural FedEx Cup playoffs. In 2008 he became the first golfer to win four PGA Tour events five or more times and is the first person to win a PGA Tour tournament on the same course seven times, and the first person to win two tournaments at the same golf course in the same season.

Lance Armstrong, this cyclist deserves a place on this list not only for being the only person to win the Tour De France seven times but for also being a survivor of cancer. He developed testicular cancer in 1995 which then spread to his stomach, lungs and brain, after extensive hospital care he made a full recovery after which he went on to win the prestigious tournament a total of seven times. His dedication and bravery has been recognised by the over 50 accolades and awards he has received since.

Michael Jordan, noted as being one of the greatest basketball players of all time and a global icon for the NBA around the world. He holds the NBA record for highest career regular season scoring average with 30.12 points per game, as well as averaging a record 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He will be eligible for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

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Mistakes Most Basketball Players Make With Vertical Jump Programs

Unlike track and field athletes most basketball players lack the all-round knowledge needed to successfully increase their athleticism. This is understandable, as a vertical jump program only makes up a small component of a basketball players training. Team training sessions, games, individual training sessions and pickup games with buddies tend to take up the majority of the time. Vertical jump programs are usually looked at as quick fixes to athletic success. Most basketball players therefore think that plyometrics alone are enough to increase their vertical leaping ability.

As any Track and Fields athlete could state, becoming an athlete takes a lot more than 3 plyometric sessions a week. The problem with all vertical jump programs is that they are only a small component of what it takes to increase vertical jumping ability. The exercises by themselves are normally well described, and would be very effective if used under the right conditions. Unfortunately most players start Air Alert or other programs in the middle of the season, which is the worst time possible!

Overtraining

If your body has to cope with 2-3 team training sessions, 1-2 games, weight training sessions and of course numerous pickup games on a weekly basis there is no way it can cope with the additional stresses of a vertical jump program. Not even an NBA player's body could cope with all that!

Timing your training sessions

The only way the human body can make athletic advancements is through rest. There is therefore no point in putting it under more stress until it has fully recovered, and even overcompensated to deal with its new circumstances. That is the point at which basketball have gained strength, and that's the exact point at which it should be hit with another training session. Not before and not after!

For weight training sessions the resting time of a muscle is 48 hours. The same goes basketball someone who is new to plyometrics. That is 48 hours of no jumping at all, especially not during pickup games. Over time the body can recover quicker, and is ready to absorb 4 plyometric sessions a week.

The bigger picture

As mentioned though plyometrics alone won't result in that dream vertical jump. Effective weight training, and sprint training sessions along with a quality diet are also vital components. Weight training should be split into at least two upper body and one lower body sessions per week.

Incorporating an extensive program into your daily routine

So, now most will probably be thinking how on earth should I fit that lot into my schedule? It's simple, use the off-season. That's when most pro's bunker down with their athletics coaches. It's Tim Grover's (Look the name up if you don't know who he is) busiest time of the year.

So to anyone who's thinking about Air Alert: summer is still months away, put the booklet aside and focus on closing out the season as strong as possible. And when April comes around I recommend you consult an athletics coach, and have them put together a personal program for you. Not a basketball coach, they often think they are experts on this topic, but unfortunately most aren't. Also ask them how you can increase your body's recovery time. Diet and quality sleep are the key, also during the season!

If you are looking for a pre-tailored vertical jump program I have posted one on sportgorilla.com:

http://www.sportgorilla.com/plyometrics.php

Note that for you as an individual some adjustments might need to be made. A lot also depends on how much time you have available for your vertical jump training. Even if my program suits you down to the ground you can only benefit from a consultation session with an athletic coach!

