Most Beneficial Posts of The Year (Sneeze)

 This post will highlight some of the best and most beneficial posts written on this blog. The first post I wanted to cover is titled "Best 3 Ways to Increase Your Basketball Skills." Through this post, you can learn some of the ways I have found best when looking to improve upon your skills which include practicing a lot, replicating your game after someone, and making sure you are able to find a training regimen that specifically works for you. These three things I have found very important when getting better at the game of basketball. Another one of the more helpful articles you can read in this blog is titled, "Sitting Down With Coach Gillespie." In this article, I sat down with Coach Scott Gillespie and discussed with him what it takes to be great at basketball. Gillespie is a very accomplished Division three basketball player who holds the all time record in points and assists and was recently inducted into his College's Hall of Fame. The reason I love this article so much is because you can learn first hand from someone so accomplished what it took for him to be great. The final article I wanted to highlight is title, "Step by Step on my Favroite Workout." This is my favorite post written in this blog because it shows the workout I find the most success with in helping players improve upon their skills. They can see the kind of workout I put my players through and use it for themselves when they go to workout. Every post written in this blog is beneficial in some way, but these three are my favorites.

What if Technology Becomes so Advanced? (Hypothetical)

 In this article, I will be covering the topic of what if technology becomes so advanced that basketball trainers are no longer needed to imrpove your basketball skills. Technology is becoming more and more advanced every single day with everything we do in the world and that includes basketball training. Due to covid, everything had to become virtual for a while and it got people curious about making the industry virtual in the future as well. There have been multiple advancements made allowing players to have an app with a virtual coach that can explain to you different things like arc, percentages, and depth within your shot. The reason this is so intriguing for basketball players looking to improve their skills is because they will not have to spend money on a trainer each and every week, but rather just pay a one time fee to have access to the app. With how technology has advanced each and every year with different things we have in the world, there's no reason to believe that advancements can't be made in the basketball trainer industry that would allow for an app to do all the things a trainer can do. If something like this were to happen, basketball trainers would be in trouble with their jobs. In my opinion, there is nothing like have that in person connection with your trainer, but I can understand where it may be appealing to basketball players looking to get better and possibly save some money.

Trainer vs No Trainer (Debate)

    There are debates about whether or not it is worth it to use a basketball trainer when looking to improve upon your skills. Throughout this article I will be covering each side of the debate and why one is likely better than the other. The first side of the debate that I will be discussing is the benefits to using a basketball trainer. By using a trainer, it allows for someone to be able to see what you are doing and help you adjust it. You may feel like you are doing one thing, but you actually may not being doing it and by having that trainer there to see that they can explain to you what you are doing and help you fix it. Another reason it is beneficial of having a trainer is that this is their expertise. This is the job field they are in and what they do for a living. They know what works and what does not and they will be able to help you reach whatever goals you may have. Now, looking at the other side of the debate and why it may not be worth it to have a trainer. The first reason being it may not be convenient. In order to have a trainer you will have to set a date and time to meet and it may not be convenient with your schedule. The trainer will likely have other clients as well that have their own schedules which can make it difficult to find a good time to workout. Another thing about not having a trainer is that it will save you or your parents some money. Trainers will usually charge on a per workout or number of workouts scale and if you do not have a trainer then you do not need to worry about paying for that. At the end of the day though, in my opinion, if you are serious about getting better at the game of basketball then you need a trainer. They know what it takes to get better at basketball and those things you learn during your workouts with them you can turn around and use them at the gym by yourself and get better there. The pros of having a trainer outweigh the pros of not having one.

The greatest shooter ever (Inspirational)

     Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter ever and I am not sure there is much of an argument for it. He is the NBA's all time leader in made threes and has done so in significantly less games than those before him. It hasn't always been success for Stephen Curry growing up though. Curry was a smaller guard growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina who did not receive a whole lot of interest from Division 1 colleges. Before his senior year of high school, he was forced to change his shot to have a higher release point by his dad who was an excellent shooter in the NBA himself. Curry had a great senior year and ended up committing to Davidson College who is a mid major school. At Davidson, he played very well and led his team to a final four in his Junior season. Even after averaging over twenty points a game in college, there was still lots of doubt about if his size and strength and if it could translate to the NBA. He ended up being drafted seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors. He finished runner up in rookie of the year and a lot of people saw how good he could be. In the seasons following, he suffered some major ankle injuries that would sideline him for months at a time. Once he came back, there were a lot of questions and concerns about if his ankles were going to be able to hold up. Curry bet on himself and turned down an original contract extension for something bigger. He ended up playing very well and is now a two time MVP, only unanimous one in the history of the NBA, and is a four time NBA champion. Stephen Curry did not always have the easiest path to where he is now, but he stuck with it and trusted in the player he is. Always believe and bet on yourself and good things will follow. 

