I have been involved in girls basketball for quite a while. As I watch girls basketball, it is hard for me to look at a game for pure entertainment. I am always looking at the little things like does a young lady get in triple threat, are the teams running plays, and the attitude of players. I especially look at the way a young lady shoots the basketball. Here are 2 deadly mistakes players make in shooting the basketball.

Wrong Attitude

The first mistake a player makes in shooting a basketball comes before they even shoot the ball. They don’t believe in their ability to shoot. They run through their head over and over and over again such thoughts–

“I am not a great shooter.

“I can’t shoot 3s.”

I worked with a young lady during a training session and she told me that she could not shoot 3s. I had her go through a series of shooting which were only 3s and she knocked down the majority of the shots. But this young lady had just told me and more than once that she could not make 3 pointers.

You are what you think about. If you think you can’t do something, you won’t even try to do it. Which leads me to the other deadly mistake.

Not Working Extra

If you already have in your mind that you can not do something, you probably will not even work on it. This is the complete opposite of what you should be doing.

Get in the gym and work on shooting the basketball. It is the only way you will get better at shooting.

The Staples Center, located in Los Angeles, California, is the home court of three teams: the Lakers, the Clippers, and the Kings. It contains a total of 12 locker rooms and dressing rooms, with specifically designated rooms for each of the three home teams. Having opened in October of 1999, it is a fairly new facility with lots of new technology. There are 1,200 television monitors throughout the facility, and spectators can choose from 23 different refreshment stands in five separate concourse areas (there are also two restaurants in the arena). The arena accommodates just short of 19,000 people for a basketball game.

Madison Square Garden has been the name of four separate arenas in New York, with the original having been in the Garden itself. The Garden, as it is referred to in short, is the home of the New York Knicks, as well as the New York Liberty (of the WNBA). It also houses home games for the Red Storms (St. John’s college basketball team) and is actually one of the busiest venues in the United States, hosting a total of 320 events each year. For a standard game of basketball, the arena seats 19,763 and features 20,976 square feet of floor space.

As a former Division I men’s head and assistant basketball coach and coach mentor, I receive emails daily asking for advice on how to enter the college coaching profession.

Many of the questions revolve around getting your foot into the door and how that can happen without knowing a lot of people in the basketball world. Here are the top five questions I receive and answers:

Here are five common questions by aspiring college coaches;

1. How to become a graduate assistant coach at programs all over the country.

The key is to get to know as many assistant and head coaches at all levels, especially Div. II and III. Each year they have at least one opening on average for a new graduate assistant. Learn about these through word of mouth.

2. Top 3 things you can do now to get your foot in the door.

Make a 100% decision to put everything you have to get your foot in the door. Learn a unique skill, like video editing. Network, network, network

3. How to build a strong Coaching Network

First you must hire or befriend a mentor, someone who has already accomplished what you desire. You can build a huge network by learning from this mentor and that is the key to getting college jobs.

4. Five things you need to learn that will help you get a job this spring.

Make a commitment to do everything it takes to accomplish your goal, make financial sacrifices, contact as many coaches as possible in the next three months, learn to accept rejection, make sure your effort matches your desire.

5. How to get Tom Crean, Coach K, Sean Miller to return your notes and emails!

The key is to begin a handwriting campaign to 100 coaches at all levels and positions in the NBA and NCAA basketball. This will help you deal with rejection but also begin to build relationships.

Ask yourself this question before contacting me however; How bad do you want it? If you truly desire this career, set your sets high, set goals, and be willing to do anything it will take to accomplish your goal.

There are different Basketball Workouts you can use when pursing a pro basketball career. Training everyday with various Basketball Workouts will put you ahead of 95 percent of the competition. There are tons of drills to do everyday and you can experiment with different drills to see which one give’s you faster results. That’s what I did and I’m going to share with you today what 5 Basketball drills that will prepare you for a pro basketball career.

