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Baketball & netball conditioning
Three left feet and an inaccurate pass- a closer look at Basketball and Netball (2545 words) At the risk of angering the purists, we will be looking at Basketball and Netball in tandem. These fast moving ball sports require a combination of high level conditioning and skills to enable players to perform to their maximum capabilities. Our initial focus will be on the generic conditioning, injury prevention and skills training aspects of Basketball and Netball, followed by a brief summary of some of the more essential specifics of each sport. Netball evolved out of Basketball (although the Netball purists will vehemently deny this!) so many of the skill sets, positive skills transfer and conditioning requirements are the same and in fact many of the drills used in either sport are interchangeable. Obviously there are tactical and technical differences, which result in each games uniqueness (e.g. four 10min quarters in Basketball Vs four 15min quarters in Netball plus age grade variations to both around the world; dribbling, passing & shooting in Basketball Vs passing & shooting only in Netball) Basketball, with its fast pace, athleticism, skill demands and ‘everyman’ appeal has been more popular and through huge sponsorship in the American NBA, become a global sport. Netball on the other hand has its main player base in Commonwealth countries and grew to a certain extent out of being a version of Basketball “for girls in pleated skirtsâ€. An interesting development of late has been the progress of both Mixed and Men’s Netball worldwide and in From a physical preparation perspective, injury prevention is key in both these sports- the high impact ground contact that players experience has led to a high attrition rate in Basketball and Netball players where injuries of the shoulder, ankle and knee are concerned. As both sports are extremely fast paced, with lots of quick passing, fast leading and frequent directional changes, the rate of knee and ankle rotational injuries amongst players is not surprising. In order to avoid injuries, coaches and trainers should know how injuries occur. The factors that create injuries can be divided into two groups: § Individual bound factors (Presence of a physical deviation or illness; Current level of physical fitness; Psychological factors; Body structure; Age of athlete) § Environmental bound factors (Sport specific mechanics; Training schedule; Player’s position; Condition of the playing surface, practice surface, the equipment; weather conditions; Qualified Coach/ Trainer; Organized training and the structure during the training program and season; Warming up and cooling down; Experienced and alert Referees; Qualified First Aid practitioners) The extent of the pressure on an athlete is dependant on the environmental factors and the athlete’s ability to handle that pressure is dependant on their individual bound factors. The ideal situation is where the level of pressure and ability of the athlete to deal with it are in a state of equilibrium. Athletes become prone to injury when this balance is lacking and the challenge for the coach/ trainer becomes to increase the ability of the athlete and at the same time reduce external and internal pressure and expectations. But what precisely does injury prevention mean? Essentially, it means to avoid injuries and it can be divided on three levels: 1) Avoid the possibility that injuries occur (primary prevention) 2) Treat an injury the best possible way (secondary prevention) and prevent permanent damage. 3) Treatment of the injury (tertiary prevention) in such a way that an injury does not repeat itself. The Basketball/ Netball coach or trainer has the most important task concerning the primary prevention of injury. Outside of providing appropriate First aid, they can do less at the secondary prevention level due to scope of practice issues (unless they are qualified to do so) Essentially, the coach or trainer must be aware that in the case of tertiary prevention methods, they should not put the injured player back into the competitive environment too soon. With the application of Sport Science to professional sport filtering down to amateur & schools sport, Plyometrics have become one of the more effective training methods for developing the athletic potential of Basketball/ Netball players. Plyometrics are a group of exercises and their derivatives that use a muscle contraction immediately after that muscle has been stretched. These exercises are used to increase power output and therefore the explosiveness of athletes; this explosiveness has far reaching consequences in the improvement of athletic performance, no matter the sport. Power is the result of speed x strength- in the Basketball and Netball context, Plyometric training results in increased power thereby increasing both speed and vertical leap capabilities. “Real†Plyometrics can be very hard on the body, particularly where the athletes are developing and where training surfaces are hard, so it is essential that a program is designed specifically for a team/ individual, rather than trying generic programs. It