To successfully prepare the team for the season, you must think about the conditioning demands of basketball. Basketball is a series of high intensity short sprints that require numerous changes of direction. Remember, a basketball court is only approximately 30 yards in length. Also important to consider is the fact that the slower teams usually lose. The focus of the training should be on speed, agility and anaerobic conditioning.
The period from the beginning of the school semester to the first practice of the season is approximately five weeks for college and 10 weeks for high school. The objective is to design a sport specific conditioning program that will successfully prepare the team for the season. Hard work and a great effort are expected of every player. Training must be a five day a week effort splitting the time between strength training and conditioning. Agility, flexibility, strength training and conditioning are all addressed to make a complete program.
Magic Johnson's Fundamentals of Basketball: Conditioning provides unique exercises and stretching techniques to help you improve your strength, speed, quickness, and vertical leap and includes:
Stretching and warm-up exercises
On-court and in-home drills to improve footwork, speed, quickness, and agility
Exercises and drills to get stronger and jump higher
Magic is joined by world renowned conditioning coach Chuck Williams, Amare Stoudamire, Rip Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, and Kenny Smith.
with Kelvin Sampson,
Indiana University Head Coach,
former University of Oklahoma Head Coach;
'01-'02 National Coach of the Year; 2002 Final Four
With 5-on-5 breakdowns, Kelvin Sampson teaches effective methods for stopping a team's offensive transition on every possession. Coach Sampson supplies step-by-step instructions on how to design and deploy an effective transition defense. He includes competitive drills such as Transition Defense Drill, Circle Transition Drill, Toughness and Transition Drill, Single Bubble Drill, NBA Shuttle Drill and Defending the Screen & Roll. The toughest teams are the teams that find a way to win. This video will help your team build mental toughness, physical toughness, and the ability to communicate, and will help you to create a competitive practice environment. Sampson stresses the significance of having the best player be a leader for his teammates and be excited about practice everyday. Eliminate easy baskets with these all-inclusive drills provided by Coach Sampson. These drills will build your athletes' commitment to team defense. With these drills, techniques, and competitive fire, Sampson will demonstrate how to change your practice and your players into a stifling defensive unit at any level of play. The results will be evident on the court and in how your team handles every kind of defensive situation.
with Mike Krzyzewski,
Duke University Head Men's Basketball Coach;
NABC "Coach of the Decade," 12X NABC "Coach of the Year," Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2001), 3X NCAA National Championships ('91, '92,'01)
The drills on this DVD will instill the discipline and mental toughness needed to make that critical defensive stop when you need it the most! Coach Krzyzewski has coached six National "Defensive Player of the Year" award winners and has coached some of the most successful and respected defensive-minded teams in basketball history. His defensive "system" has won over 700 games and has reached 10 NCAA "Final Fours" (to date). In this excellent video, Coach K takes the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium and teaches over 20 innovative drills and strategies designed to optimize your defensive tactics. These drills will teach your athletes how to force bad shots and turnovers by controlling the movement of the ball handler, guarding the passing lanes and challenging shooters. Your players will sharpen all of their defensive skills while challenging themselves mentally and physically. These vital drills will get your team in great physical shape and in position to handle any game - home or away. These techniques will help with transition defense, shutting down perimeter and post players, increasing ball pressure and building weak-side defense awareness. Coach Krzyzewski focuses on keeping the drills competitive and enthusiastic, which in turn gets athletes to concentrate and builds team camaraderie. Furthermore, Coach K will help you learn how to accentuate these excellent drills to simulate and rehearse what will happen at the defensive end of the court. All of these drills can be used throughout the season to maintain proper defensive stance and intensity. This outstanding video is a must for any age and competitive level of play. Coach K will help you accomplish your goals!
with Debbie Ryan,
University of Virginia Women's Basketball Head Coach,
1991 National Coach of the Year
Coach Ryan uses on-court demonstration to clearly illustrate her effective transition drills and options. Coach Ryan has designed a four-step "magical formula" for a successful transition offense. Ryan presents her successful system of putting continuous pressure on the defense, getting the ball up the court, and scoring quickly off made and missed baskets by simulating a variety of fast break situations. Ryan outlines each player's responsibility in transition and the 9 options that are built into the secondary break. She covers every aspect of her philosophy of why to run and how to implement it into your practice, by using the clock for all drills, promoting communication, and having a great team spirit, along with a unique way of looking at turnovers. Coach Ryan will help you understand how your team can consistently gain an advantage in transition, by getting the ball up the court in the right position, and by recognizing opportunities. This video is going to put you and your team in the best situation to win games at any level!
