The regular season is coming to an end, with many teams fighting for playoff seeding. While some players will elevate their level of play, others will find that they are fatigued. I talked earlier about training to prepare for a season, but many players neglect to develop a productive in-season training program.
Throughout the season, players’ are experiencing strong wear and tear on their bodies. Even those who have been able to remain healthy find themselves feeling sore and stiff. When this feeling sets on, it can be easy to neglect any extra training and opt for the couch.
In-season training is vital to maintain your level of performance. While it is possible to improve your performance in-season, the main objective is to maintain. Here are some tips on in-season training:
Strength train
If you are getting tired in the games, running 3 miles after practice is not the answer. This will only do more harm to your athletic performance. Steady-state cardiovascular exercise actually decreases muscle more than it builds. It also adds extra stress on your joints. Strength training is the best way to keep your muscle mass and maintain your performance.
Quality over quantity
Quick, intense workouts are preferred over long workouts. Remember, you are practicing for 2 hours at a high-level. The last thing you need is an added 90 minute workout. Try and be productive in a 30-45 minute time period.
Recover, recover, recover
The most important one of them all. It is hard to be overtrained, but it is easy to be under recovered. It is vital that you don’t neglect the importance of recovery activities such as foam rolling, mobility work, and stretching. Not only will these help you maintain your performance, but they will also decrease your chance of non-contact injuries.
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Alex Roth (Sr., West Salem HS) is currently having his best season to date. A large part of his success is the attention he has started to give his off-court training. Last fall, he started training with Kevin Turner in Keizer, OR. I am very thankful to Alex for allowing me to feature one of his workouts on my blog. Good luck with the rest of the season!
(Check out Kevin Turner’s blog and training info at kevinturnerfitness.com)
http://youtu.be/RgnM6fXFdDk
The high school and college seasons are over halfway finished. As the season wears, it is common for players to become content with where they are at. This has the possibility to lead to a decrease in shooting consistency. As the post-season draws near, getting reps is crucial to maintaining consistency.
In the off-season, most players (the ones who want to get better) know the importance of making a certain number of shots per workout. Shooting the ball correctly on a consistent basis leads to a consistent shot when the season comes. 
Energy is thought of something that we have to produce ourselves, or that we need to obtain from an outside source (caffeine for most people). We wake up reluctantly and tell ourselves that we need our coffee or (even worse) energy drink to wake. Halfway through the day, we feel out of it, so we search more caffeine.
These examples are reactive ways of producing energy. We react to the feeling of being tired and believe that the only way to gain energy is through an outside source at THAT exact moment. The problem of reacting to produce energy is that we live in constant state of depletion, continuously seeking ways to help us feel energized. Our energy deficit is too great to overcome.
Situation: It’s the 4th quarter in a close game. You are on a 2-on-1 break, and you receive the pass in a position to score. As you jump, you feel yourself losing control of the ball. The layup bounces off the backboard, then the rim, then into the defender’s hands. The frustration inside you tells you to go for the steal. As you slap down, the referee calls you for a foul. That’s when you hear your coach say, “C’mon! I need you to be mentally tough!” The opponent shoots a 1-and-1 and makes both.
Mental toughness is a term so often used yet so few people understand. We hear it a lot in sports, but it has a direct translation to all of our goals. What does it take to be mentally tough? There are a lot of things that go into becoming mentally tough. The foundation of mental toughness is learning how to master your emotions. 
As I mentioned before, my goal for 2012 was to learn and develop as a person by reading. My original goal was to read 12 books, one per month. By July, I had read 13, so I set my sights on 30. As you can see from my list, I made it to 27. I am excited about becoming a reader, and would recommend to anyone - - start reading! It has definitely helped me grow in all aspects of my life. Feel free to contact me if you want to read my notes on any of the books, and you can also click the link to order the book.
"True progress in any field is a relay race and not a single event."-John Cavett
I am only in my 6th year of coaching high school basketball. Still, I have heard countless young men express to me in words their desire to play varsity basketball. When I observe them, on the court AND off the court, their actions do not align. They say one thing, but act like another.
If you truly want to reach something, the best way to show it is to simply be what you want to be no matter what level you are currently at. 
For years, I have neglected the dentist’s office. I thought that by brushing and flossing (occasionally flossing) was enough to keep my teeth healthy. Last week, one of my fillings popped out and took a chunk of my tooth with it. There was no pain, but it was highly inconvenient. So I was finally forced to visit the dentist. Little did I know, I was about a month away from needing a root canal in 2 different tooths (among other minor issues).
I learned some valuable lessons.
Thanksgiving. The time for predictable posts on “being thankful.”
Being thankful is more than using your words to express the feeling. We can say “thank you” and how we are “blessed to see another day,” but if our actions are not aligned with our words, we are not truly expression gratitude. 
I have come to the conclusion that only 20% of high school basketball players will average double digits in scoring. (Basic reasoning: Normally, on a 12-man team, bad teams will have 1 out of 12 score 10 points per game, great teams can get 3 out of 12, most average teams will get 2 out of 12).
However, I would bet that 80% of of high school players think they have the ability to score 10 or more points per game. It’s time to get realistic. The chances are, 2-3 players on the team will score a majority of the teams’ points. If you are fighting for playing time, you need to come to the understanding that you are not a scorer.