Recognising and Managing Common Injuries For Kids Playing Basketball
November 26, 2024
Learn about the five most common injuries for junior basketball players and how to best to manage them.
Understanding Off-Ball Movement
Elite off-ball movement involves reading the defence, maintaining spacing and executing precise cuts (like V-cuts and backdoor cuts). Effective use of screens, motion and understanding angles/timing are crucial to drawing defenders out of their strategic sets. Communicate with teammates to enhance offensive efficiency and create opportunities, making your impact felt beyond just having the ball.
Understanding Spacing
Offensive spacing ensures that your team can execute your plays effectively. By running either your pre-determined plays or a motion, rule-based offence, you create driving lanes and open shots. Understanding when to space out or collapse in can disrupt the defence and enhance your team’s offensive flow.
Making Smart Cuts
Cutting to the basket at the right moment can lead to easy scoring opportunities. By recognizing when to make backdoor cuts or baseline cuts, you can catch the defence off-guard and receive passes for high-percentage shots. Timing and awareness are crucial for this skill.
Building Team Morale
A positive attitude and encouraging your teammates can lift the entire team’s performance. High-fiving after good plays, providing constructive feedback, and maintaining a positive mindset, even during tough stretches, contribute to a strong team dynamic.
Consistent Hustle
Hustle plays, such as diving for loose balls, chasing down fast breaks and committing to full-court pressure, demonstrate your commitment to the team. These actions not only energize your teammates but also show the opposition that your team is relentless and tough to beat.
We see effort from on-court unsung heroes every day. Although you might not be scoring, your talent, perseverance and team-first attitude makes a player every winning team needs!
Hustling for Rebounds
Hustling for offensive and defensive rebounds can significantly impact the game. The additional scoring opportunities that rebounds give your team can be the difference between winning and losing. You don’t have to be a big to be rebounding; positioning, timing, boxing out and a relentless attitude are key to excelling.
Executing Fast Breaks
Running the floor effectively during fast breaks can lead to easy points. Sprinting ahead, filling lanes and being ready to catch and finish or make the extra pass can exploit the opposition’s transitional defence and create scoring opportunities.
Communicating on Defence
Calling out screens, switches and helping on defence can prevent easy baskets and force turnovers. Being vocal and proactive ensures that your team operates as a cohesive unit.
Providing Help Defence
Help defence involves stepping in to guard an opponent who has beaten their defender. By positioning yourself to provide help, you can prevent easy baskets and force the opposition into tough shots. This selfless act can be a game-changer on defence.
Setting Effective Screens
Screens are an essential part of basketball strategy. By setting solid, well-timed screens, you can create space for your teammates to take open shots or drive to the basket. Timing is everything with the ball-handler and screener, so make sure to signal you are setting the screen and be planted in position before contacting the defender.
