High School Basketball: Individual Pushup Chart

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“The little things are the BIG things.”

To be a very good high school basketball, you have to do the little things that many other players will not do. Pushups is such a simple way to improve strength. As a player matures, he may find it necessary to have a more advance strength program, but simply doing pushups for strength will allow more time to develop the fundamental basketball skills that will help a player excel.

Let’s look at a 4 year high school career. With the leap year, there are 1,461 days. how many pushups would that be in a career? Let’s do the math:

  • 10 pushups a day x 1,461 days = 14,610
  • 25 pushups a day x 1,461 days = 36,525
  • 50 pushups a day x 1,461 days = 73,050
  • 50 pushups a day x 1,461 days = 146,100

I was never too good at math, but you could see how the numbers would change if you did two, three, or four sets.

If you are a high school player, give it try. I guarantee if you stick with it you will be one of the strongest players in your league. Use the chart or create your own. Add up your totals for each month and year.

Pushups are one little thing that you can do that will make a BIG difference in who you are as a player.

Good Luck!

Name:

Individual Pushup Chart                                                                                                        

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Mini-Mikan Basketball Layup Drill

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Mini Mikan Lay-up Drill

The Mikan Drill is the best layup drill for first time youth basketball players. The true Mikan drill teaches players the proper footwork for taking right and left hand lay-ups. This will be introduced much later in a basketball career. The ability to use correct footwork when taking a lay-up with both hands is well beyond the ability of 1st graders. The Mini Mikan Drill is ideal for the majority of players in grades 1 – 5.  

The Mini Mikan drill is easy to learn and complete. A player starts on one block and takes a block shot aiming and hopefully using the “top corner of the backboard.” After taking the 1st shot, the player grabs the rebound and goes directly to the opposite block. (It does not matter if the player makes or misses the 1st shot. The player will only attempt one shot before moving to the other side.) The player squares up to the basket and shoots a 2nd shot. The player continues to take alternating shots from the block for 30 seconds or until a player makes a set number of shots. The number of shots will depend on the age and skill level. 

This the first individual lay-up drill that should be taught. Keep teaching and repeating the drill until a player is ready to learn the true Mikan Drill.  

The goal is to become a “Mini-Mikan Master” who does not miss this shot. Coaches will be surprised at how much improvement will happen if a player goes home and practices this drill under the supervision of a parent or older sibling.

BE CAREFUL to put too much emphasis on high scores. Remind all the players the goal is to have fun and improve. Remind all the players to focus on being a better player each week and do not compare yourself to other players. This is a tough concept to understand, maybe impossible, but a coach needs to do his / her best to avoid comparing players. It is always great to point out less skilled players who improve.

Good Luck!

Teaching Basketball Layups: Aim for Top Corner of the Square

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A layup is the most basic way to score in the game of basketball. At the younger levels, (K – Grade 3) focusing on using the correct footwork can be useless and unnecessary. In early youth basketball. very few players can use the correct footwork when attempting a lay-up, so do not worry about the footwork at all. This skill can be taught much later when players are capable of learning it quickly.

So what layup fundamentals can you teach players learning basketball for the very first time?

Teach the aiming point for shooting a layup.

When a young players is asked “What should you aim for when you take a layup?”

The most common answers are:

  1. “THE BACKBOARD” This is the #1 answer, but it is not the best answer. The backboard is such a big area. Many shots can hit the backboard, but will not result in a made basket. A coach can have some fun by shooting the ball all over the backboard and missing. After each shot, the coach can look at the players and say, “I hit the backboard, what is wrong.? I am doing what you told me to do. I hit the backboard but I MISSED my layup! What is wrong?” At this point, the players will realize the aiming point needs to be more specific. The next best answer is…
  2. “THE SQUARE” With this response the players are getting warmer, but the answer is still not specific enough. A coach can still have some fun with this answer by hitting the square in several different spots and still miss scoring a basket. Shoot the ball all over “the square” and miss. The most common missed layup is when a player hits the BOTTOM corner of the square and the ball hits the front of the rim. A coach can look at the players and say, “I hit the square, what is wrong. I am doing what you told me to do. Why isn’t it going in?” At this point, the players are gaining a better that the target for a layup is VERY specific. Hopefully after sharing the above two answers, the players can get the correct answer…. 
  3. “THE TOP CORNER OF THE SQUARE” Bingo! This is the PERFECT answer! This is the correct response and the response EACH player should know and remember the rest of the season and his / her playing career. Knowing the correct aiming point is the 1st step to consistently making lay-ups. Now there are two top corners of a square, I think ALL the players and coaches understand it it the top corner on the side where the player is shooting the layup.

Once the players understand where to aim the basketball, the next step in the lay-up process is applying this knowledge to the shot. 

