How to Become a Better Basketball Player in the Off Season

For players that truly love to play the game of basketball and want to continue to develop their skills, there are plenty of opportunities to become a better player during the off-season. This article focuses on programs and events that you can explore to improve your game.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Local Newspaper
• Internet
• Money to pay for programs/events

1. Enroll in a local basketball camp. Check your local newspaper and ask around in your community. There are basketball camps all around you. Choose the camp that best fits with your age and ability level. Chances are there is a very good camp run by your local high school varsity coach or at a local college. These typically last about 2 hours per day for one or two weeks. Look to pay in the range of $20 to $75 for this type of camp.

2. Enroll in a stayover basketball camp. These camps are usually for the more serious players. The camp is more intense and lasts the entire day for about 3 to 5 days. You will find these camps at many colleges and universities. Consult with an experienced coach or look on the Internet to find a camp that meets your needs. Because the camp includes food, lodging and extended instruction, look to pay in the range of $250 to $750 for this type of camp.

3. Enroll in a focused basketball camp. If there are specific aspects of your game that you would like to focus on, there is a camp for every need if you are willing to travel. The camps mentioned in the previous steps will take an overall approach to skill building. The focused camp will tailor the camp to a specific set of needs. For example, there are camps specifically for the development of point guards. You can also find a camp that focuses specifically on developing moves to the basket. It is recommended that a player has a strong foundation in the game of basketball before he/she starts attending these focused camps.

4. Participate in 3-on-3 tournaments. These tournaments provide a fun way to develop skills for the half-court offense and defense. It is a grinding style of play that will challenge you and help to build a stronger offensive and defensive game. You can find these tournaments all around you in the summmertime.

5. Join an AAU or All-Star team. Although the majority of basketball games are played October through April, there are tournaments available throughout the year. In the off-season most of these tournaments are comprised of AAU or All-Star teams. They are typically reserved for the serious player that has aspirations of playing beyond high school due to the amount of time, travel and money that can be involved. Check out the AAU link in Resources below to get more information, or simply google "youth basketball teams" in your state.

Tips & Warnings

• As players get older, it is very important to take a break from the game to refresh mentally and physically.
• Playing other sports in the basketball off-season can provide growth opportunities in terms of physical development, mental development and teamwork
• Getting involved in traveling teams and overnight camps can involve significant financial resources and time--make sure the family is aware of what to expect before jumping into it.

Resources

• AAU

[williab83]

on 1/5/2009 I believe that doing planned workouts with specific objectives and drills that focus on individual skill development is the best way to improve as a basketball player in the offseason. There are many resources on the Internet as to what types of drills to do and how to do them. It will take 20 to 25 well planned and well executed workouts to see a significant improvement, but I have never seen a player yet who did not improve dramatically with the right type of workout and with a tremendous amount of dedication and effort.

Coach Williams
http://hoopclinics.com/mandatorymoves.html