One Arm Shooting Warm-Up

When you are training you are usually shooting shots without any goal on how much to make, or where to shoot from. This is not good because you will develop bad habits in your Basketball Workouts that will translate into the game. When I was at a lecture at a basketball camp at the University of Connecticut, the speaker was the shooting doctor who worked with tons of pros like Michael Jordan and Gilbert Arenas. He said before you start your Basketball Workout you should stand three feet from the basket and shoot one-arm jumpers. When you are doing this you should only count the “all-net” shots you make. If it touches the rim it doesn’t count. The shot doctor was very good at this and he had trained all his players to warm-up this way. I decided if the players in the NBA warm-up using the one-arm warm-up shot, then I should add it to my Basketball Workout. The rest of the day I practiced one arm shots and the next time I played, I sure enough couldn’t miss. I put on an unbelievable performance and everyone at the camp said I should try to play for the team. This drill had helped me so much I decided to use it the rest of my career. Everyday I warm-up with 25 makes from three spots one from the middle of the paint and one from the left block and the right block. This is a great Basketball Workout and anyone trying to become a professional basketball player should do it.

“250 to 500” makes a day

After the one arm shooting warm-ups you want to start you’re shooting workouts. I usually begin putting up shots from different spots on the court. My goal is to make 250 to 500 shots using different moves off the dribble. I start from one side of the wing and shoot from each spot until I get to the other wing. After I shoot mid-range shots I will move to the three-point line and repeat the process. Now you can switch your Basketball Workout up and do shots off the dribble, or go to the basket for floaters. Either way you are working on repetition, which is the most important thing when it comes to developing a skill in a Basketball Workout.

Core Exercises

Now when I’m in the weight room I train only on things that will help me become stronger in the game. One of the things I would do in my Basketball Workout is different exercises that work on your core. I would train 3 to 4 times a week, doing at least 200 to 300 sit-ups a day. I figured If NBA players focus on it so much, and there extremely athletic, then I should to. Once I incorporated it in my workout regimen, after one week of this I added an inch or two on my vertical. I didn’t start doing this until I became a pro because I learned it late in my career. None of my coaches ever stressed how important it is to your game to have a strong core. Now I tell all my players they should do sit-ups everyday in their Basketball Workouts if they want to reach their full ability on the court.

Ball handling

Now before you shoot or after, you need to include ball handling drills in your Basketball Workouts just as much as you shoot, Even if you’re a big-man you should work on your ball handling. I saw Blake Griffin and other NBA big men training their handles in a Basketball Workout on a You Tube video, so if they are doing it then what should you is doing? Right. So what you would do is pick some two ball dribbling drills to do, and everyday dribble the ball you’re hardest and you’re fastest, always keep your head-up, and be persistent because the drill will be a little difficult at first. Do this the entire week and watch how your handle will feel so much tighter. The feeling is amazing. In my free report I explain this more in detail.

Squat jumps

Now when you’re in the gym or weight room you need to do some type of squat exercise where you are exploding up. You want to jump and explode as high as you can, focusing on getting better each jump in your Basketball Workout. Do this and watch your vertical jump get better in just a week. I do all of these Basketball Workout drills and I feel they are some of the most important drills to do. I guarantee you results! because it worked for me. So focus on doing jumps 3 to 4 times a week.

Now combine all the drills and start Monday, and by Friday watch how your game feels! It’s a great feeling when you develop a new skill. I have had those feelings my whole life, and that’s why I can say I had a great career, and now I can teach you the same Basketball Workouts. Best of all I still play.

We all know that playing around with your small kids is really essential for you. It helps you stay fit and healthy. You can even come closer to your kids by spending some quality time with them. This article is going to deal with some crucial information regarding portable basket ball hoops. They are quite popular worldwide. But most of the people prefer using them in the summer season. Cold weather can really have a negative effect on your basketball hoop.

