Attitudes Necessary for Basketball Players Explained
One must have that “do-or-die” spirit and wholehearted determination to give his best at all times. A basketball player, no matter how good, is a detriment to the team if he does not have a keen desire to play the game.
Desire
Many deficiencies can be overcome by a strong desire to achieve a goal - whether it is a position on the basketball squad or success in other fields.
Sacrifice for Success
You will find that your most successful basketball players are those who gave up many hours of their time to practice. They not only practiced during the season, but worked hard developing their game all year round.
In order to become an outstanding athlete the beginner must observe certain training rules. A diet of soft drinks, candy, and hot dogs cannot and will not build a strong body. Foods should consist of green and yellow vegetables, meat and eggs, which are high in protein. Fruits and dairy products, including a minimum of three glasses of milk each day, are important.
A boy needs eight to ten hours of sleep every night. Lack of sleep will affect his speed, stamina and skill, which are essential in athletics. Dates and parties should be reserved for weekends that have no games scheduled.
Smoking and drinking do not mix with athletics. Because smoking accelerates heart action and restricts blood vessels it may affect performance in sports which require endurance. Exhaustion and physical illness are partners of the smoking habit.
Alcohol reduces the power to judge distance and speed. Liquor affects coordination to the point where the drinker cannot even stand or walk.
It has been said by many coaches that the boys who drink or smoke are not dependable. When the going gets tough, they will let the team down.
There will be many times when a boy will be tempted to break training rules. One must have strong character to impose self-discipline when necessary.
Proper attitude, constant practice and strict training produce skill which may offset mere physical power.
Accept coaching
It is an honor to play on a team. A player must remember that he is just a small part of it. It takes five players, all working together, to produce a winning team. When each boy plays his part well, a successful team is born.
The best players make the team. Players may not always agree with the coach’s choice of the starting five, but keep in mind that the coach wants to win as much as anyone. He will not permit personal feelings to interfere with the selection of squad members. It is up to you to prove to the coach that you belong in the line-up.
You can do this by reporting to practice on time and by working hard. Above all, be big enough to take constructive criticism. The desire to improve must come from within. No one can help you unless you have a healthy and respected attitude toward improving yourself.
Work hard to develop two or three dependable shots. Learn to use both hands. The player who uses both hands in shooting, passing and dribbling is more valuable to his team than one who uses only one. Master the defensive skills. A player who works only on offense is only half a player.
A player who learns early in his career that defensive skills are just as important as scoring ability will be going a long way toward eventual success. Work hard on the fundamentals, such as dribbling for speed and control, a variety of shots, good footwork and defensive balance.
There is no place on the squad for boys who use unsportsmanlike tactics. Play hard, but fair! Always play to win! A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. If victory does not come your way, be big enough to accept defeat! Congratulate your opponents for their good playing, and do not offer alibis.
Accept the officials’ decisions. These men work hard and are above reproach. Blaming officials is a poor excuse for your defeat. Be a gentleman at all times!
Remember, athletics, like mathematics or history, is one of the skills in the field of education.
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Modern Basketball Defense Explained
A decent share of the credit for a good defense can be traced to the mental attitude of the team’s players. Their defensive attitude should be aggressive. Too many athletes get the idea that defense is passive. Passivity creates negative actions. Aggressiveness is positive. The top defenders are all aggressive minded and aggressive acting athletes. Even while defending a goal, the players should all be inspired to think and act like attackers.
Where does the offensive attack begin? It starts on the opponent’s end of the floor when ball possession is gained. The outstanding defensive basketball player really believes he can jam the ball down the throat of the man he is guarding. He believes he can “shut him out” that particular evening. He knows that the real fun of basketball - the real sense of satisfaction - is in observing the frustrations of a top scorer he has just stymied for the evening.
The great defensive performer is ready to start guarding his man when he comes out of his dressing room and will guard him if he goes into the balcony and until the final whistle. He is ready to “hook up with” him, to “marry” him for that 32 or 40 minutes of action. The opponent should go home with the vague feeling that a “leech” or giant octopus has attacked him. He should have nightmares dreaming about the aggressive tactics he has been made to submit to, by a wild man who wouldn’t give him one minute of peace.