For more on Stephen Curry visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry

Weighted vs Small (Comparison)

     There are lots of arguments about whether it is better to use a weighted basketball or a smaller basketball when looking to improve your basketball skills. In this post, I will be comparing the two and giving my analysis for which one I believe is more beneficial when training. First, we will look at some of the positives that come with using the weighted basketball. Some pros of the weighted basketball include helping to build forearm and wrist strength so those areas are solid and strong. It also helps when passing because it builds strength there. A negative of the weighted basketball though is it should not be used to shoot at all. If you use it to shoot it can really mess up your muscle memory if you do so. Now, we will look at some of the pros that come with using a smaller basketball. Due to a smaller basketball being difficult to handle, it can increase your awareness and forces you to really focus on what you are doing. A negative of using the smaller basketball though would be that it also should not be used to shoot because it does not help with muscle memory nor can it strengthen any muscles in the forearms or fingers. When looking at the two, I prefer using a smaller ball to help improve my ball handling skills. If you can dribble a smaller ball or something even like a tennis ball, then you can handle a regular sized ball.

https://basketball.epicsports.com/prod/129010/champro-weighted-training-basketball.html?trk=1602476453&campaignid=17621789509&adgroupid=&targetid=&device=c&loc_physical_ms=1016306&matchtype=&adtype=pla_with_promotion&lsft=campaignid:17621789509,adgroupid:,device:c,loc_physical_ms:1016306,adtype:pla_with_promotion&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCOfaUczm4f8YAjWL5w7C-I4uLipfyyMpYb9d3jaAmyaHDHm_g7SLoBoCvIMQAvD_BwE

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/nike-swoosh-mini-basketball-17nikunkswshmnmbrbkb/17nikunkswshmnmbrbkb?sku=18207864&camp=CSE:DSG_92700072992345795_pla_pla-1749989846544_58700008024038708_71700000100253138&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCK2ypHRJQ5p94V845I_87-7PjfdWCzx14PhUQXj4TkNvh1IRg4e_VxoCrf0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Why training too much can hurt you (Problem)

     Having a good work ethic is a neccessity when it comes to improving your skills in the game of basketball, but you can go overboard with it. A lot of people have heard the stories of Kobe Bryant, who is one of the greatest players of all time, essentially living in the gym. He would get two hour workouts in three to four times a day for seven days a week. That is overworking your body and at some point it is going to catch up to you. Now, Kobe did have a tremendous amount of success as a player, but he also dealt with quite a few injuries throughout his career. One of those major injuries was a torn achilles which basically forced him to become a different version of himself after sustaining that injury. LeBron James is one of the great examples in history of having a great work ethic, but being able to take care of your body the way it needs to be. He is going into year nineteen in the NBA and has never suffered a major injury outside of a sprained ankle here and there. I understand LeBron James has the money and resources to keep his body in tip top shape and that is what works for him. The whole idea of taking care of your body is finding out what works for you. If you are someone who can only workout once a day for five days a week to be able to perform, then that is what you need to do. Other people have the ability to workout twice a day for five days a week and still be able to perform. Figure out what you can handle and create a system. The problem today is kids like to be in the gym for five to six hours a day and then wonder why when they play in a game their muscles are tired. They can't handle that kind of strain on their muscles and be able to successfully perform without the proper rest. Put in the necessary work, but find time to rest your body as well.

Information on the LeBron James workout regimen go to https://totalshape.com/fitness/lebron-james-workout-diet/#:~:text=LeBron%20takes%2030%20minutes%20to,%2Dup%20hops%2C%20and%20skipping.

Information on Kobe Bryant workout go to https://ballislife.com/kobe-bryant-muse-motivational-workout-mix-his-666-workout-routine/#:~:text=The%206%20hours%20of%20training,includes%20one%20hour%20of%20cardio).&text=The%20track%20work%20includes%20HIIT,100%2C%20200%20and%20400%20yards.

Do not use these training aids (Critique)

 In my post, I will be discussing what I believe are some of the worst basketball training products that are currently on the market. The first product is the unique sports dribble specs. This training aid restricts you from being able to look down at the ball when you dribbling and wants you to focus on looking up and keeping your eyes up. The only problem for me is that you still have the ability to look down, you just can't see a whole lot when you do. The concept is correct in that you need to keep your eyes up, but it does not force you to look up and you still have the ability to look down when you are dribbling. I myself prefer to hold up a number on my hand and they have to say that number while they are dribbling which forces their eyes to be looking up at all times. The other training aid I believe is worthless is the HoopsKing straight shooter training aid. This aid is designed for you to keep your elbow in and follow through straight. The problem with this is one end is tied to the opposite hip of your shooting hand and the other end is wrapped around your shooting arm on the bicep. When you go up for the shot, while it does keep your elbow tucked in, it forces you to push that arm straight out due to the tension rather than it going up. This will cause a very flat shot and will leave a lot of shots short. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great training aids out there that can help improve your game, but these are some I do not recommend purchasing in the future. 