I would like to suggest you that if you are having a nice portable hoop then you need to winterize it in the best possible way. Unless you protect the whole base properly you will never be able to play basketball in the best possible way. By doing this, you can easily enjoy a game of basketball in the winter season. The plastic material can crack down if you don’t pay proper attention towards it. So, you must carry out proper steps in this regard.

Now, let us discuss some key tips and instructions in this regard. Make sure you pay proper attention towards these points.

• The first thing that you need to do is to allow the water to dissipate from your hoop’s base. It would allow the entire equipment to dry out in the best possible way.

• Now, you can consider filling up your hoop’s base with a lot of sand. It wouldn’t allow the base to freeze or breakdown in low temperature. According to me, it would definitely gain more stability in the scheme of things.

• Now, you need to remove the basketball net in a proper way. Storing it inside your house is the best option available with you. It should not get wet at any cost.

• I would like to tell you that covering the basketball hoop with a huge trash bag is really essential. It would not allow the water to penetrate inside. Once you have done this you can seal the entire bag some tape. I am sure it is a great alternative for all of you.

So, these are a few key tips that would help you prevent your basketball hoop from getting damaged. If you are planning to play basketball this winter season then you need to pursue all these guidelines and take a few safety tips in to consideration. Read this article carefully for further information. I am sure you would benefit a lot from here. Enjoy a lot while playing a game of basketball with your family and friends.

ESPN Hoopgurlz recently released their Best of Summer Series. In the series, Hoopgurlz presented their Top Teams, Breakout players, Gunners (Best Shooters and Scorers) and Dime Droppers (passers). Believe me the young ladies on these lists will be the players you hear about at top college programs. Now how exactly do you get mentioned on these lists?

Play during the Summer

First of all, the title is “How Girls Basketball Players get listed on ESPN Hoopgurlz Best of Summer”. I could stop there.. In today’s society and level of girls basketball, you can not only play during the regular school basketball season. You have to continue to play basketball during the late spring and into the summer.

Play on a National Level

If you visit the ESPN Hoopgurlz site, you will notice Tips Sheets of events they attended during the summer. These events were all over the place. You will see cities like Memphis, TN; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Oregon City, OR; and North Augusta, S.C. If you are a player and want to get recognition as such a player, you can not limit yourself and play summer basketball in a recreational or church league in your neighborhood. It just does not work that way. You have to get out and play against top talent at top national events.

Play the Game

Players that make the Best of Summer list can play some basketball. They are fundamentally sound. They are team players. They are great shooters AND scorers. They are distributors.

A tremendous impact opportunity for basketball coaches is the stage that the sport provides to instill success habits in their players that will can last a lifetime. Basketball is more than just a sport, it can be one of the best preparations for life after school that a young person can experience.

One way that I have tried to take advantage of the teachable moments is to have a “thought for the day” before every practice. It might be an inspirational quote, a snippet or idea from a book or an article, or an observation from one of the coaches about the team.

The thought has to fit the following three criteria before we will use it.

1) I want the thought to be something that will improve their “mental game” to contribute to them having the most rewarding season of their basketball careers.

2) The thought must be in line with our program’s core values. I want it to enhance the trademarks we emphasize, and not contribute to information overload

3) It must be something that will have value for all areas of their lives, not just basketball,

The thought for the day is so important to developing the mindset we feel that we must have to be successful. I believe that mental toughness is one of the most important skills to have in a winning program. To develop that needed mental toughness, we teach attitude and effort every day. I also like to place the thoughts for the day in players’ notebooks and on the bulletin boards and locker room walls.

Here are just a few examples of some of the past thoughts of the day that we have used. I hope they give you some ideas to find and create inspirational basketball quotes to pass on to your team.

1. We practice and play with the intensity, toughness, and togetherness of a state championship team every day.
2. The game honors toughness-Brad Stevens
3. Players play, but tough players win-Tom Izzo
4. United we stand, divided we fall
5. Never mistake activity for achievement-John Wooden
6. We are relentless!