with Kelvin Sampson,
University of Oklahoma Head Coach, '01-'02 National Coach of the Year
Coach Sampson demonstrates a series of plays designed to capitalize on defensive lapses in transition. Sampson teaches eight set plays with numerous options for easy scoring opportunities. He shows how your team can consistently gain the advantage in transition by quickly moving to the right position, recognizing opportunities, and aggressively taking advantage of turnovers. Sampson's attention to detail gives you a unique perspective on teaching points such as screening, receiving hand, turnover differential, and the execution of the offensive sets. This video is going to put you and your team in the best situation to score and win basketball games!
with Ricardo Patton,
University of Colorado Head Coach
Coach Patton demonstrates a terrific series of intense, challenging shooting drills that stresses competitive techniques for ball handling, shooting, footwork, fatigue, reading screen angles, rebounding and defending. In all of these drills, Patton utilizes the game clock and implements consequences for not meeting individual and team goals. At the conclusion of each drill, Patton reinforces the correct free throw routine in a competitive, fatiguing, game-like situation. Patton includes his four "Golden Rules of Individual Improvement" which include: Techniques for staying low, exploding to the basket, methods for foot quickness and strengthening your off-hand. These innovative drills will improve the critical fundamentals in an atmosphere of hard work and earned rewards!
Coach Kent talks about what it takes to develop a great transition team at any level. Kent begins with five variations of a drill to condition your players as they master the Oregon transition offense. Kent then breaks down the Oregon Secondary Break called "Warrior," which allows any player on your team to score from anywhere on the court. He walks you through "Warrior" from the beginning and then provides a glimpse into the Ducks' playbook by demonstrating a few different variations of the Secondary Break. This is the same offensive system that has produced three NCAA tournament appearances, two NIT Final 4 appearances, a PAC-10 Championship, a PAC-10 Tournament title and three NBA First Round Draft Picks. Kent finishes by showing how to use the Secondary Break against a 2-3 zone.
with Gail Goestenkors, Duke University Head Coach, 2X NCAA Runner-Up;
5X National "Coach of the Year," 2004 US Olympic Basketball Assistant (Gold Medal)
In this dvd, Gail Goestenkors takes you through the finer points of the fastbreak and shares some of the best quick hitters in the game today. She starts with the basic Carolina Break and goes through six different variations. In addition, Goestenkors shows you how to use each of the different fastbreak options as quick hitters out of an offensive set. She also gives you 11 other quick hitters for a total of 17 quick hitters! Goestenkors demonstrates six of her favorite fastbreak options to use out of the Carolina Break and, as a bonus, shares six different side- and under-the-basket out-of-bounds plays. Learn the attributes that have made her system so effective!
with Chris Doyle, University of Iowa Football Strength & Conditioning Coach Certification: National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), '99 NSCA Big 10 "Strength Coach of the Year"
The harder an athlete pushes against the ground, the higher the athlete will jump and faster the athlete will run. This program is presented in three categories designed to develop explosive power; lifts, jumps and throws. Including teaching progressions for the Olympic Lifts, Jump training and Medicine Ball Throws from beginner levels through advanced levels. Excellent instruction!
with Roy Williams, University of North Carolina Head Coach; 2005 NCAA Champions
Many of Coach Williams' current beliefs were developed in his early days of coaching high school basketball in North Carolina. This DVD will illustrate the "Tar Heel Running Game" with the use of players in an impressive on-court demonstration. This style relies on running the floor and sharing the ball with teammates. Advantages of this style are that the running game negates the defense's ability to get set, which leads to many easy baskets. Williams covers his three offensive rules against a set defense, the importance of reading the defense and the importance of getting the ball out of the net and inbounds quickly. To work all facets of the primary break, Williams includes many drills that help offensive advantage situations, communication, finishing, down court passes by post players, quick inbounds pass and more. Once the primary break ends, the secondary offense begins. Multiple options are built into this attacking scheme. Ball reversal, lob, back screen and post feed are all options in the secondary. To safeguard against a denied reversal, a screen away option and on ball screen option keep the offense flowing. Williams uses 5-on-5 play to point out important teaching points. No college team runs the fast break as well as Coach Williams' Tar Heels. This DVD has drills that can be applied to any team and can help your team run and score "all night"!
Alan Stein's Explosive Conditioning for Basketball Players
with Alan Stein, Owner, Elite Athlete Training Systems; Strength & Conditioning Coach, Montrose Christian (MD) High School
Basketball conditioning expert Alan Stein stresses that being fit and being in basketball shape are two completely different concepts. Since the game of basketball is fast paced, intense and provides very few rest breaks - your team's conditioning workouts should reflect this. Additionally, basketball is very movement-specific, so it is important to have players' include sprinting, back pedaling, defensive sliding and jumping in their workouts. To keep the workouts fresh, innovative and on the cutting edge, Coach Stein incorporates a variety of audio and visual cues that help improve a player's ability to read and react. The drills shared in this DVD are fun, interactive and competitive. In addition, each of these drills can be done for a desired time or a certain number of reps, and many of the drills can be done just about anywhere, which is of great value for coaches with limited court availability. Many of these drills are basketball-specific and will help your team improve moving without the ball, defensive positioning and rebounding. Each of these drills will help your players become tougher, increase their competitiveness and drastically improve your team's chemistry - traits that will carry over onto the court and will help win games! Stein believes that your team's off-season and pre-season conditioning workouts set the tone and build the foundation for your practices and games. A championship season is built year round!
