Top drills for modern basketball training

It often takes basketball players much repetition to assimilate a perfect technique and make movements seemingly instinct-based. A lot happens in a typical ballgame, and players must bank on muscle memory to make that pull-up jumper or bring the ball down the court. Hereunder are drills for key facets of the game—shooting, ballhandling—according to sports training enthusiast Ryan Shephard.

The first drill involves using a tennis ball to develop one’s ball handling. Commence by using a basketball in one hand and a tennis ball in the other. Dribble the basketball as strong as you can, allowing it to reach your waist level. Then use the tennis ball on the other hand, underhand-tossing it toward your nose but not over your head. Catch the ball with your hand on top. Switch hands after doing these 15 times.

For shooting, attempt shots from five spots on the floor, namely one corner, the wing, the top of the key, other wing, and other corner. You’ve to make three shots in a row before you can move on to the next spot. As you cycle back, you’ve to make two shots in a row from each spot and make one shot from each spot in a row, allowing you to finish with five made shots per row. Most NBA players aim to do this within two minutes, but you can work your way from a beginning set time of five minutes.

Finally, a drill that combines shooting- and endurance-training is to take five shots from the midrange: one short corner, wing, free throw line, the other wing, and other short corner. You’ve to make five out of seven per spot before moving on, but if you fail, you’ve to run up and back the entire court and move back a spot. Once you’ve completed all five midrange shots, take the same shots from above the three-point line. If this is too difficult at first, begin with a lower shot-making percentage like three or four in seven tries, Ryan Shephard adds.

Ryan Shephard is a University of Michigan student who hopes to become an expert sports rehab and training professional someday. More an Ryan and his interests here.

Boxing 101: Things to remember other than the punches

Boxing 101: Things to remember other than the punches
I’m Ryan Shephard, a student of sports training and rehabilitation. For this blog, I want to take a moment to write about a sport that’s pretty close to my heart. You could even say this sport was my first love.

Image source: corporatefitnesscentre.com.au

I’ve been a fan of boxing ever since I was a kid and I was obsessed with the sweet science of it. I still box from time to time, and I’ve seen young individuals getting into the sport, which I find rather heartwarming.

However, many people who first enter boxing have this mistaken belief that it’s all about punching. While punching takes up a huge part of the sport, boxing is so much more than that. Enter a boxing gym and you’ll realize that on the first day.

One of the first things your trainer will teach you is footwork. Yes, there is a proper way to move in the boxing ring. You shouldn’t let your feet cross as much as possible, when moving forward or backward, or side-to-side.

As you progress, your trainer will teach you how to defend yourself past the “hands-up” routine. You’ll learn to block body shots as well as bob-and-weave. You’ll learn to slip punches and throw counters.

Finally, your trainer will build up your cardio like no one else has before. After which, you’ll be a happy puddle of sweat and soreness, and you’ll realize it’s all worth it.

Hey, there. I’m Ryan Shephard, a student at the University of Michigan taking up Athletic Training. Thankfully, my courses allow me to learn anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology, as I hope to be a professional sports trainer someday. More on me and my interests here.

Spotting injuries in the hands and wrists

A few weeks ago in one of our classes, we were discussing the possibility of injuries to tennis players, and since then, I did a bit of research on some of the most common injuries to the hands and wrists of an athlete.

Here are some of them.

Tennis elbow

Let’s start off with this since I already mentioned tennis injuries at the start of this blog. When the forearm tendon starts tearing away from the bone, the person feels some discomfort and maybe a bit of pain. This happens due to overuse of the arm.

Tendonitis

Just like tennis elbow, tendonitis is a result of overuse of a body part. Pushing yourself too far in training can cause your tendons to be inflamed and irritated. Most of the time, it’s enough to cause discomfort.

Jammed finger

In basketball and football, a jammed finger is quite common. This happens when the ball is pass to a player who has his fingers extended out. The finger then comes in contact with the ball head-on at high speed “jamming” the finger. It can be painful especially if it results in a sprain or dislocation.

Image source: Health.ClevelandClinic.org

Distal radius fracture

Also known as a broken wrist, this is probably the most serious of the injuries on this list. This happens when the radius bone (the long forearm one) is fractured on the wrist joint, near the area of the thumb.

Hello! My name is Ryan Shephardand I’m a student at the University of Michigan. Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to work in the sports industry, particularly in the fields of athletic training and sports rehab. For more of my writings, click this link.

The importance of sport-specific training

One way of understanding “sport-specific” training is to see it as embracing a perfect-practice routine that is extremely focused on the sport or activity of your choice. In other words, you should be taking lessons from a qualified coach for your sport, while knowing that altering the routine by replacing it with, say, makeshift gear will not lead to the optimal set of movements you are aiming for.

A good example is golf. You cannot master the various swings and putts unless you keep practicing with the correct golf club. This distinction should be clear when we consider sport-specific training in its modern definition, given the many various programs that allow for mixtures of regimens and routines.

In the context of CrossFit, coaches should be able to implement safe and effective strength programs for the body, while being mindful of the sport the athlete is training for. The complementary conditioning workout could be optional when, say, strength or explosiveness is the focus of the sport. Athletes doing excessive conditioning training (and in a non-structured manner) often become more prone to burnout or even injuries.

Again, the most important thing in sport-specific training is the value of constant and proper practice. Never settle with compromised gear and reduced training durations and watch and emulate other athletes and professionals in the sport. Remember that before attaining mastery, the initial goal is become a true student of your chosen sport.

Hey, there. My name isRyan Shephardand I’m a student at the University of Michigan. Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to work in the sports industry, particularly in the fields of athletic training and sports rehab. For more of my writings, click this website.

Why sports teams need good athletic trainers

Whether you’re training a newly formed high school basketball team or a professional NFL team, sports teams need good athletic trainers to help athletes with their training. Here are some reasons why the position is vital for any sports support roster.

athletictraining — Image source: vapantherpress.com

Athletic trainers are professional healthcare personnel who have studied sports science, which allows them to diagnose, treat, and in most cases, prevent sports-related injuries. They look at players’ health and see what’s best for them in the long term. If a player does get injured, they look for the best means of treatment possible that does not endanger the career of the player.

0225_Trainer_JH — Image source: dailyeasternnews.com

Athletic trainers work during training as well as during live games to monitor the player’s movements. For the untrained eye, it might be difficult to spot whether a player is struggling or not with a specific body part. Athletic trainers can easily inform the coaching staff if they see a problem before it gets worse.

Athletic trainers can also serve as confidants to players who want to seek medical advice. Players might experience certain pains or strains in their body and can seek professional help. Besides treatment, athletic trainers can also prescribe workouts and exercises that can strengthen a player’s troubled area.

Ryan Shephard is a student at the University of Michigan. Since he was young, he has always wanted to work in the sports industry. While he can play sports like basketball, football, baseball, and soccer, he thinks he is better suited for athletic training. It is his dream to become an expert in the field of sports rehab and training. For similar reads, visit this page.