Reading Rockets Player Handbook

www.readingrockets.co.uk

Basketball Hotline: 0118 926 3040

Junior Club Head Coach: Matt Johnson

The Reading Rockets player handbook has been designed and put together to clearly define what a ‘Rockets’ player shall be.

It is not a book of rules-more a guideline on the journey towards becoming the best player and person you can be.

Take your time reading it.

This booklet, like you on your journey will never be totally completed. It is an ever changing, ever improving handbook. We hope it helps.

Allow those who care for you to also take a look so they too can help you pursue your dreams.

I am not what I ought to be,not what I want to be,

not what I am going to be,But thankful that I am not what I used

to be.

(Unknown Author)

Rules and Expectations

Practice Expectations:

Timings:

- All players are expected to be at practice at least 10 minutes before start time. All players must therefore be ready to start when the Coach blows his whistle.

- If any player is going to be late for practice, he must call one of the Coaches as soon as is possible.

-

Injured Players:

- Any injured player must call the Coach to notify him of injury and to state whether he will be practicing.

- All injured players MUST attend practice, where possible whether playing or not.- Injured players practicing are expected to be taped up etc and ready to start

practice on time.- Any players that are unable to attend practice due to illness must notify the Coach

at least 3 hours before practice commences.-

Dress Code:

- All players are expected to have and wear red/black reversible vests at ALL practices.

Miscellaneous:

- All players are expected to thank each other at the end of EVERY practice- Any team meetings will be attended by ALL players and be 10 minutes early.- Any administration is to be done with the Team Manager either BEFORE or

AFTER practice.- Any E-mails, phone calls, text messages, MUST be replied to if it is necessary to

do so.- All players’ mobile phones are to be turned off at the beginning of every practice.

Expectations of Coaching Staff at Practice:

- All coaching staff are expected to be on time to practice, dressed in a Rockets top, and inform players of non-attendance to practice as soon as possible.

Game Expectations:

Timings:

- All players are expected to be at the playing venue (BOTH HOME and AWAY games) one hour, and be dressed 45 minutes before tip-off time.

- If for any reason a player is going to be late to the venue, he must call one of the coaching staff to inform them.

Injured Players:

- Any injured players are expected to travel to ALL home AND away games where possible.

Dress Code:

- All players and coaching staff are expected to travel and arrive at games in a Rockets top/polo shirt.

Game time expectations:

- All players are expected to warm up together.- The Captain will lead the stretch.- No player will communicate with the referees during the game unless they are

asked to.

Time outs:

- At all time-outs, players will run in to the bench.- The 5 players on court will sit down, whilst the other players will huddle around

the Coach/bench.

Substitutions:

- All players are expected to run off court when substituted and communicate with the on-coming player.

- All players on the bench will stand up and receive the off-coming player at EVERY substitution.

- At the end of the game, all players and coaching staff will shake hands with the opposition, referees, and table officials.

- All players are expected to change in changing room after the game and leave venue in Rockets top/polo-shirt.

Miscellaneous:

- Any player unavailable for a game during the season must notify the Coach as soon as is possible.

- Any technical/disqualifying fouls and disciplinary matters will be dealt with by the coaching staff.

- All players are expected to attend end of season presentation evening.

Hydration

In all sports, it is very important that athletes remain hydrated before, during, and after training and competition. Adequate hydration is essential when avoiding dehydration and fatigue (tiredness).

During exercise, water is primarily lost in the form of sweat. Sweating during an hour of exercise can result in losing ten times the amount of water that is produced.

This table shows the effect dehydration has on athletes:

% body weight lost as sweat Physiological effect2% Impaired performance4% Capacity of muscular work declines5% Heat exhaustion7% Hallucinations10% Circulatory collapse and heat stroke

Therefore, it is key we keep hydrated so we can perform to our optimum level.

Drinking water will keep you relatively hydrated however, isotonic drinks, such as powerade, lucozade sport etc, are much better as they quickly replace fluids lost by sweating and supply a boost of carbohydrate.

The timing of taking on these fluids is also very important. It is suggested that you should drink approximately 500ml (half a litre) of fluid about 2 hours BEFORE exercise. During exercise it is important to take on fluid at EVERY drinks break you get to replenish the water lost. Post exercise, over a period of about 2 hours, you should consume about 1.5-2

litres of fluid to replace lost fluid and avoid dehydration and ultimately fatigue, so your body fully recovers and you are able to train at the high standard expected day in day out.

High performance in physical activity is achieved by a careful dietary balance of essential nutrients; carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Eating before, sometimes during, and especially post practice are also essential. Through long periods of exercise it is important that athletes replenish their glycogen stores – the thing that gives you energy! You may have seen tennis players eat a banana for example.