is equally important to ensure a good warm up, stretch and cool down program is adhered to with the aim of reducing the chance of injuries occurring. Form & technique are ESSENTIAL in any Plyometric training activity to ensure positive athletic development while minimising injury risk. I never use “real†Plyometrics (Depth jumping and rebounding activities) with beginner, youth (pre-teen through to U19) or intermediate (recreational) athletes as the evidence suggests that regular Plyometrics is too advanced for this level of athlete (sport specific requirements and individual bound factors may merit the use of these techniques in certain situations) In order to gain from the theory of Plyometrics, coaches and trainers at the beginner, youth and intermediate levels can utilise a combination of explosive movements using equipment like Strength/ power bags® and medicine balls rather than through the excessive loading of ankle, knee & hip joints from the variety of jump related or ‘true’ Plyometric exercises. If coaches/ trainers wish to include ‘jump’ related exercise for these groups, they should rather focus on ‘up’ jumps than down as this minimizes gravity assisted impact on joints. Whatever the methodology, the coach/ trainer must develop the athletes’ core stability, flexibility, tendon & muscle strength before introducing plyometric exercises. Before we look at some sample Plyometric exercises to develop speed and power, increase vertical jump height and the strength, speed and accuracy of passes, it is important to have a sound framework. These plyometric exercises should be designed to functionally challenge the athletes, while developing their explosiveness. Athletes who undertake functional training programs may enhance their performance and simultaneously minimize their overall risk of injury. These exercises, while adequate for training the shoulder, lower extremities and core, are of a generalized nature and coaches/ trainers need to help prepare their athletes to handle the forces experienced at their level of competition. Each exercise should be performed for one to two sets of five to eight repetitions, two days a week. A certified Strength or Fitness coach/ trainer can help with the design and progress of your overall program, bearing in mind the uniqueness of your team or athlete’s situation. Upper body exercises (General) Overhead Throw To perform this exercise, begin with both arms holding the ball overhead. Take one step forward and throw the ball to a partner or against a rebounder/ trampoline. Side Throw Hold the medicine ball in both hands. Initiate the exercise by swinging your arms across your body rotating towards the right (or vice versa if you are left hand dominant). Quickly rotate back toward the left, throwing the ball to a partner or against a rebounder. Power push ups To perform this exercise, begin in a push up position. Lower your body to the ground and immediately push of aggressively, clapping yourt hands in the air and ‘catching’ yourself in the start position for the next rep. Lower body exercises (General) Rope skipping & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; You may not believe it, but it is an easy way to add height to your vertical leap. The suggested routine is to work in a circuit or doing timed repetitions. Squat Jumps & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; Perform this exercise by bending your knees between a sitting and standing position (90 degrees at the knee) Explode up as high as possible, using the arms to assist you. As soon as you land, jump back up. Start with sets of 20 and increase by 10 each week. No Armed Jumps & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; Same as squat jumps, just don't use your arms to propel you upwards. You can place your hands either behind your back or on your head. Start with 20 and increase by 10 each week. Mini Jumps & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; Stand on your tiptoes and jump one inch off the ground as many times as you can. Do this until you feel the burn in your calf muscles. Jump Ups & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; & nbsp; Stand on toes with legs relatively straight and thrust yourselves as high as possible. Repeat as soon as you land. Start with 10 and increase by 5 each week. Chair Side Jumps & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; On one foot, jump back and forth over an object about 20-50cm off the ground. Drop Jumps (Advanced athletes) & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Step off an object about 18 inches off the ground and jump up as soon as possible after contact with the ground. Start with 5 and increase by 5 every four weeks. Allied with the sport specific conditioning, tactical/ technical game specific skills are important elements in the development of a Basketball or Netball program. As we start to look at some specific drills that apply to these sports, the importance of the conditioning element of an athlete or team’s schedule begins to become clear. A study found in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 67–71 discusses the “Relationship Between Athletic Performance Tests and Playing