1 How to Spend Your Summer Wisely-hoopskills.com

How to Spend Your Summer Wisely -by Coach Dave Stricklin http://www.hoopskills.com

With vacation just around the corner many of you

cannot help but to think of the possibilities this summer

has in store.

And why shouldn't you? You have been stuck in a

classroom for approximately 9 months, 5 days a week

and 6 or 7 hours per day. You deserve a break!

While I hope this summer is your best one yet, I just

want to remind that next season's success will be

directly influenced by the work you put into your game

during the next few months.

In as little as seven hours a week, only one hour a day, you could transform your

game and achieve your dreams.

Here are 7 things you consider doing during your summer break:

Evaluate Your Spring

At the end of every season, whether that be the fall pre-season, the regular

basketball season, or the spring, the first thing athletes and coaches should do is

evaluate their previous individual performance. What were your strengths? What

were your weaknesses? More importantly, what do you need to do in order to be

better prepared at the start of next season?

Increase Your Foot Speed

The second thing every athlete should do is concentrate on improving his foot

speed. Any coach (high school or college) will tell you that basketball is an agility

sport. How fast you can stop, change directions and then accelerate/explode is

way more important than being the strongest guy in the weight room. During one

or two of your weekly workouts spend the last fifteen minutes of the session

improving your speed and quickness. Thirty minutes a week could be the

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difference between starting and coming off the bench, or between being a role

player and all league.

Get Shots UP!

While all fundamental skills are important it's possible that the most important one

is the ability to shoot the basketball. Before you can take people off the bounce,

rise up and shoot a pull-up jumper you first must develop your overall shooting

touch. Improving your shooting touch (grooving your shot) usually begins with your

ability to knock down stationary shots. Very few shooters are better off the dribble

than they are in a stationary position. Younger players could set a goal of shooting

10,000 shots over the summer while older players could set out to make 10,000

shots. (5 days x 200 shots/makes x 10 weeks = 10,000)

Go To Camp

One of the best things you can do for your game is to attend a basketball camp.

With the popularity of AAU tournaments today, basketball camps are becoming

more and more extinct. However, going to camp offers several advantages over

playing in endless AAU tournaments. For one, it's a great place for serious players.

You wake up, play basketball, eat, play basketball, eat again, play more basketball

and then wake up the next day and do it all over again. Second, it gives you the

chance to learn from many different coaches who each has a different way of

explaining a particular skill or drill. Third, camp allows you to play against different

competition. Many AAU tournaments, especially local ones, will consist of the

same handful of teams.

Increase Your Strength

While basketball is definitely a game of agility and speed, having an increased

amount of strength will contribute to your overall degree of athleticism and will

help prevent injuries. Go online or ask your coach to help you find a basketball

specific strength building routine and start lifting weights. Girls, I'm talking to you

too!

Add One Dimension to Your Scoring Toolbox

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Once you have found your shooting stroke it's time to add one other scoring

dimension to your game. Notice how I said one scoring dimension? Not two. Not

three. Not four but one. Instead of being average at four things it will be much

more beneficial for your game to master only one more aspect of scoring before

moving on to something else. Several areas one could work towards mastering are:

improving overall ball handling, posting up with your back to the basket, finishing

around the rim, using your off hand, and developing a pull up jump shot.

Take Time to Relax

Lastly, don't forget to relax and enjoy your summer. For some of you this might be

the last opportunity you will have to really be a kid and to hang with your friends.

You will be much more motivated to work out if you have a balance between

training hard and having fun. It's far more important to spend quality time in the

gym rather than quantity. Keep reminding yourself that if you use your summer

wisely, next season will be more FUN than ever!