To make a layup, a player needs to use the backboard and CONSISTENTLY aim for the top corner of the square. 

The following drills provide excellent repetition and practice for aiming for the top corner of the square. 

If a player can understand the importance of identifying the correct aiming point when taking a lay-up, that is the 1st step to consistently making layups. 

Just for fun, go watch a high school basketball game and see how many layups are missed because the ball does not hit the top corner of the square.

Block Shot Basketball Layup Drills

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When teaching lay-ups to developing players, it is important to have a planned teaching progression much like an academic curriculum. Students, like basketball players, vary in skills, motivation, interest, and practice habits. However, there should be a clear progression of skills that should be introduced and taught at certain ages and grade levels.

This is the very 1st shooting drill that should be introduced to a player. The goal in coaching, especially at early ages, is to provide players with opportunities to have succeess.

Stationary Block Shots (with no dribble): The footwork of a lay-up is a fairly complicated skills. Players first learning the game have a difficult time learning the correct footwork. It is a skill that very few players can learn before the 3rd grade. As a result, I would recommend players focusing on aiming for the top corner of the square when taking the “block shot.”

If there is an advanced player, a coach can work with him before or after practice on the proper footwork. If a skill is beyond most players ability, I do not recommend teaching the skill. Focus on the skills the majority of players can complete successfully.

Block Shots (with dribbling): Once the majority of players have mastered the station  footwork of a lay-up is a fairly complicated skills. Players first learning the game have a difficult time learning the correct footwork. It is a skill that very few players can learn before the 3rd grade. As a result, I would recommend players focusing on aiming for the top corner of the square when taking the “block shot.”

Basketball Skill Development: Individual Basketball Layup Drills

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From my experiences, very few high school varsity players have mastered the following drills. They are organized from the youngest age and most basic skill level to more advanced. The early drills once mastered, no longer need to be completed, however the later drills are still used by professional basketball on a regular basis.

Click on the link for a more detailed explanation of the drill.

  1. Block Shot Basketball Layup Drills: This is the most basic layup drill that should be used by players grades 4 and lower. Coaches should not worry about a player using proper footwork. Stress that the player always aims for the top corner of the square.
  2. Mini-Mikan Basketball Layup Drill: This is a great drill for all ages. Players as old as 8th grade can benefit from completing this drill, especially taller players. Once again a player does not need to worry about footwork, just focusing on aiming for the top corner of the square.
  3. No step, imaginary lay-ups: The 1st drill to introduce proper footwork for layups. A fun drill that can be introduced at an early age.
  4. No step lay-ups: This is the foundational drill of correct footwork. It may be a drill that needs to be reviewed at the start of the basketball season. It is an ideal drill for teaching weak hand layups.
  5. No Dribble Lay-up: This is a simple drill that teaches the correct footwork.
  6. One Dribble Lay-up: The final drill before introducing the full layup.

Basketball Book: Stuff Good Players Should Know: Intelligent Basketball From A to Z 

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Stuff good players should know:  intelligent basketball from A to Z

by Dick DiVenzio Click here to view on amazon: https://amzn.to/3zYmzA1

Forward by Dena Evans

 Contents

Forward (1 – 4) Written by Dena Evans in 2006. Dena was a Division I player and ACC Basketball champion at the University of Virginia who played professionally. She explains how at the age of 12, she was given this book and how the information in the book had such a positive impact on her career and life.  The book was helpful to her in so many different ways.

Contents

Forward (1 – 4) Written by Dena Evans in 2006. Dena was a Division I player and ACC Basketball champion at the University of Virginia who played professionally. She explains how at the age of 12, she was given this book and how the information in the book had such a positive impact on her career and life.  The book was helpful to her in so many different ways.

PRE-GAME STUFF (5) These 2 sections go hand in hand.

Basketball progress (6) “Can you play?” An honest evaluation of where you fall on basketball progress is the 1st step to measuring where you are and how far you can improve in the next day, week, month. Do not look too far ahead. Take care of your short-term goals. Where do you fall on the progress chart? You will be surprised. 

A few words to players (7-8) There are a thousand ”little things” that actually decide whether or not you can play. , Even on nights you shoot one for nine  you can still play well if you do the little things… But coaches and winning teams know what a good player is, and if you want to be a good player, you’d better know,  too.”  (7) “Undoubtedly,  there are many things that you should do that you don’t.” (8) Introduces the player to the mental part of being a good player. “Habit of play is a crucial phrase… Do they do it in games? Do they do it consistently?”(8) “ Consistency is key to “NEXT LEVEL” play. If you apply the ideas in the book to your game, people will say “you can play. There is no higher compliment in the game.  

A few words to female players (9) Good to read, regardless of gender. 