I like to present the thought of the day at the beginning of practice and ask for the players input as to how it applies to both our team and their lives. Then, as the practice unfolds, if there are times to apply the Thought for the Day to situations that arise, I make sure to capitalize on those teachable moments. Finally, we huddle at the end of practice to quickly review the practice and include the Thought for the Day as a part of that recap.

I firmly believe that basketball coaches that define and then establish a success mindset will be more successful in both the long and short run. The short run being the players’ experience both in basketball and in other areas of his or her life. The long run, being the much more important growth toward becoming a productive, contributing, and happy adult. Having a specific them for each day helps with that success mindset process.

A basketball hoop in the driveway, on the garage, or above a poured slab of concrete in the back yard is a must for hoops junkies. The new basketball goal is the perfect place to shoot some hoops with your kids, sharpen your own game, or get in a game of two on two with the gang from the neighborhood. However, before you go to put your basketball hoop up, there are things to consider. Where should you put it, how should it be attached, and what type do you want to get?

First and foremost, you will need to decide what kind of basketball hoop ou need. The three main types to consider are portable basketball goals, in-ground basketball goals, and wall mounted basketball goals. Only by considering the pros and cons of each kind will you be able to determine the best type of hoop for you and your home.

A portable basketball hoop is going to be best if you are someone who wants to be able to move your goal inside at the end of the day. It is also going to be your best bet if you don’t want to go to the trouble of installing an in-ground goal. It is also perfect if your family moves frequently or lives somewhere that will just not work for a regulation court. The base that holds the hoop system in place is generally filled with water or sand, but is still easily moveable because of a set of wheels on the front of the base.

The more traditional basketball hoop is the in-ground goal. This hoop is actually anchored in the ground. In-ground goals work best for people or families that have a space where such a goal can be installed. This is usually ground just next to a driveway or a concrete pad that has been poured expressly for the purpose of basketball. If you are thinking of buying an in-ground hoop, take into consideration that it is a fairly permanent fixture and probably not for you if you plan to move in the near future.

The in-ground hoops can really be divided into inexpensive and heavy duty. The inexpensive are the type you would buy for younger children. They are not as sturdy and do not last as long, but they are fantastic for giving children a place to shoot hoops at home. The second type, the heavy duty in-ground basketball hoop, is great for both children and adults. Generally they have break-away rims to accommodate dunking and to give a truer bounce. The heavy-duty cost more, but will last longer and will withstand heavy use much better than the inexpensive brands. The heavy duty goals are generally best for those that are more serious about basketball.

Wall mounted hoops are also popular. Wall mounted goals are ideal for those who are have only limited space, but want to put up a more permanent basketball hoop. The wall mounted hoops come with brackets so that they can be mounted on an already existing area. They can be put on garage roofs, against walls, or even off of the side of your home if you so desire. These permanent basketball hoops [http://www.bassettnews.com/category/recreation-guides] are commonly found above garage doors for great driveway play. The installation on them is a bit easier than in-ground, but offers you the challenge of having to get on top of your garage or a ladder.

No matter which system of mounting your basketball goal you use, just make sure it is the best one for you. Find the right one and you will be giving you and your family a chance to play a great sport right outside your front door.

Goalrilla Basketball Systems and Mammoth Basketball Systems Similarities:

Goalrilla and Mammoth goals have essentially the same target market. These types of basketball hoops are high-end products for a home sports court. Both systems use either a 5×5 or 6×6 inch square steel pole; both systems use a J-Bolt anchor kits to attach the goal to the ground; both systems have glass backboards; and both have 54-inch, 60-inch, and 72-inch backboard sizes. These poles have similar grades of steel and both have limited lifetime warranties. So, the more important question to be considered are the differences.

Differences Between Goalrilla and Mammoth:

These several have several important differences. The first of these differences is the thickness of the glass backboard. All Goalrilla backboards are 3/8″ thick; whereas, Mammoth basketball backboards range in thickness from 6 mm to 8 mm (.236″ to.31″). The increased thickness in backboard provides both better rebound and more durability. Another differences is the method of height adjustment.

