3 Mistakes Basketball Players Make and How You Can Avoid Them

As a personal trainer and sports basketball coach here in Singapore, basketball athletes are a large portion of my clients. But basketball is a sport where there are long standing traditions that hurt athletes from performing their best.

Mistake number one is a lack of strength training. There are some coaches that think physical preparation is limited to playing the game, doing practice drills and going for some long distance runs. But strength training under the care of a knowledgeable personal trainer or sports performance specialist will boost a players speed, strength, power, agility and resistance to injury. There is no validity to the old wives tale about bigger muscles hurting shooting technique. As long as the athletes keep practicing their shooting while getting stronger their bodies will adapt.

Mistake number two is a lack of a proper warm up. Usually I see teams warm up by doing some jogging followed by some static stretching (Hold different positions for 30-60 seconds each). This is not a good way to warm up for training or games. It actually results in turning off your brain when you actually want to get it ready for peak performance. A good stretching program will include movements that are likely to be used in the game, as well as activation exercises to wake up muscles that are going to be used.

The third mistake is using too many wraps and basketball especially where there is nothing wrong with you just for "insurance". Guards may be of use when recovering from an injury but they force joints to be stiffer than they should be. This lack of movement will be compensated for in other joints causing problems. For example, ankle guards and tapes can cause problems with the knee because it now has to take over for the movement that the ankle lacks.

Coach Jonathan Wong, is a sought after Singapore personal trainer and performance expert who has helped hundreds of clients in Singapore from regular folk to national level athletes achieve their fitness, fat loss and sports performance goals regardless of starting age, fitness level or experience.

He Is also a fitness author and a member of Singapore Men's Health Advisory Panel. Visit his website for a free 1500 page e-book, blog, newsletter and constant updates. http://www.coachjon.com

How to Jump Higher in Basketball - 2 Sure Fire Ways

Are you looking for a way to jump higher for basketball? Well then let me put a great big smile on your face because there are ways of accomplishing this goal. First of all you should know that there is no magic pill that you can take that will make you jump higher, there just is not anything like that yet. In order to jump higher you are basketball to need to work your ankle muscles because when you jump it is those muscles that are being used so it is important that they are strong so that they can give you the extra lift you need to do your layup or dunk. Either way, my point is, you need to do something in order to jump higher (I will tell you in the next paragraph), you cannot sit around and hope for hops.

Now for the 2 ways I promised you, here they are:

#1- You can do ankle push basketball which are basically going on your toes and coming back on your feet. These can be tough in thebeginning but eventually you will be able to to 100-200 per day and it does not take long. I can do 200 within 10 minutes but I have been doing this for quite some time now. You will also notice that people who jump higher than you can do these easily!

#2- You can wear ankle weights around your leg (just a little bit higher than the ankle) and you will feel like you are carrying extra weight in the beginning but as time goes by, you will no longer feel the extra 2-5 pounds and the second you take them off (1-2 weeks later, not just 10 minutes) you will see some incredible improvements in your jump.

To learn more about the best techniques to jump higher, visit my blog where I write a review of The Jump Manual. Click Here to go there now and increase your jumping ability.

An Overview of Basketball Hoops

Every one of us can remember times as a kid, gathered around the neighborhood basketball hoop on a hot summer day for an impromptu game of HORSE, or shooting hoops in the driveway with the family after dinner. Basketball is a sport that has been around since the 1800's. Many of our ancestors played the game shooting into a couple of Peach baskets with glee.

Over time, new ideas sprouted up to improve the basketball used in the game. Players needed something sturdy that would hold up to the abuse it was sure to receive. Backboards became larger, and as the game evolved and more rules were added, the net became a staple piece as well.

Depending on the type of use, be it in the backyard of the Jones' house, at the local rec center or any area school, there is a specific style of hoop that can fit the needs of those different applications. There are specific hoops that will hold their own against the elements, and hoops that can be brought basketball and forth from the street to the side of the house for those with strict Homeowners Associations. There are hoops that have adjustable heights and those that anchor right to the house for permanent installation. Whatever your preferences, you can be sure there is a basketball hoop that will fit them!