Don’t be stupid (10) #1 rule for a player: A friendly reminder that your coach is ALWAYS right. Most of the principles will be welcomed by coaches. But if he has a different philosophy, do it his way. “Who is right?  Your coach is right.  Do it his way. He is the one who puts you into and out of games.  He is the one you have to please… No team has ever lost by playing the wrong defense. They lost by playing that defense 

poorly.” (10) 

A few words to coaches (12 – 14 ) This section explains how this is a book for players who have an understanding of the game and if players in a program can learn to do some of these little things on their own they will  make the coach’s team better and his job easier.

“So that’s the reason for this book.  page after page of Common Sense ideas about basketball.  Not plays to run,  not drills to you,  But Concepts players need to perform well. (13) 

Key to Diagrams (15) This is an explanation of the diagrams in the book. The diagrams are consistent with what many coaches use. just what the title says.

SOFO and other terms (16) SOFO = “Spin off the 1st obstacle”. Is one of the unique ways Devenzio tries to keep the game of basketball simple and easy to remember. “Did you SOFO or didn’t you? Go through the game films and don’t count the offensive rebounds. Count the SOFOs. If you are constantly spinning of the 1st obstacle, over the course of a season you are going to get a lot of offensive rebounds.” (16) 

GAME STUFF (17)  The Fine Points of Basketball A to Z

A chapters(19)

#1 Help ACROSS, not up (20-21) team defense “remember to pick up or help across from your man, not up from him.  A very simple but important concept. 
#2 How Ahead Near The End of a game… On Defense (22) team defense basketball IQ. Don’t foul! “Nothing would please them more than getting you to foul them. A foul will give them a chance to score – maybe even three points in one possession, and it will stop the clock. It will also give them a chance to set up a pressing defense and make it tough for you to get the ball inbounds… You want them to feel moving on, and you want them to have to earn every basket they score.” (22) 

How to Create the Ultimate Basketball Workout

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Ball Handling Drills

Individual Layup Drills

1-Hand Form Shooting: It is important to master the shooting fundamentals of BEEF! So few players use 1-hand form shooting, but this is the absolute best drill to improve shooting accuracy and range.

Game Shots

Basketball Camp Options

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With the popularity and expense of AAU basketball, summer basketball camps can sometimes be ignored. This is frustrating because some of the best teaching of fundamentals occurs at camps. Parents and players should ask around to learn about the options.

Not all camps are created equal so be sure to do your research (Guest Blog: TOP 6 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A BASKETBALL CAMP)

  1. Town Recreation Camp (K – 9): This is were the 1st steps of basketball journey often happen. These camps are often run by a local high school coach either privately or through a recreation department. The players often come from the same town and players are grouped according to age and skill level. This is small pond environment with an emphasis on teaching and having fun. It is a great introduction to basketball for many players. Attending these camps will help evaluate a player’s interest in basketball
  2. High School Coach’s Camp (K – 9):
  3. Overnight Teaching Camp (4 – 12)
  4. Overnight Exposure Camp (4 – 12)
  5. College Exposure Camps: Top 10 Reasons to Attend All-Academic Basketball Camp These camps are a “showcase” camp where players play games in front of college coaches. The coaches evaluate the high school players to see if they possess the skills or the potential to continue playing basketball in college.
  6. Position Camps:

Individual Basketball Workouts are Critical!

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To be a good basketball, it is important to master the fundamentals first. The only way to master fundamentals is to:

  1. learn every detail
  2. practice the fundamental correctly
  3. practice regularly (2 – 7 times a week)

Well that sounds simple. The reality is it is not that hard. The most difficult part might be learning the fundamental. Some resources for a player to learn basketball fundamentals are parents, siblings, camp instructors, coaches, and private basketball trainers.

So many players and parents believe that by participating in an AAU program, a player will improve dramatically and be a better player. A player needs to select a program that is established, has quality coaching, and focuses on age-appropriate player development. But the reality is, a player must work on his own or with a private coach to develop the skills that are necessary to succeed at a particular level – youth, travel, sub-varsity, varsity, college, and for a very few professionally.

How to Design a Killer Basketball Workout

AAU Basketball Year

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For many years, I have observed AAU basketball from a distance. It seems to be a little like the never ending treadmill… like George Jetson said “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!” Once a player and his family jump on the AAU treadmill, it is very difficult to get off. It can feel chaotic, overwhelming, and impossible to stop.

That being said, this post is an attempt to prepare a player and family for each month of the AAU season.

Fall AAU Season

September

Cost:

Practices

Games

Travel (18 miles round trip) 36 miles 

Commuting time 2 hours

August 17th – September 13th (28 days) AAU Individual Preseason This is the period between the final tryout and the 1st practice.