In looking at post practice, this is one of the most important times for recovery. As well as replenishing our fluids lost it is also vital we replace the energy lost and by eating nutrients such as a cereal bar, a banana, nutrition bars etc, we are able to start the process of recovery quickly which again means as an athlete you can perform at your optimum each time you train/perform, and re-fuel the essential nutrients lost.

This all therefore highlights the need for adequate nutrition and hydration, before, during, and after exercise!

Nutrition

Nutrition is a key element in sport before, during, and after practice/games. Your body needs to take in the right food at the right time for you to perform to an optimum level.

The table below shows and gives examples of what to eat, when to eat, and why we as athletes need to do this:

Pre-training/competition:

*The key point for this pre-competition meal whether it is breakfast or lunch is it should be consumed 2-4 hours before training/games.

Timing Aims ExamplesPre-competition breakfast

2-4 hours before Delay tiredness, maintain performance throughout

duration of training/competition

Cereal, porridge, toast/bread with honey,

beans, ham. muffins, fresh fruit.

Pre-competition lunch2-4 hours before Delay tiredness, maintain

performance throughout duration of

training/competition

Sandwiches/rolls with tuna, cheese, chicken. Fresh fruit, pasta/rice

with sauce, baked potato with filling.

Pre-competition snacks1 hour before Maintain blood sugar

levelsFruit, e.g. apples, bananas, oranges,

grapes, energy bars/cereal bars, glucose

drinks – lucozade. Yogurt.

Post-competition/training:

*After competition, your immediate aim must be to replenish your body’s energy which it has lost during your training session/game. This is especially crucial if you are to train in the next few days following this. The table below gives examples of foods to be consumed immediately after training/competition.

- Sports drinks (lucozade)- Bananas- Breakfast cereal- Cereal/energy bars- Sandwiches with honey, jam- Dried fruit

The above must be consumed immediately after competition, but then a high carbohydrate meal must be consumed 2 hours after competition/training.Examples of carbohydrate rich meals:

- Pasta/noodle/rice dishes- Pizzas with vegetable toppings- Baked potatoes with filling (e.g. cheese, beans, tuna)- Chicken- Vegetables

*avoid fatty meals, (e.g. curries, chips, burgers). These delay your body’s re-fuelling and make you feel bloated competition/training.

PATHWAY FOR PLAYER X. (school to pro)

Below is a 14 point plan to help players qualify their position on a larger scale and help coaches to assess the abilities of their players.

1. Player attends local school session run by the CDT.

2. Invited to join local satellite club-(Dependent on talent/attitude/ability/interest/size etc.)

3. Attend satellite sessions and develop game understanding and base skill knowledge. Fun environment.

4. Compete for satellite team in local satellite league.

5. Attend summer Rockets try-outs or be recommended to Age-group coaches

6. Be selected for Reading Rockets at appropriate age group

7. Compete for age group in National competitions

NB: From stage 5 and onwards players selected to Rockets squads will be expected to continue to compete for their satellite club and/or continue involvement.

8. Be in the top 3 of age group team and invited to train with age group above.

9. Train and play with older age group

NB2: Players wishing to attain excellence/international standard need to be competitive at least one age group (sometimes two) above their chronological stage.

10. Represent 1.Berks 2. South 3. APC 4. England

The above are all good benchmarks for players to use at U15s and lower.

11. Regular selection and competition for age group (elite players compete at age groups above also)

12. Whilst in ‘Junior phase’ (or cadet for elite performers) players should be training /playing @ lower tier senior men and occasional sessions with top tier men.

13. Top junior men will be training/playing with top tier Senior Men and playing within games.

14. Top junior players will be playing competitive minutes with the top tier senior men’s team and regularly representing National and other representative teams

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The Rockets Player.

The final part of this handbook is to try and get an understanding of what being a Rocket player really means.

Being an example:

This does not just mean on the court. The attitude, work ethic, maturity and discipline of a Rockets player should set them apart from other players around the country and should be the pride of their school, class, year etc.etc. . .

It is not good enough for players in our program to be disruptive, poorly behaved or lacking in discipline. The Rockets development program is in pursuit of excellence. The behavior of the players should be representative of that goal.

Getting Organised:

As in every area of a sports persons life things can and will get hectic at times! It is therefore very important to get as organized as possible with your commitments so you do not end up causing stress to other people involved. That means GETTING SCHOOL WORK DONE ON TIME!

Every basketball player in the world has , at some stage or other had to cope with juggling school work and other commitments you will not be the first-or the last!