https://basketball.epicsports.com/prod/182137/unique-sports-basketball-dribble-specs-training-goggles.html?trk=1604384863&campaignid=17621787043&adgroupid=&targetid=&device=c&loc_physical_ms=1016306&matchtype=&adtype=pla_with_promotion&lsft=campaignid:17621787043,adgroupid:,device:c,loc_physical_ms:1016306,adtype:pla_with_promotion&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCFIDHvqIG5Xz049hiskTmoa1WiYfFC--xhDNXIdA3DsRag5RjhD8gBoCzYcQAvD_BwE

https://www.hoopsking.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCOv6oN1ajfoaWz1kmmRQ3QKNq05lzmznLAkxVDUbMuvyPbYVE3b_phoCX-8QAvD_BwE

The future of basketball (Prediction)

 In this post, I will be looking at what I expect for the game of basketball and how trainers are going to become more and more important as time goes on. The game of basketball has become more and more popular across the world as more countries have started to get involved with the NBA. With the game of basketball continuing to grow and more kids getting involved with it at an early age, the use of basketball trainers is going to become more important as well. Basketball trainers are what take average players to good players and good players to great players. Now, I'm not saying you can't do it on your own and improve your skills by yourself, but if you truly want to take your game to another level having a trainer is the way to go. Your trainer could be a friend, a family member, or someone in your town or city that is familiar with the game of basketball and can help you develop your game. A basketball trainer is so important because they can help you see things in your game you may not be noticing or you may feel something that could be off in your shot, but are unable to figure it out. That is what a trainer is for. They are there to help with the little details that can take your game to the next level and allow you to see the success you are searching for. I believe as the game of basketball continues to grow and become more popular, so will basketball trainers. The best players in the world have their own personal trainers so it only makes sense for you to have one too. 

https://wearecomplex.com/how-a-personal-trainer-can-be-your-secret-weapon-as-a-basketball-player/#:~:text=A%20personal%20trainer%20will%20assess,new%20techniques%20to%20your%20playbook.

Practice hard and smart (Rant)

 Throughout this post, I will be going into detail about some things that truly bother me when going through workouts with kids. The first thing that really gets on my nerves are when kids do not give all of their effort into the workout. These kids are asking for my advice on how to get better at basketball and when it comes down to actually putting in the work and getting it done, some of them are not willing to do that. The only way to get better is putting in the work and giving it all you got. Another thing that bothers me that I have seen happen during workouts is kids doing moves that are not game like. What I mean by this is kids will come into the gym and just start chucking up deep threes or doing dribble moves that they will not use in the game. When you get to the gym and you are doing a workout with me or by yourself, please do yourself a favor and work on stuff you will actually use in the game. Make your workout purposeful and get better when you step into the gym. The final thing that I get frustrated with is when kids are not coachable. When kids will not listen to the things I am telling them because they don't think I know what I am talking about. I promise I do and it is why I am doing what I am doing. Just listen to what I have to say, don't shut down when I am trying to help, and we will get you to where you want to be in basketball and in life. 

My Basketball Teacher (Link)

 In this post, I will be looking at a post by My Basketball Teacher on the funademntal principles he believes that go with shooting the basketball. In his post, he likes to use what a lot of basketball trainers follow which is BEEF. BEEF stands for balance, eyes, elbow, and follow through. In terms, of balance I like how he explains that the shot starts from the ground up. If you are off balance on your feet, you will never be able to get the shot on line. The next part of BEEF is getting the eyes on your target which would be the rim. In his post he explains how he likes for his players to aim for the part of the rim that is in between the front and the back. I myself would tell me players its all preference. Whatever gets you to lock into your shot as long as it is some point on the rim, I do not care if it is the front, the middle, or the back. The next section refers to keep the elbow in. My Basketball Teacher explains to keep the elbow tucked into the side of the body so it is not too far out or in. Now, everyone shoots it a little different, but if you are just getting started with the game this is the best way to have the most consistent shot for the future. The final part is the follow through which is all about flicking the wrist. My Basketball Teacher says that some errors people make on their follow through is not holding it long enough, letting the follow through drift to the side, and not getting that follow through enough causing a flat shot. All of these things are crucial to fix if you want to make sure you can have an effective and long term shooting success. My Basketball Teacher has a lot of great points and lessons throughout his blog. If you want to read more of his posts, the link to his blog will be below.

https://mybasketballteacher.com/shooting-lessons/shooting-principles/

The story of heart over height (Profile)

