Basketball is both a physical and mental game that requires strenuous preparation. Just showing up each day and shooting hoops, isn’t enough.
If you have a basketball game coming up, there’s a big chance that the thought of performing well will put you under pressure. There’s a massive difference between practice matches with your teammates and actual matches before an audience. The fear of making a bad choice or wrong move might end up being the thing that loses you the game all the practice and sacrifice you experience will be for nothing.
So how do you prepare for a basketball game?
Strategizing Your Gameplay
Deciding on your gameplay strategy with your coach and fellow teammates is essential. When everybody knows their place and gets their moves right, the team will perform like a well-oiled machine, thus boosting every team member’s confidence. When you memorize these strategies, it will keep you from being clueless on the court during the game. With that tension away, you will be able to concentrate on the game and play to the best of your abilities.
Practice Makes Perfect
This age-old advice always works, and there’s nothing special about it. Practice does not just mean showing up for practice regularly and sweating it out, but it also involves playing the drill at game speed. This will train your physical and mental self to act out the same while you are in the actual game.
While practicing don’t leave out the fundamentals of the game, execute each and every plan when playing the game. Getting a headstart on what gameplay looks and feels like will prepare you for the actual match and present you with problems you’ll face on the court.
Building Relationships With Your Teammates
You can’t win a game unless you have play as a united group; basketball is a team effort. Any weak links in the chain will soon bring down the whole team, trust your teammates and you’ll soon feel each other play and respond more naturally.
A team might have the world’s best players, but if everyone is looking for their personal glories in the court, the team will have a hard time winning matches. Teamwork is essential for successful gameplay and a good teammate will ensure every member performs their best.
Maintain A Healthy Diet
When preparing for a basketball game, it’s important to provide your body the fuel it needs in the form of nutrients, proteins, and carbohydrates. Failing to do so will cause injury and loss of stamina, thus attributing to underperformance. As an athlete, how you fuel and look after your body is essential all of the time, not just on game days.
A healthy lifestyle will take you far. As a basketball player, stamina is the key to an extended period of play. And the trick to not losing your strength during the game is eating a meal stocked with carbohydrates just 2 hours before the game. Then the carbohydrates will break down the foods, providing you the required energy.
Getting Adequate Rest
Getting the necessary rest for your body and brain is crucial. Playing basketball exerts substantial stress on the body and your body will need time to recover following a match. But more importantly perhaps, your body needs to be in peak physical performance before a match and a great deal of that is down to how tired you are. Not providing enough rest to your body will cause fatigue and may lead to a lack of concentration and coordination.
Of course, it’s natural that before a match you might be anxious or nervous but do your best to get at least eight hours of sleep the night before a big game.
Understand The Nuances & Have Fun
While nobody likes to lose, remember there can only be one winner in a game. So have fun and enjoy the play. Playing to the best of your abilities and giving your all are the only things that matter really.
You will have setbacks, not every shot will be on point, netting 50% is solid. Don’t let anybody demoralize you, you’ll have plenty of chances if you just stay the course and be focused. Take things lightly, enjoy the game and game on.
Closing Thoughts
The best basketball players are also the most prepared ones. You can always spot out players who have a plan – they’re more confident, take smarter decisions, and end up with a better game overall. Aim for becoming that person so you can enjoy the game to the fullest.