If you as the player is finding difficulty in meeting the requirement of the school and the combined difficulty of training then you must make your Coach aware. The Coaches are there to help you, not stop you playing! BUT . . . . ..

NB If parents or Coaches feel that school work is being neglected or not done then basketball will be taken away. Education comes first.

Organisation is also important when it comes to getting to places on time, in the proper clothing with the proper equipment eg Food, drink, towel, change of clothes etc.

It is NOT the job of your parents to make sure you are on time, it is your job to be ready at the time needed to leave. If for any reason you are going to be late or you are going to miss any games/sessions it is the player, not the parent/guardian of the player who should make contact with the coach.

THEY WILL NOT BITE! Honest . . .

Being a good team-mate:

In any team sport it is very important for us to understand what makes a good team-mate.

There are many aspects to being a good team player-We will look at just a few of them.

One of the very important questions to ask yourself is “do I make this team better?” This does not always mean in talent terms.

Some of the very best players have had less talent than others but are able to really make a team a great place for all those around them to be!

Are you one of those people?

Teams are full of many different sorts of people, big, tall, short, small, black, white, rich, and poor. A good team mate would take time to get to know all of them, and make all of them feel special for just being on the same team!!

Are you one of those people?

A good team mate treats everyone with courtesy and respect. That means many things in our sport. Saying “thank-you” costs nothing and is cherished by those who have helped you get better.

Did you know that all these people help you?-- Coaches, assistants, team managers, referees, table officials, staff at sports centres, Rockets office staff, parents who drive you places, team-mates to play with, teams to play against!------

Without all of these groups of people there would be no games so think before you next feel angry about not getting your favourite number! Or that someone didn’t make your favourite sandwiches!!!!

Your attitude towards the other team, regardless of the result should be one of respect too!

If you have just beaten them by a lot remember how it felt when you last lost heavily, and if you have been beaten remember that next time you will be better!

A sign of a real sports person is how they respond when things get tough! It is easy to be nice and happy after a win. How you respond after a loss is the real test!

How do you respond?

In the Game:

Basketball is one of the only games in the world where the entire team can be subbed off in one go and put straight back on the next minute!!

Therefore sometimes you play more, sometimes you play less-What does this depend on?.. . . . Lots of things . . . . .The main one being ……YOU!

We already know that some players will probably play more than others in certain games but how do we as players cope with this?

The answer is as easy or as hard as you want to make it. All players will always get to play in every game at some stage or other. Your job as the player is to prove to your team mates and your coach that the team is better with you out there playing!

It is not the coaches’ job to give you playing time-It is your job to demand it by the way you play. And the attitude you display!

If we were all to play like that then every team would be a great team to Coach and a great team to play on.

How do you respond?

The one major behaviour that will not be tolerated for very long is selfishness-If you want to be playing more minutes –train harder, play harder, and do more than all the others to improve.

If you want to moan and blame everyone else for your lack of minutes you will not be a Rocket for long!

The way that real players deal with their playing time is to talk to the coach and ask “What do I need to do to be a better player?” That is the right way to cope. That is the Rockets way.

The team will always be more important than individuals!

Sometimes this is the hardest lesson to learn-But it is also the most rewarding, if you ever want to be a part of a really good team it is necessary for all players to understand that they must always act as a part of something much bigger than just themselves.

Every behaviour should try to make the team better!

That goes from the players on court to the actions of the people on the bench-Do they support and cheer their team on? Or do they sit hoping their team-mates make a mistake so they can play more?!

If you read our Rockets team rules you will see that one of the rules is to stand up and slap ‘5s’ with the player returning to the bench, that is to say that we all appreciate what the player has just tried to do-whether or not the performance was good, the effort has been thanked and praised. Very important!

Good team mates will always try and encourage their fellow team-mate especially when things get tough!

Good team mates do not emphasise the things done poorly, but emphasise the things done well between themselves.

The coach will talk about the negatives, players are there to help each other and continually support each other.

A team can be a fantastic thing, but remember –A team is only as good as you are prepared to make it!

How good a team-mate are you?

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Setting Goals:

The final section in this handbook may well prove to be the most important one of all.

For all athletes and sportsmen/women to make it to the very top at their sport they all need a focus-a goal!

In terms of our sport and our club that is of utmost importance. For you as an athlete to have the desire and discipline that it will require to become one of the elite you will need to have a set of goals that you are attempting to achieve.

These goals need to be well thought out, clear, far-reaching and achievable too. They may seem ridiculous to others or unachievable BUT if you can find a solution to all the potential pit-falls that will surely stand in your way and you are prepared to work as hard as is necessary to get there then practically any goal is possible!