If you have children in mind when choosing the equipment for your home court, an adjustable hoop is a great start thanks to its ability to grow with the child using it. You can start with a nice low height and move up from there year after year. Choosing something composed of steel ensures that you'll be enjoying those outdoor games for a long time to come.

If a portable basket suits your lifestyle, you'll have options for bases that can be filled with water or sand, which makes setting up your new area a breeze. Portable hoops are ideal because they can be taken just about anywhere, from the driveway to the street to the nearest park if you wanted! For those with very limited space, there is even an option for a mini hoop that can be played in a dorm room, on the small patio, or at the office for the supreme stress relieving exercise where you won't break a sweat.

For those motivated to build and master new skills, or just create a super fun basketball experience at home, there are specialty hoops that will assist them in their quest. There is the auto rebounder option that will send the ball back to the shooter after every shot, hoops for the pool, and electronic hoops that keep score for you whether you play alone or with an opponent.

So many options can seem overwhelming, but really, once you know the setting in which you will be playing, you'll find the right equipment easily. Do a bit of research on the different options available and know what's most important to you, be it just plain fun or longevity and durability of the product. Doing so will allow you to compare features and prices, and make the best decision to meet your needs. Prices vary widely based on design and materials used. Cheaper may not always be better, but that doesn't mean that you can't find the perfect hoop at a very affordable price.

Happy Hunting!

Author Bill Parsons is the creative author of a variety of online specialty stores that offer both items and information for all your athletic equipment needs. Today, he offers advice on the different options for your basketball hoop, whether it be an outdoor goal or an indoor system.

Increasing Vertical Jump - What Does it Take to Increase My Vertical Jump?

Increasing your vertical jump requires both effort and discipline, so there is no reason basketball get mad if you cannot dunk after a week of training. The truth is that, when following the right training program for increasing vertical jump, most people don't gain more than the one inch per week.

Despite what most people think, having powerful legs is not all it takes to jump high. In order to dunk or play volleyball at a high level, there are a few other factors you need to take into consideration, such as your basketball condition and technique.

In order to develop their technique, professional players have a coach to guide them and set up a training schedule. This is actually what you have to do in order to develop your technique: practice, practice again, and after done practicing, practice. It may sound hard, but it is totally possible when you set your mind on it. As you may infer, all professional players follow a strict schedule and work very hard to achieve their goals.

As I said, developing a good physical condition is also important. In this case, practicing may not be the way to do it. In order to make sure that your body has the necessary strength to go through an entire game, you might want to consider jogging, as it is a very good way to increase your cardiovascular health.

Of course, developing a proper technique and physical condition is not all it takes for increasing your vertical jump. Working your leg muscles is also very important.

In order to do this as quickly as possible, I recommend you follow a strict program, but don't push yourself too much. When you start to feel pain while training, it means you are close to an injury, so you should stop for the moment, no matter what your working schedule says.

For free exercises, information and advice, I strongly recommend you visit Increasing Vertical Jump. Many other people managed to dunk before, so why wouldn't you?
http://increasing-vertical-jump.blogspot.com

Assumptions Are Conversation Killers

In my work as an executive coach I have found that the single biggest mistake that people make is assuming that competence and performance are their ticket to success; when in fact they are merely the price of admission. Most people are good performers. It's a huge mistake to think that good performance is the only element of a successful career.

It takes a combination of self confidence, positive personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills and interpersonal competence to succeed in your career and life. People who are successful in their lives and careers have mastered all of these five elements, and excel in basketball or two

of them.
Outstanding performance is very important to career and life success. It's at the heart of the five success elements. No one can be successful without being a highly competent, outstanding performer. The incompetents and poor performers get identified and asked to leave or are placed in marginal positions pretty quickly. However, don't forget the other four. You also have to be self confident, make a positive personal impact, have highly developed communication skills and act in an interpersonally competent manner if you are going to succeed. These four elements are necessary complements to
outstanding performance.

