Next Level Hoops

Working hard is the new "cool"

2011-02-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=Wu9kNmtvRbo

Watching Basketball on TV

2011-02-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

As a high school player, watching both division I college basketball and professional basketball on television can really help you develop your game. In part one of 4 short articles, we will focus on what to pay attention to when watching college basketball.

#1- How offensive players without the ball use screens- As a player about to receive a screen, you should always go slowly a couple steps away from where the screen is coming, then quickly burst to the pass.

#2- How the ball is snapped on passes- The higher level you compete at, the more athletic opponents will be. To avoid the defense getting deflections and steals, it is imperative to make crisp, sharp passes to your team mates.

#3- Intensity- College basketball is an intense, competitive and often physical games. When viewing, notice how players box out, screen, get through screens on defense, attack the offensive glass and dive on the floor.

Body language

2009-02-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

Body language can be described as how one uses gestures and body movements to communicate. Body language can give insight into what an individual may be thinkibng or feeling. On a basketball court players frequently send messages to coaches, team mates, referees, opponents and crowds. Below are four ways to exhibit positive body language on the court:

Look your coach(es) in the eye when receiving instruction. nod your head to show them that you are paying attention
When your team mate makes a bad play, keep your head up, give them an encouraging look and keep playing hard. The selfish, immature thing to do would be to whine, roll the eys or pout at a team mate.
Look enthused and energetic in practice and game situations even when you don't feel that way
If your team should happen to be losing in a game, keep a stone face. Show a confident demeanor and don't let opponents see you rattled.

3 Tips in becoming an Effective Shooting Guard

2008-10-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

1. Move really well without the ball on offense- Great shooting guards know how to use screens and cuts very well in order to get open for a good look at the basket. As competition increases, your ability to read screens( fading, curling or going a straight off a pick) will be crucial.

2. Have confidence- As a shooting guard you are bound to have off nights, times when your shot is not falling; however, regardless of your performance, when the time comes to nail an open shot or make critical free throws at the end of the game, you have to believe that you will rise to the occasion and succeed. Your team mates will respect you and count on you when you exhibit this type of confidence.

3. Develop a great shot fake- If you can shoot the ball well, defenders are going to fly out on you and play you tight. You must be able to get this player off their feet using an aggressive shotfake. A great shotfake will allow you to drive to the basket or free yourself for a pull up jump shot.

Steve Nash on Passing

2008-10-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Bruce Bowen on Defense

2008-08-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

Pay Attention!!

Richard Hamilton: Moving Without the Basketball

2008-07-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Sam Cassell on Mid-Range Shooting

2008-07-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

NCAA Athletics overview

2008-06-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Collegiate Athletics Cheat Sheet

What is the NCAA?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is an organization that oversees most 4-year collegiate athletic programs.

How many divisions are there within the NCAA and what are the differences?

Division I – Most intense of the three divisions, it has the greatest level of skill among individual athletes and teams; teams have the greatest amount of travel within the season. Usually these programs are located at bigger university and colleges. Schools are able to offer student athletes scholarship money based on both academic achievement and athletic ability.

Division II – Second highest division of collegiate athletics, high athletic skill level among individuals athletes and teams; a lot of travel but not as intense as Division I. Usually these programs are located at mid-sized colleges and universities. Schools are able to offer student athletes scholarship money based on both academic achievement and athletic ability.

Division III – Third division of college athletics, still a high level of skill among individuals and teams; some travel but not as much as the other two divisions. Usually these programs are located at smaller colleges and universities. Schools are not able to offer athletes scholarship money based on athletic ability, but can offer scholarships based on academic achievement.

What is the NCAA Clearinghouse?

To be able to participate and qualify for athletic scholarships in NCAA sports at the division I and II level, student athletes must register with the NCAA clearinghouse to declare eligibility and verify they meet the minimum academic requirements

Who can make my goal of playing a college sport come true?

