10 WAYS TO HELP MAKE A VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM
Rick Kilpatrick, Head Coach, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School
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1. Be Coachable! - Listen. Accept critique & instruction. Buy into what the coach is asking. Be someone the coach can trust, on & off the court.
2. Commit to Rebound - The most important statistic in high school basketball (other than the final score) is team rebounds. Do you commit to rebounding (mentally & physically)? And by the way, every coach LOVES guards that rebound...so don't stand & watch!
3. Get to the Rim - Complete players need to get to the rim! Players should master simple 1-2 dribble moves from 20 feet and in, going right or left (rip & go and up-fake & go). And remember, when your defender is up on you close, this is the best & easiest time to rip & go by him. Attack the shoulder!
4. Run the Floor! - One of the best ways to get noticed during tryouts is to be the first player down the floor on offense AND defense. Don't be a fake hustle guy (reaches or goes for steals in the back court) or the guy who jobs back on defense and points to the "my guy". Sprint the floor in BOTH directions! Good team defense begins with transition defense.
5. Shoot it with Less Time & Space - There are a lot of good shooters, but far less who effectively get their shots off with little time & space. Get low and do your work before you receive the pass.
6. Talk! - Be the player who never stops talking! Call screens. Call "shot", "help"," trailer". Communication in team basketball is crucial.
7. Be a team DEFENSIVE player - Roughly 80% of the time you are on defense your man does not have the ball. Do you know where the ball is? You can be a good defender if you always know where the ball is. Effective team defense is about 5 vs 1; not guys playing 1-on-1. Also, BE WILLING TO TAKE THE CHARGE! Every coach loves players who take a charge.
8. Be a team OFFENSIVE player - What do you do without the ball (again, 80% of the time you will not have it)? Do you set screens? (the screener often ends up being the open player) Do you cut? Space properly? Rebound? Don't define yourself solely by shots or points. Learn to play without the ball!..and if you do, you'll immediately separate yourself from a lot of other players.
9. Play to Your Strengths - Know what you're good at and show it! Show what you bring to the table..but don't take anything off the table. If you're not a strong shooter and you take 20 shots, that's not helping your TEAM. No player is perfect or complete at all things. In games, know what you're good at and focus on those things.
10. Be a Good Teammate - Be positive. Encourage others. Play selfless. Do anything for the team & your coach. If you're on the "bubble" for making the team and you're a good teammate, you have a better chance of making it. If you're on the bubble and selfish or have a poor attitude, you're more likely to get cut.
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