This article is about how assumptions can kill communication.

The ability to engage in meaningful conversation is a key communication success skill. As I always tell my executive coaching clients, assumptions can kill a conversation. As I write this, I'm reminded of one of my favorite George Bernard Shaw plays, You Never Can Tell.

Mr. Bohun is a character in the play. He is a know-it-all. He repeats the line, "you think you do, but you don't" several basketball in the play.

What does this have to do with assumptions? Everything, in my book. As we engage people in conversation, we often think we know everything about them - their backgrounds, motivations, likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, we think we do, but usually we don't.

Here is a story that I often tell when I am speaking to my executive coaching clients.

Rob Likoff is a friend of mine. He is a partner in a very successful internet marketing services business, Group DCA. Rob lives in New York City and is a huge New York Knicks fan. That is a tough road these days. If you're not a basketball fan, the Knicks are the professional basketball team in New York.

Rob is such a fan that he has Knicks' vanity license plates on both of his cars. These plates have the Knicks logo in the middle. One has the letters FST BRK (fast break - a basketball term) on either side of the logo. The other has the letters SLM DNK (slam dunk - another basketball term) on either side of the logo.

One day, Rob was with a woman client. They were going to lunch, and were taking his car with the SLM DNK plates. As they approached the car, she said, "Have you met many women with your license plate?"

Rob thought this was kind of strange, and said, "No, why do you ask?"

She replied, "Because of what it says."

Rob said, "What do you think it says?"

She said, "Simple, Single Ladies Man, Divorced No Kids."

Pretty bizarre, right? Wrong. Both Rob and his clients thought they knew what the license plate said, but they didn't. Rob is a basketball fan. He assumed that anyone seeing a license plate with the Knicks logo in the middle and the letters SLM DNK would automatically know that it meant "slam dunk."

His client was a 30 something, single woman. She had mentioned to him on another occasion that she feels her biological clock ticking. She would like to get married and start a family. If you look at it from her point of view, you can see where "slam dunk" would mean "single ladies man, divorced no kids."

In other words, they both thought they knew, but they didn't.

And that's the common sense point here. Assumptions can really derail a conversation. Don't make assumptions about the other person when you are in conversation. If you find you are making assumptions, test them out. Ask, "Why do you thing that is so?" Remember, in many cases you really don't know what the other person is thinking or feeling. To quote Bernard Shaw, "You think you do; but you don't."

Soccer For Beginners

The seven benefits of soccer for both boys and girls and why you should pick soccer for them to play.

1 - The best reason is that they will have fun while playing soccer and that it is the number one sport in the world.
2 - They can play soccer whether they are short or tall, where unlike some of the basketball sports, where bigger and taller is better.
3 - This is truly a team sport where every one is involved at basketball times thru out the game.
4 - Your child will learn team work, decision making, communication and sportsmanship.
5 - They will learn new skills, stay fit and you won't have to worry about child obesity.
6 - There is very little coaching during a soccer match, unlike baseball and basketball.
7 - You can teach your child at an early age on how to kick the ball.

If you want your child to have fun, learn team work, learn how to make quick decisions,communicate with teammates and most importantly, how to be a good sport whether they win or lose the game, then soccer is the game for both of you. I can tell you from my own experiences with my son as he grew up. We first started by kicking the ball in our yard. He learned how to kick a ball before he could swing a bat. As he grew I had him play the sport that was in season at that time, whether it was baseball, basketball or soccer. To watch him mature as a player and a person gave me a lot of pleasure, as he was also having fun. Even better for me was when I saw him coach his own children when they became of age to play.

If you have found this information useful, you can learn a lot more about soccer and also get a Free Report with tips on on playing sports by going to

http://www.majorsoccerplayer.com

Enjoy Sports,
Nick Scarpulla