Preparing for basketball season takes a significant amount of work whether you an established veteran player or a youngster just hoping to survive tryouts for your school team. You will need to spend time working on cardiovascular training, getting stronger and improving your basketball skills. Practicing the game against players who are better than you are can get you ready for competition, but skill development is also important.
Step 1
Work on your cardiovascular conditioning. The game of basketball by itself is a great cardiovascular workout, and if you can play one to two hours every day, you will have sufficient exercise to get in great shape. However, if you don't have that opportunity, jumping rope can be an outstanding workout. Try to jump rope for five minutes at a time, starting slowly and building speed. After jumping for five minutes, take a two- to three-minute break and try to do two more five-minute jump routines.
Step 2
Lift weights to get stronger. While basketball is officially a noncontact sport, there are plenty of physical battles for loose balls, position on the blocks and when players try to come up with rebounds. The bench press, arm curls, the leg press and leg curls will help you build strength. If you don't have access to free weights or circuit training, you can get stronger by doing push-ups, pull-ups and abdominal crunches.
Step 3
Improve your dribbling skills. Handling the ball is a necessity whether you are a point guard or a power forward. You will have the ball in your hands and you will need to feel comfortable. Set up five cones just past halfcourt, with the cones being 5 feet apart. Pick up speed as you dribble up court and when you approach the cones, go to the right of the first one, the left of the second one, the right of the third one and continue in that manner. When you get past the last cone, dribble back to halfcourt in the same manner. Do this three times per practice.
Step 4
Work on your shooting. A good way to improve your confidence is to start your shooting drill by taking 50 shots from 4 to 10 feet from the basket. These are easy shots that you should make regularly, but you need proper form and followthrough to make them. By starting with these relatively easy shots, you will improve your confidence and start to become a better shooter.
Step 5
Play competitive basketball as often as possible. If you are a young player, look for players who are 2 or 3 years older and get in their games. When you play against more experienced players, you will become a more competitive and tougher players. This will help your execution when games are on the line during the season.
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