Both Goalrilla and Mammoth systems are height adjustable from 7.5 ft. to 10 ft. The Goalrilla uses a turn crank mechanism to adjust the height. The Mammoth system uses a squeeze handle to adjust the height. While both mechanisms are going to provide infinite adjusts in rim height, the Mammoth Rapid Cam mechanism is much easier to use. The last major difference applies to only the 60-inch backboard model.

The Goalrilla 60-inch model has a 6×6 square steel pole. The comparable Mammoth goal has a 5×5 square pole. The larger pole provides greater stability to the Goalrilla than the Mammoth goal.

On average, the Goalrilla models are going to sell for about $250 more for the same sized backboard. Both basketball goals are excellent for a home basketball court. The differences mentioned above may or may not be worth the increased cost for the Goalrilla systems. Hopefully these differences will help in your shopping research.

With the start of the NBA season underway, NBA fans across the country are lining up to play fantasy basketball. The two most popular formats being used include season long fantasy leagues and daily NBA fantasy contests. Both formats are available online through popular sports sites like Yahoo.com, NBA.com, DraftKings.com and FanDuel.com among others. Each format requires a different approach, which provides a little something for players of all experience levels.

NBA Fantasy Leagues

For years now, fantasy sports leagues have been run for the benefit of managers who want to manage their own team through the rigors of an entire season. While most leagues are played for fun, some league commissioners will organize leagues with an entry fee and prize money being distributed at the end of the season.

The process starts with an organized draft. The most popular draft format is the standard “snake-draft” where a players’ draft position is determined by random draw. For returning keeper leagues, the draft positions might be determined by the manager’s placing in the prior season. Over the past few years, auction drafts have increased in popularity. With this format, each manager is given a bankroll, which is used to bid on players until their roster is full.

In both formats, each manager is required to draft a full team of players based on the league’s setup configuration. Most leagues have as many as 10 starting roster positions plus bench players. Depending on the league’s rules, managers can make player moves on either a daily basis or weekly basis. Scoring is determined by league rules and the competition is head-to-head on a weekly basis. Towards the end of the season, the teams with the best overall records head off into the playoffs, which usually cover the last 2-3 weeks of the NBA regular season.

Daily NBA Fantasy Contests

For managers who like their action fast and furious with cash on the line, popular fantasy sites provide access to daily contests. These daily contest come in a variety of formats that are listed on the website. Managers can choose to compete heat-to-head with a smaller group of managers ranging from 2 to 25 contestants. These contests are usually designed and posted by one of the contestants who then open up the entry process to any contestant who would like to participate based on the contest’s setup. The entry fees range from $5 all the way up to $1,000 per contestant. While some contests are winner takes all, contests with more than 10 contestants might offer small consolation prizes. In all contests, the fantasy sports site will take a fee (usually 10%) to cover administrative costs plus profits.

The other popular format is sponsored contests provided by the website. These contests usually have thousands of entries with huge guaranteed prize packages in the offering for a relatively small entry fee. The larger the participation in these contests, the higher the number of places that will get paid. The prize packages might include large cash prizes, consumer goods or special event prize packages where something like a Super Bowl weekend might be on the line. Many times, managers can earn a free entry fee by winning smaller satellite contests along the way.

The contest rules and scoring parameters are provided by the website. Each manager gets a salary cap (normally $50,000) to use when selecting players. Each player that is scheduled to play on a given night will be assigned a salary cap value. Obviously, the better the player, the higher the value. The team structure is usually PG, SG, SF, PF, C, G, F, and UTIL player.

Now that you have a general idea how to play fantasy basketball, it’s time to join in the fray. If you choose to play in daily contests, you need to remember that a lot of managers have a significant amount of experience, which might leave you at a disadvantage. The bottom line is you should never put more money on the line than you can afford to lose.