Week #1 September 9th – 15th: Tuesday & Wednesday: two 90 minute practices (either 6:00 – 7:30 or 7:30 – 9:00) No Games.

Week #2 September 16th – 22nd: Tuesday & Wednesday: two 90 minute practices (either 6:00 – 7:30 or 7:30 – 9:00) This is the 1st tournament weekend. It is time to see how the coach and team performs for the 1st time together. Players get comfortable playing with referees and good competition.

Week #3 September 23rd – September 29th: This is the 2nd tournament weekend. Players have had a weekend to learn the new system, get the rust off, and hopefully develop a little team chemistry. Player need to continue to put in time alone improving.

October

Cost $267.80 September 1st, $267.80 September 15th

Travel (18 miles round trip) 36 miles 

Commuting time

Practices 0

Games 0

Week #4 October 1st – October 2nd: Zero Gravity New England Recruiting Report Approaching the midpoint of the AAU season. Players need to “just keep working” as they prepare for the 1st day of the high school season.

Week #6 October 8th – October 9th Zero Gravity Mass Madness

Week #7 October 15th – October 16th Zero Gravity Fall Brawl

Week #8 October 22nd – October 23rd Zero Gravity Battle for the Belt South

Week #8 October 29th – October 30th Zero Gravity Halloween Hoopfest

November

Travel (18 miles round trip) 36 miles 

Commuting time

Practices 0

Games 0

Week #8 November 5th – November 6th Zero Gravity Wheel of Champions

Week #9 November 12th – 13th Zero Gravity Fall Finale & Pre-Season Tune-up Clinic

Week #10 November 19th – 20th Pre-Season Tune-up Clinic

Week #11 November 26st – 27th Pre-Season Tune-up Clinic

Summer AAU

  1. Play in AAU “Live Period” Showcase Tournaments:

August

Cost: $25 tryouts

2 tryouts (1.5 hours) 3 hours

Travel (18 miles round trip) 36 miles 

Commuting time 2 hours

Practices

Games

1st – September 6th (August  9th & 16th 8:00 – 9:30): This is the fall AAU tryout season. Each club will have different dates for tryouts and different fees. The typical fee for a tryout is between $25 and $50. Tryouts typically are two 1 – 2 hour sessions. The sessions are usually one week apart to allow a chance for players to attend one if they have other summer commitments, such as work or family vacations.  

It is important to research the teams to understand the quality of coaching, success with developing high school varsity players, and for the RARE few, helping develop college players, primarily Division III.

We looked at 5 high school programs in Massachusetts. Here were the fall 2022 tryout dates:

Program #1: Tuesdays: August 9th & August 16th 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Program #2: Sunday August 28th & Tuesday September 6th 6:30 – 7:30

Program #3: Wednesday, August 10th 8:45-10PM & Sunday August 14th 3-4PM

Program #4: Thursday, August 4th 7:45-8:45pm Tuesday, August 9th from 8:00-9:00pm

Program #5: Tuesday August 23rd & Thursday 25th 7:30-9pm

How many players attend a fall tryout? This also will depend on the AAU program. Some programs have multiple teams, while others will only have one. Some players who have been in the program may not have to attend a tryout. 

How many spots are open? Each fall is the start of a new AAU season. Depending on the program, the entire team may be open, or teams that value loyalty there may be only a few spots.

Should a player tryout for more than one team? If a player has never played AAU before, the answer is probably yes. If a player has a relationship with a program, at the end of a season, a discussion can be had with the coach to see if the coach feels the player would be a good fit in the future.

August 16th – 22nd (7 Days) AAU Basketball Team Selection: The Waiting Is The Hardest Part: The moment between the last tryout and the final player accepting a team spot can seem like and eternity. Be patient, don’t worry, and no matter what happens, be ready to work on your game.

Tryouts are also a great chance to play against good competition, so even if a player does not plan on accepting an invitation to join a team, it can be a good opportunity to grow as a player.

  • Individual Workouts
  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Summer School Work / Read 
  • Enjoy the end of summer. There are fewer camps offered in August. Depending on my schedule, I might try to get the boys together 1-2 times for pick-up. 
  • Skills & Separation

August 1st – August 7th: Tryout #1

August 8th – August 14th: Tryout #1

August 15th – August 21st Tryout #1 AAU Individual Preseason Players should put in the time to improve the skills before the official start of the AAU season.

August 17th – September 13th (28 days) AAU Individual Preseason This is the period between the final tryout and the 1st practice.

Season Costs: Team Fees: Spectator Fee: Gas: Meals

2 tryouts (1.5 hours) 3 hours

Travel (18 miles round trip) 36 miles 

Commuting time 2 hours

Practices

Games