30 minutes. 2006.
Alan Stein's Strength & Power Training for Basketball Players
with Alan Stein, Owner, Elite Athlete Training Systems; Strength & Conditioning Coach, Montrose Christian (MD) High School
Alan Stein has dedicated his career to developing and improving basketball players on a year-round basis. This DVD is a look at his impressive training program, while providing coaches with a plan to help players improve. Strength and power training has become a standard in the basketball world, and Coach Stein is on the cutting edge of this development. His workout begins with some traditional exercises, but quickly transitions into new, innovative exercises. Several of the exercises are done from a standing position to help strengthen the lower back muscles and core. Further, many of the lower body exercises are done using one leg a time to ensure muscular balance. By becoming stronger, players are able to run faster, jump higher and box-out harder. Programs must be safe, balanced among all muscle groups, consistent year-round and progressive in nature. In addition to strength training, a well designed plyometric program can also enhance a player's performance. Stein shares several unique drills on the basketball floor designed to increase quickness and help players become more explosive. This DVD also introduces manual resistance exercises, which can be done anytime, anywhere. Programs with no accessibility to equipment can use these exercises and still gain excellent strength. Whether on the road, in the locker room or in the hallway, a combination of the exercises presented in this DVD can be used to greatly increase your team's strength and toughness.
29 minutes. 2006.
Alan Stein's Active Warm-up and Core Training for Basketball Players
with Alan Stein, Owner, Elite Athlete Training Systems; Strength & Conditioning Coach, Montrose Christian (MD) High School
Alan Stein has dedicated his career to developing and improving basketball players on a year-round basis. This DVD provides coaches with a plan to do the same. The warm-up process is an extremely important yet often neglected part of preparation for basketball players. The goal of a warm-up is to make the muscles more elastic and get the joints of the body ready to play. In addition to physical preparation, this warm-up prepares players mentally as well. Each warm-up drill incorporates the movements used in basketball and creates consistency prior to each workout, practice and game. Once players are warmed-up, it is time to improve their flexibility. Dynamic flexibility movements increase the range of motion in the Achilles, calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors and lower back. For coaches that work with limited space, Coach Stein introduces several stationary warm-up options. The core is the center of all movement and plays a large role in a player's ability to move quickly and jump higher. Stein has developed an innovative core routine that requires nothing more than a basketball. These drills include static holds in a plank position to improve lower back strength, crunch-type movements for the abs, twisting motions for the obliques, as well as a push-up variation for the chest and shoulders. By using Stein's program, players will increase flexibility, core strength and confidence. Build a championship program by following the teaching of Alan Stein today!
A crafty point guard as a player at Bradley, Coach Les has made transition a part of the Bradley foundation. Building a mindset of quick transition from defense to offense has been a major emphasis. Wings are responsible for sprinting to half court, getting out ahead of the defense as the point guard pushes the ball. The non-rebounding post player becomes the "rim runner" on the other end. Once in the half court, the trailing post has the option to ball screen, or screen away. On penetration, each player has specific reactions to execute. This system puts pressure on the defense by driving the ball to the baseline and gaps in the defense. With perimeter-heavy teams, Les teaches 1, 2 or 3 to push the ball down the floor. By eliminating the outlet pass to the point guard, all three perimeter players can quickly advance the ball. Les cites the wide double screen and quick ball screen as weapons when the offense flows to half court offense. This offensive attack provides for great spacing, post up opportunities, penetration and open shots. Les also presents teaching points for running after a made shot. The drills Les demonstrates focus on ball handling, running, spacing, rebounding and decision-making. Les presents a running game that is an offense in itself.
with Lorenzo Romar,
University of Washington Head Coach
In this DVD, Coach Romar shares the vital components that form the foundation of his successful program. The Huskie program is based on defense, rebounding, sharing the ball and competing. Up-tempo basketball is a staple in Romar's system, as is defense and rebounding. Exerting pressure on the ball helps the Huskies make their opponent feel pressured and uncomfortable. His defense picks up the ball as soon as it changes hands and tries to eliminate any direct penetrating passes. Romar uses five players to illustrate his transition game. Players fill lanes early and run the floor hard. Keys to scoring are spacing, not letting the ball stick in your hand, shot selection, screening and hitting the open man. The idea of up-tempo is putting maximum pressure on the defense, baseline to baseline. Up-tempo full court drills are imperative to developing this style of play. Drills on this DVD are Weave, Rush, Weave-Rush combo, Three Lanes (five sequences) and 5-on-5 transition. This DVD can lead the way for your team to be successful playing up-tempo basketball.