Time in Elite College Basketball Playersâ€. This study examined the relationship of athletic performance tests, player evaluations, and playing experience relative to playing time in 29 male Division I College basketball players over 4 years. Regression analysis indicated that the most prominent predictor in each equation was the coach's evaluation of the player. This variable explained 56 to 86% of the playing time variance. The physical fitness components and playing experience explained an additional 6 to 20% of playing time variance. When player evaluation and playing experience were excluded from the regression equation, the performance tests explained 64 to 81% of the playing time variance, demonstrating the important relationships between leg strength, vertical jump, speed, and agility on playing time. It also appears that minimum levels of upper body strength and aerobic endurance are important components of a basketball player's preparation. Sport specific drills are all important in developing the wide variety of skill and position specific requirements on the basketball/ Netball court. They can be developed for individual as well as for team skills. Learning the right Basketball/ Netball drills will not only improve individual or team performance, it will make the players into a cohesive and successful team. There is a wealth of resources out there for finding the right team and skill drills for your athlete or team. The success of your chosen drill will depend on your ability to describe/ demonstrate it, as well as the age and ability of your players. Basketball specific-
Basketball conditioning drill: Rim Jumps & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Jump up as high as you can, touching the rim or the net, alternate hands after each jump. Start with ten and add 5 every four weeks. Netball specific- & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Netball drills: www.ucl.ac.uk & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Quick feet drill requirements: Players (any number)
Players line up in a straight line, running on the spot until coach calls out either quarter, half, full, down or up.
Coaching points : This drill should be run very fast and it gets their legs pumping so they are ready for next drill. Also you can make it harder by making the commands quicker or completely mixing the commands around. Don't do it for more than 90 seconds at a time though or players (especially youngsters) can get very dizzy! & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Netball conditioning drill- Triple Jumps & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Jump and land on one foot, immediately hop and land on the same foot, hop again and land on both feet, finally jump straight up. General conditioning & nbsp; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; Sprints: & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; & nbsp; &nb sp; An easy way to strengthen and promote quickness in your leg muscles. Speed is essential in almost all sport/ fitness goals. Stars & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; & nbsp; &nb sp; ; These are performed like the jumping jack, however it is performed with a much more explosive action and is done higher in the air. The accuracy and variation of the pass in both Basketball and Netball are essential elements in the progression of the game. There are a number of different types of basic passes, which apply to both sports and need to be practised to ensure competence under competitive environmental constraints. Types of passShoulder pass Flat, hard pass. Step forward with left foot (if ball is held in right hand) with ball held high and push the ball straight ahead from the shoulder. Hand behind the ball and follow through with fingers pointing in the direction of the pass, eye on the receiver and head up. Chest pass Flat pass. Using both hands, fingers behind the ball, thumbs touching and with elbows in push through while stepping forward with either foot. Overhead pass High pass. Release ball from above head, while stepping forward (footwork rule). Power from wrist to the elbow. Push pass Associated with bounce pass. Starts at waist, hand behind the ball pushing from the waist and stepping forward, follow through with fingers pointing in the direction fo the pass. Bounce pass Low pass used over a short distance to feed the circle. Release is low, push towards receiver, fingers pointing to the ground. This pass should note raise above the ground. Lob pass & nbsp; Power and speed. Ball held high, step forward and push form the waist, angling the ball up. The ability to maintain and improve on strength, speed, skills, endurance and quickness throughout a season is vital to the success of any team. Where training programs can assist athletes to maintain or improve on preseason conditioning levels during the course of the season, continuously improving athletes and team performances are sure to result. References: 1. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (www.nsca.org) |
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Added by: Supercoach Date: May 27th 08 Views: 801 Comments: 0 Favorited: 0 Channel: Sports Training |