For goal setting to be helpful it is necessary for you to go through a number of different processes:

Spend time thinking about what it is you REALLY want to achieve through basketball. Is it playing in the NBA?, making the senior rockets team?, being a great coach?, etc etc

Once you have decided your end goal you need to start breaking it down into smaller-‘bite-size chunks’ and putting time frames on each of them-This makes your goal a real goal and not just something you would like to happen! There is a big difference!!!!

Time frames also help you to see if you are on track or not!

(For a rough guide look back at the 14 point plan to becoming a ‘pro’ player in this handbook)

For instance if your guide is to play in the NBA you obviously need to be the best player in your team by a certain age, be in the sort of physical condition that NBA players are in , and will have the skills and understanding that the average NBA players have too.This sort of thing may need some research!!

Once you have given your goal a long term time frame-eg NBA in 7years for example you can then start to give your smaller goals a time frame also. Eg. Representing England at Junior level-Time frame 5 years,Under that you will need to create an even smaller series of goals too: Eg Being selected for Regional team or England squad selection within 3 years etc.

The next smaller goal may be even clearer in terms of development eg For me to make the NBA I have to be able to make 90 out of 100 free throws all the time, therefore I need to have got excellent shooting technique within 6 months.

This can be broken down even smaller too-for me to have good shooting technique I need to spend time every day making sure my elbow is underneath my wrist and that I lock my elbow on every shot.etc.

This in turn will help all players to look at exactly what they need to be doing on a week to week / day to day basis. And will also provide a map for any players serious about being an elite player. Do something every day to improve you as a player.

Write your goals down clearly and keep a track on how you are doing so you can always adjust your goals as you improve. Being honest with yourself is the only way you can really tell if you have what it takes to reach the top.

Set your goals high and go for them!

Remember if you aim for the stars you might just catch the moon on the way!!!

Ask your Coach to help you out when setting your goals and get your parents/family to help you to stick to them. When things get tough you are going to need all the help you can get to reach the very top.

ROCKETS BASKETBALL

Perimeter Shot Chart - 2 Minute Drills

Session A

Name_________________________Time__________Date____/____/____

5 minute warm up & stretch, including dribbling

Shot Description Makes AttemptsCatch & Shoot 17ft jumpshots5 Free Throws 5Lay Ups – Start at 3pt line (vary finish)5 Free Throws 5

Catch(outside 3pt line) drag thru 1-2 bounce jumpshot5 Free Throws 5Catch(outside 3pt line) shot fake 1-2 bounce jumpshot5 Free Throws 5Start at ½ court, drive hard, pull up jumpshot5 Free Throws 5V-cut catch & shoot 20ft jumpshot5 Free Throws 5Pull up jump shot from change of direction dribble5 Free Throws 5Catch & shoot 3’s5 Free Throws 5Catch(outside 3 pt line) pull up inside key5 Free Throws 51 bounce 3’s5 Free Throws 5

Free Throw Total 50Shooting Total

ROCKETS BASKETBALL

Perimeter Shot Chart - 2 Minute Drills

Session B

Name_________________________Time__________Date____/____/____

5 minute warm up & stretch, including dribbling

Shot Description Makes AttemptsToss out, Catch & Shoot 20ft jumpshots5 Free Throws 5Reverse Lay Ups – Start at 3pt line (drive baseline)

5 Free Throws 5Wing to point Vcut, Catch & shoot(1min each side)5 Free Throws 5Wing to point Vcut, 1 bounce jumpshot(1min each side)5 Free Throws 5Flare, catch & shoot5 Free Throws 5Flare, 1 bounce jumpshot5 Free Throws 5Catch & shoot 3’s5 Free Throws 5Backscreen & pop for 3’s5 Free Throws 5Penetrate & step back for 3’s5 Free Throws 51 bounce 3’s5 Free Throws 5

Free Throw Total 50Shooting Total

ROCKETS BASKETBALL

Post Shot Chart - 2 Minute Drills

Session A

Name_________________________Time__________Date____/____/____

5 minute warm up & stretch, including dribbling

Shot Description Makes AttemptsInside the paint, variety5 Free Throws 5Reverse lay ups, drive baseline

5 Free Throws 5Toss out up and under move5 Free Throws 5Toss out up and under move & fake to finish5 Free Throws 5Toss out back in Jump hook5 Free Throws 5Inside variety off the glass5 Free Throws 5Flash high, shot fake, 1 bounce, jump hook5 Free Throws 5Catch & shoot 17ft jump shot5 Free Throws 5Catch at 17ft, 1 – 2 bounce jump shots5 Free Throws 5Catch & Shoot 3’s5 Free Throws 5

Free Throw Total 50Shooting Total