All our recent great teams have been good defensive clubs. California won the N.C.A.A. championship one year and went to the finals the next year. They lost in the finals the second year because their opponents played great defense even though their reputation was obtained by offense.
Many of the top teams such as West Virginia have developed great reputations for their offensive play, but they readily admit that they win many games with defense. The public wants 100 points a night and some coaches have decided to give them what they want.
In the meantime, they are very careful to develop a sound defense to keep their opponents from scoring 100, too. Coach John Mc-Lendon of Tennessee A. & I. told me that their defense never received the credit it deserved. A. & I. won three straight N.A.I.A. national championships, running up big scores. The casual observer did not take note of the fact that their opponents usually scored in the sixties.
When 100 points are scored, the opponent gets ball possession many times if only after a basket is scored. To hold them to a score in the sixties requires great defense. Usually, too, the team that scores 100 points fast-breaks at a great rate of speed. To return to defense at the same speed requires much more effort than it does for the team that does not fast-break.
The big basketball upsets are nearly always provided by defensive basketball teams. The great scorer left unattended will humiliate mediocre teams with mediocre talent. These same mediocre teams and players can cause some great offensive teams many moments of anguish. Check the scores of all the major upsets that occur in basketball during one season of play. You will find that nine-tenths of them are brought about by an outstanding job of individual and team defensive play.
The current basketball trend is toward defense. I will not say back to defense for I feel that defense was never played any better than at present. Actually, defense is almost new in scope. Never in the history of the game has defense been played as it is currently played by top teams.
It has never received the attention - it has never been played individually and collectively as modern teams are playing it. Some contemporary coaches who have been active for years, such as Hank Iba and Adolph Rupp, have always played good defense. As a matter of fact, they have almost had a corner on the market because for many years no one challenged them defensively.
Now more basketball teams and coaches are realizing the value of defense.
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The Art of Defense in Basketball
In playing basketball, each player must be conditioned to change quickly from offense to defense. This mental trick must be learned before any kind of defense can become operative. Defense is a state of mind. It can be passive, active, weak-kneed, indefinite, or masculine and aggressive. To perform offensive skills properly, an athlete must be relaxed and confident. To execute defensive skills properly, he must be the very antithesis of relaxation.
He must be tense, coiled, and aggressive. He must be in a fighting frame of mind. He must be combative. This switching mentally from offense to defense requires time and experience. The difficult task is turning back to relaxed movement for offense. Most athletes can get themselves in a fighting frame of mind.
In the case of football, they have no need to change that mood during the course of the game. Basketball requires the athlete to play a mental game of hop scotch if he is to reach his potential on offense and on defense. Experience and time will help the young athlete develop this ability.
Defense begins as soon as the ball is lost. The player does not wait until he gets to the other end of the floor to begin to think about defense. He begins to think defense at that very instant. Unless he has been given the task of cutting the outlet pass (to stop an opponent’s fast break), his first thought is to reach the other end of the floor as fast as he can run. This run is known as the defensive fast break.
Some teams are known as fast-break (offensive) teams; others are considered to be slow-break teams. Every good basketball team in the nation fast-breaks. They fast break, to the defensive end of the floor. This break should not be a trot or jog. It must be a full speed run. While the defensive player is executing his fast break he is looking up to spot his opponent. Some opponents are very obliging. They will always go into the pivot area or into a certain corner each time. This makes recognition very simple.
Other players are not so obliging. You never know where these men will line up. That is why it is necessary to be skilled and alert at spotting quickly the number and face of an opponent. As soon as you have spotted your man, determine his relationship to the ball. Is he in position to receive and score quickly? Can you reach him in time to defend your basket? Can you help a teammate who is momentarily in trouble?
As soon as you spot your opponent, go to him and assume a defensive stance, a defensive expression, and a defensive attitude. Let him know by your stance, expression, and attitude that you have come to hook up with him completely and without equivocation as long as his team possesses the ball. Let him know that as far as you are concerned, your life depends on stopping him. Let him know that in order to score he is going to have to break every bone in your body.
In playing the half-court press man-for-man, your first objective is to prevent the opponent from receiving the ball. Get an arm and, if possible, part of your body between your opponent and the ball. Block his vision if possible. Body check his movement to receive every time you can.