YOU! College Coaches are looking for athletes who are athletically talented but also students who are academically successful. They want well-rounded student athletes who are hard-working, motivated, involved, and role models for other student athletes.

Self Discipline

2008-06-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Self discipline in my opinion is doing what will benefit you even when you don't feel like doing it. Personally, I'm not a big fan on motivation, since like most feelings motivation can be here one day and gone the next. The self-disciplined athlete exercises a tool called will. Like the Nike term, sometimes in life you have to will yourself to "just do it", no matter how uninspired, lazy, or tired you are feeling. To act in this manner requires self-discipline. The self-disciplined basketball player does things like:

1. Go to the gym on a Saturday morning to shoot 300 jumpshots, while his/her friends are home sleeping.

2. Arrive early to team practice or stay after 3 times/ week to improve their game

3. Listen to their coach even when frustrated or upset

4. Develops a running/ conditioning regimen and sticks to it rain, sleet or snow

Being self-disciplined is something to exhibit in all areas of your life, not just athletics. In your bright future you are not going to always want to feel like going to class, going to work, or paying bills; however, these are things that have to be done. Become a self-disciplined individual and be a success in basketball and in life!

Are you committed ???

2008-06-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

If you are going to reach your potential as a hoopster, you have to develop a committed attitude. By committed I mean, you must be willing to do whatever it takes( legally and safely) to be the best basketball player you can possibly be. Here are 5 ways you can commit that will help you take your game to the next level.

1. Create and stick to a drill session schedule- At least 3 times/ week, commit to a specific workout that involves improving shooting, ball-handling, 1 on 1 moves, defense, etc.

2. Find a basketball mentor- This person could be a current or former coach, a relative, friend of the family or someone whose basketball knowledge you really respect. The right mentor can give you great support and advice on how to get better.

3. Watch a ton of basketball- Watch as much hoops as you can, particularly college basketball. Study how these players move without the ball, set screens, play defense off the ball, get low when driving to the basket, etc.

4. Play pick up ball with those at a similar level or better- You won't get better playing against inferior competition. If you can't play against players close to your level of play or better than you then you are better off doing your own workout.

5. Attend at least 1 summer basketball camp- Why not compete against other talented players and develop new skills? Summer basketball camp can be a great chance to improve on existing strengths and address some weaknesses. Just make sure you choose the camp that will best fit your needs.

Ray Allen's Shooting Tips

2008-06-02T20:33:00.001-07:00

Success Tips for Point Guards- Lesson #4

2008-05-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Matching up on Defense- I'm sure you've heard this before. A point guard is an extension of his/ her coach on the basketball court. During substitutions and timeouts, new players on both teams may check in and out of the game. Too often, when I watch various high school and even college games, I see teams scoring easy points because there is confusion by the other team as to who is guarding who. These points can be the difference between a win or a loss in a close ball game. In my opinion, the point guard is responsible for communicating matchups to team mates. Everytime the team comes out of a timeout or the substitution horn sounds, the point guard should be paying close attention. In these times, point guards should be saying to team mates, "Match up!" or "Who you guarding?" or "New man, who's got him?" or "You got there, I got here!"
This tip may seem like a minor one, but to your coach and in helping your team win, this is VERY important. Follow this advice and make yourself both a better point guard and better ball player.

Success Tips for Point Guards- Lesson #3

2008-05-27T16:45:00.001-07:00

Getting Back on Defense- As the point guard, when your team takes a shot on offense, you must get back on defense. When one of your team mates is shooting, you should be making a hard retreat towards the halfcourt line, unless your head coach tells you different. A point guard needs to be in position to stop or disrupt the other team as they come down in transition. Even on a made shot, unless told to do else by the coach, the point guard should be back directing traffic, letting team mates know who they are guarding and what defense the team is playing. The less easy baskets the opponent scores, the better chance your team has of winning!

Taking a Charge!!