Looking for more quality coaching articles for Basketball and other sports? Then try SportGorilla.com!

http://www.sportgorilla.com

Sports Betting System For NCAA Basketball

Sports betting are current one of the simplest basketball not to mention most popular forms of gambling. Its appeal can be considered as universal as well as far reaching because it is the first form of betting or gambling that most people try before moving on to more complicated kinds. basketball fact, today, sports betting are actually a billion dollar industry and as such more developments such as online betting and sports betting system have been created in an effort to further enhance the thrill of the game at the same time making it hard for any gambler to cheat or trick the system in order to win. However, there are still those with advanced knowledge about how the game and system works and are still able to veer the game to a road that's more favorable for them. Sports' betting, however, isn't as new as some people might think. In fact, as long as there has been sports so has there been betting and along with sports developments the betting industry has grown significantly too. This brings in more people wanting to bet for the sake of fun as well as to make money. But not everyone leaves with their pockets heavier, in fact, without a proper sports betting system these people are likely to lose their first time bets.

So what is a sports betting system? Well, a sports betting system has a standard set of rules that gamblers, who wish to improve their profits and make more money on sports betting, can follow. Once you have a good grasp of the basic rules and systems of the game you can easily make the transition from learning the basics to learning the tricks. Having an in depth knowledge of the game is actually your asset and is one of the important factors if you want to learn how to beat the system whilst playing its own game. Besides having a good sports betting system, money management is also essential to the game. A slight mistake in the money management can lead to great risks and might even eventually lead to you losing the game. A good bettor would plan ahead and properly budget his or her earnings as well as expenditures before getting into a game. Doing this would help you stay in control and would prevent you from running out of money in the event that you lose the game you betted on.

Winning an online sports betting game can come about out of sheer luck but don't expect this to happen every time. Having a sports betting system as well as an in depth knowledge of how the said game works would be beneficial to you in the long run and in continuously profiting from games. In fact, it is not as difficult as you might think it is. People bet on games for various reasons, but don't you think it'd be more fun if you profit from it too whilst you enjoy yourself as well? So, the next time someone asks you to join in, think about the sports betting system as well as how much you know about the game before you dive in.

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Dirt Bike Events and Races

It's all about the effervescence of heart-stopping motion. Motor racing and motocross rally have gained massive popularity. Today, they give spectators the opportunity of enjoying great delegated pleasure. The friction within the wheels, the splinters flying in all possible directions and a follower getting close on the leader in the dying lap of the race; all this makes for amazing artistry, one that is enough basketball put the watching public in awe.

Dirt bike events and races are generally held in off-road circuits. The thrill is enhanced by the challenging terrains. Actually, dirt bike events can assume two great avatars. It can be either a motocross racing or a super cross racing. Now motocross racing is stretched over nearly a two-mile course and off-road challenges turns them into a nice tussle. Having said this, the natural obstacles do not pose a very huge hindrance. This is why man-made challenges are being made for the purpose of racing. A lot of dirt is accumulated and tracks are made from the dirt. Such surfaces can be really slithery and need exquisite skills to be negotiated.

On the contrary, the tracks for super cross racing are built in indoor stadiums, these are not very large. To add to the steepness of the battle, these courses are also augmented with dirt tracks. Less number of riders, almost twenty of them participate and most of them do not cross past the line of finish intact.

It is quite understandable that dirt can be most difficult factor for the wheels. This is precisely why slime-filled mud yards in rainy season are not suited for riding bikes. The popularity of dirt bike events and racing has increased manifold because it marries the thrill of speed with the tenacity of off-road terrains. Spectators automatically get this dual fun.

Medical facts- Because it is essential to control a nearly 200 pound vehicle at a high-speed over torturing roads, the heart rate of dirt track racers go up to 190 beats per minute and more generally it remains so for not less than 35 minutes. This is why their heart capacity and adrenalin levels are tested prior to their enrollment into the genre of racing.

Pit bikes are small dirt bikes. Their engines are bored-out to perfect displacement and their air boxes are removed. Both of these aim to give a higher leverage to the engine capacity.

Be sure to read about Dirt Bike Training if you want to start dirt basketball or learn more about the sport