 In this post, I will be detailing the journey of the Toronto Raptors starting point guard Fred VanVleet and how he got to the NBA. VanVleet is not the typical six foot six 235 pound freak athlete you see on an every day basis in the NBA. He is officially listed at a generous six foot one and one hundred and ninety four pounds. He will tell you its not about the size of the player, but the size of the heart of that player. VanVleet grew up in Rockford, Illinois and was a three star recruit according to Rivals. He ended up playing his college career at mid major Division 1 Wichita State where he was a two time conference player of the year in the Missouri Valley and led his team to four straight NCAA tournament appearances. After his senior year, Fred VanVleet entered the NBA draft where he expected to hear his name called from the commissioner. Unfortunately, he did not hear his name called and officially went undrafted into the NBA. He signed with the Tornoto Raptors after the 2016 NBA draft and immediately made an impact. He was a finalist for the sixth man of the year award and was a big part of the success the Raptors were having as they had one of the besty records in the NBA year in and year out yet, he was still being underestimated in the eyes of the public. All of that changed in the 2018-2019 NBA Finals. In those 6 games against the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 14 points a game while being asked to defend the greatest shooter of all time in Stephen Curry. Since that point, Fred VanVleet has moved into a starting point guard role for the Raptors and is regarded as one of the better point guards in the NBA. His journey was not easy, but it is what makes him the player he is today. He had to work a little harder than everyone else because he was not gifted with some of the physical abilities that a lot of NBA players have. He had to have a little more heart than everyone else to make sure he would get noticed and have a shot. When he got that shot with the Raptors, he made sure to take full advantage of it and is why he is a top point guard in the NBA. Fred VanVleets journey to the NBA shows you don't have to be the biggest guy, the fastest guy, or the smartest guy. Find what makes you special and care more than the person you are competing against. 

For more information onf Fred VanVleet you can visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_VanVleet

Sitting down with Coach Gillespie (Interview)

 In this blog post I sat down and interviewed with Illinois State Associate Women's Basketball Coach Scott Gillespie about some of the things the younger generations can do to perfect their skills and quickly see those results they are looking for. Coach Gillespie is not only the Associate Coach, but he is also in charge of skill development for the guards and forwards on the Illinois State Women's Basketball team. Gillespie played at Division 3 Ripon College under his father despite having multiple division 1 offers. He is the Colleges all time points and assists leader and was inducted into the Ripon College Athletics Hall of Fame. 

Question: What made you so successful as a player when you were growing up?

Answer: Locking in on my fundamentals and making sure those were perfect which required practice. I was in the gym five to six days a week and a majority of those days I was in there twice. 

Question: What kinds of drills were you doing when you would go to workout?

Answer: Always started with ball handling. It allowed me to get a feel for the ball and make sure I had it on a string. After that it would depend. If I was working on shooting, I would start close to the hoop and work my way back deeper. If I was doing drills that had me finishing at the rim with layups and floaters, then there would be some sort of cone variance that required me to make a few moves before I went into that shot.

Question: What would be your biggest piece of advice to the younger kids wanting to get better?

Answer: Practice. If you don't practice, then you won't get better. The kids who start early with the little things like dribbling and shooting are the ones who develop the work ethic and want to get better every day.

For more information on Coach Gillespie go to https://goredbirds.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/scott-gillespie/1553

Best 3 ways to increase your basketball skills (List)

 3 Ways to Increase Your Basketball Skills

1. Practice, practice, and practice some more

The only way to get better at something is practicing and improving upon your skills and working on those weaknesses. In the game of basketball, it is all about muscle memory and the more you can get in the gym and get shots up, the more results you will see from that and the quicker your muscle memory will take over. Everyone that is great at the game of basketball has a great work ethic. They are in the gym at least five days a week perfecting their game and working on moves they will use in the game. I cannot express how important it is to work on GAME MOVES. If you know you will never use it in a game, then it is pointless to practice it.

2. Replicate your game after someone

Another way of increasing your skills is watching a player or players you look up to that is your position. It does not make much sense to watch a center play if you are a point guard because they are doing stuff you will never do in a game. Find a player or players who plays your position, watch them play the game at the highest level, and figure out what makes them so good. Some players are great shooters, some have a very high IQ, and some have the ability to jump very high. Pick pieces of players game and see if you can implement that into your game and make you a better player whether it be physically or mentally.

3. Find a training regimen that works for you

Getting your body in the right shape to perform at a high level is what makes the best athletes the best. This includes both weight lifting and eating properly. Now, what works for someone may not work for you. Some people can lift weights and thats what works for them while others do bodyweight stuff with mobility training. Find whatever allows you to perform at the level you want to perform at, stick to it, and trust it. You may not see the results you are looking for in the first few weeks, but over time you will start seeing everything pay off and you will be performing at a high level.