2008-05-20T04:30:00.001-07:00

There are numerous reasons to sacrifice your body for the good of the team and take a charge. Taking charges:

Adds one more team foul to the opposing team leading to quicker penalty situations
May give the other team's best player an additional foul, impacting his availability
Can make players on the other team tentative to drive the ball to the basket
Creates a turnover and makes one less opportunity for opponents to score
Can give your team extra energy and an emotional boost........charges can be contagious!

Success Tips for Point Guards- Lesson #2

2008-05-13T20:32:00.001-07:00

Feed your post players- If you want to get easy shots for your team and if you want your big guys to continue to set screens, play defense and rebound, then you have to learn how to feed the post. When your team mate has a defender on his/her back or side and you can clearly see thir jersey number, that is a great time to enter the ball inside. There are several ways to make passes inside including: Ball faking high and throwing a two- hand bounce pass to your team mates far hand or right to the middle of the body. I personally like a pass to the middle of the body when a defender is playing behind the post player, because if the defense goes for a steal it'll likely result in a foul with the defender reaching over the body. Also, practice controlled one hand bounce passes, sometimes bringing the second hand to the ball wastes time and can allow the defender to get his hands in a position to deflect the pass. This is a good pass to use when your team mate has his defender pinned for an easy score or when the defender is playing on the high side. If the post player is not open, reverse the ball to another tam mate who may have a better angle at pasing inside, or dribble away then quickly change directions back, where you may find that the defender is now in a more vulnerable position, allowing you to now enter the ball. Don't telegraph your passes! Know how and where the defense is playing the post up player, whether that be high side, behind, baseline or fronting. You will have to adjust how/if you enter the ball based on how the defense is playing your team mate. If the defense is fronting an inside player then you may have to execute a lob pass to get the ball inside for a bucket.

Success Tips for Point Guards- Lesson #1

2008-05-11T05:45:00.000-07:00

1. Always know the time and score- You are an extension of your coach as the point guard on the floor. Play selection, shot selection, usage of timeouts and defensive strategies are all influenced by both the time and score. You should always know how much time is left on the play clock as well as the shot clock and be able to communicate this to your team mates during games. By knowing time and score, you can make proper decisions as to if your team needs to take a quick shot or if your team needs to run your offensive play through to run more seconds off the play clock.

Ball Handling Drill #1

2008-05-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is a dribbling drill that is fairly uncomplicated, yet works your control of the ball and helps improve conditioning. With the ball in hand, the player starts at the corner of the baseline. The ball handler then dribbles full speed straight ahead with the strong hand to the half court line. Once the player hits half court, he/ she will dribble in a side ways manner(almost like a defensive slide) with the same hand to the far sideline. The dribbler will then dribble backwards under control to the same side baseline. Lastly, when the player hits the baseline, he/she will turn and dribble at full speed to the starting point. The key to this drill is to keep your head up at all times and go full speed when dribbling forward. Execute this drill with your strong hand several times then complete with your weak hand several times.

Offensive Explosion Camp 2008

2008-05-06T14:18:00.012-07:00

Coach Ray Smith and Staff present ………….

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP

Shooting
Passing
Dribbling
Detailed individual evaluations
Prizes and much more!

NCAA Camp Session (Boys 8-12): July 28th to August 1st, 9:00-11:30 a.m. Cost: $95

NBA Camp Session (Boys 13-17): July 28th to August 1st, 12:30- 3:00 p.m. Cost: $95

Camp will be held at the Rochester Sports Garden, 1460 East Henrietta Rd. Rochester, NY, 14623

For registration and more information call 427-2240
Get off of the couch and into the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meet Rahel Smith

2008-05-05T02:10:00.001-07:00

Hello, my name is Rahel Smith and I currently work as a school counselor in Rochester, NY. In my spare time I train young athletes individually and in small groups to maximize their basketball abilities. I have enjoyed both playing and coaching this wonderful sport for over 15 years, while experiencing a great deal of personal and team success. I am highly passionate about helping youth become the best basketball player possible. On this blog I will share some tips, drills and strategies that will help you take your game to the Next Level.