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Freshman year is 25% of a 4-year high school basketball career. (For some players it will 100% of the high school career because they will get cut sophomore year.) We view the basketball year as four separate seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter. Most freshman basketball players the season starts on the first day of tryouts. This is not true and this is why most freshman basketball players do not make it to varsity basketball. They do not understand the importance of time and the need to continually expand your game.
What do you mean my freshman high school basketball season starts in eighth grade?
The minute the final 8th grade youth game is over, is the start of the freshman high school season. And it is a VERY competitive season. Often towns have two or three 8th grade travel teams, with 10 or more players per team. On the first day of tryouts, 30 or more players will be competing for 12 to 15 spots on the freshman basketball team. Players who wait until the week before the season to work on their game will be left watching high school games in the stand.
Freshman Off-Season: The Spring Season
Most competitive basketball players will participate in spring AAU. This does not guarantee that a player will improve. AAU is one piece of the high school basketball puzzle, however, we feel individual workouts are critical to developing skills that will help a player succeed in high school. A well-designed skills workout increases the chances that a player will continue to remain a part of a thigh school basketball program. a players chance of playing varsity.
Like many others, we strongly encourage all athletes to participate in as many sports as possible At the same time, we recommend that players make smart use of their time when they pick up basketball.
Freshman Off-Season: The Summer Season
A rare few eighth grade players will be asked by a high school to play on a high school summer league team. For the lucky few, congratulations on earning this opportunity. You are on an accelerated path to a good high school career. These players are on the high school coach’s radar. Playing summer league provides a chance to see the skill level of varsity caliber players. Players also get a glimpse into who the better players are in the program and the work that will be required to be on of the top players.
Summer camp is great for any player who wants to improve. For many players and parents, AAU takes precedence over teaching camps. This is a simple reality, however, I believe this is a mistake for most players. Camps focus completely on developing skills, while AAU teams are a little more concerned with brand image and winning tournaments and games.
Freshman Off-Season: The Fall Season
Some people thing the first day of high school is the start of a basketball career. These people have lost 2/3rds for the freshman off-season. Players who make this mistake will have lost valuable hours of skill development.
We define the start of the fall season as the start of high school fall sports. In Massachusetts it usually the 3rd week in August. There are many benefits to playing a fall sport for basketball players. During the fall a player will have the option of playing high school sport. Being the member of a fall sports team allows a player to be under the supervision of a qualified adult. They will learn skills transferable to basketball. They will understand what it means to be a teammate. They will understand what it means to compete. And there may be some other basketball players that play on the fall sport team with you, so you will be developing a bond with teammates BEFORE the season starts..
If player is not participating in fall sport, they really should make it a point to have a very specific skill driven out that will develop the skills that will help them succeed during high school basketball.
Freshman Off-Season: The Winter Season
The winter season officially starts on the first day of tryouts. This is the season a player has been working a whole career for. Hopefully, the player has worked the the entire freshman off-season.
A very sad reality for a decent amount of players is that a coach will tell a player “thank you for your effort,” however we do not have a spot right now on this team. Work hard this off-season and we will see you next fall. For these players, their high school career is only 2 to 3 days. These players attend tryouts and go through drills. They get evaluated and they get cut.
Being a good high school basketball player involves a great deal of growth both physically and mentally. Understanding what it takes to be a good high school basketball player is something the majority of varsity players do not understand. Freshman and JV players have a more difficult time understanding how to work during the off-season.
The high school basketball calendar separates many players. If a player can win the week most weeks of the off-season, they will have no concerns remaining a part of the high school program for all four years. Players who lose the week more often than not, will lose the opportunity to have a great experience being part of a high school basketball program.