That is, stay in front of him and check his break with your body. In general, make a real nuisance of yourself even though your man has not received. You have won nine-tenths of the battle with your man if you keep him from receiving. The only thing left to do is block out when the ball goes up on the boards.
Practice this art and attitude of defense and you have the game half won!
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Pro Basketball General Managers And Scouts
Some people are willing to devote a lot of time to learning about the rules of basketball. These are typically the people that enjoy the game so much that they want to make it a career, but not as a professional basketball player. These people are the people who will be active in basketball as general managers or those that prefer to visit individuals and schools as a scout and serve as a representative of the National Basketball Association.
Some basketball fans might not know how a person becomes affiliated with the National Basketball Association in this way. These basketball sport professionals have to be trained just as thoroughly as the basketball players that will be on the team. Some people might not realize that there are training courses that must be completed before a person can be offered a position of employment with such prestige attached to it. Most of the courses will take 8 weeks to complete and are offered online through the internet just as any academic program would be.
When people enroll in these online courses to be trained for a position as a basketball manager or scout, they must take the courses seriously because there is a lot of information to learn in a very short time. The general manager and scout positions will require a full understanding of how basketball teams are managed and all of the new ways that scouting can be conducted will be taught throughout the course.
There are many theories that must be applied to playing basketball and a general manager is expected to be very fluent in all of them. They must be on the cutting edge of all technologies that are used to promote and conduct a basketball game that is viewed by millions of basketball fans around the globe. They are also expected to keep current in all of the latest training strategies and use their own resources to maintain a pulse on what is happening in the world of basketball on any given day.
The general manager position requires an in depth knowledge of all aspects of professional basketball and there is a lot of money on the line if a team is managed improperly. Some general managers have tried to rely on past successes and have failed their teams in many ways because they got too comfortable with the position of authority that they have been given. Those general managers are usually let go at the end of the season and never understand why.
At times it might be necessary for the general manager to train the team to perform as a group on the court. There are some basketball players that need a certain amount of direction to make the right plays and do not understand what they need to do until someone draws it out on paper. The general manager will learn all of the play combinations that can be done on the court and pass this information on to players throughout the season during their training sessions.
Some people have a natural ability to spot talent from a mile away. Others want to serve as a scout but must learn what the National Basketball Association is looking for in a basketball player by completing the courses online. Some basketball players are good in some areas and lack skills in many others. The true talent of a basketball player will emerge after the scout has seen them play on many different occasions.
James Brown writes about http://www.nbagearshop.com
Why Nellie Ball and the Warriors are the NBA’s Finest
Can you imagine coaching Kobe Bryant: Are you healthy? Are you rested? Wanna play? That’s it. For the rest of the players it’s ‘feed K the ball’.
The problem is with salary caps you can’t give all your money to K because that means the other guys won’t get paid very much and it might be hard to attract players that can do things like catch the ball. But there is another way; another strategy.
It’s called Nellie ball. Who can forget last spring when the Warriors blew out Dirk and the Mavs? Blow out time! The team and execution coach Don Nelson put on the floor stunned the basketball world and especially delighted the jaded Warriors fans. Of course if you remember, Don had done it before with the Warriors.
Understanding the coach is the team’s foundation, GM Chris Mullen knew that Don was the man. During the off season the biggest anxiety was Nellie’s return. Without Nellie there is no Nellie Ball. What a relief when they broke the news that the Warriors would be back with Nellie.
And this year is a bit different from last. Nellie could pick his own players and from what it appears Mullen did nothing to interfere. Think of what this means. Few people know basketball like ex-NBA star Chris Mullen yet Chris says Don is the Man. That takes guts and smarts and points for Chris who is in the running with Danny Ainge of the Celtics as the NBA’s best GM. Ainge is betting on the superstars; Mullin on Nellie and the Team.
The season opening went flat, partly because catalyst Stephen Jackson was serving out a suspension. It was one loss after another and not a good start. But with Jackson back in the line up the combination was ready to roll again and as they did in Oakland by crushing Shaq and Company in the fourth quarter.
Here they go again was what it looked like in that fourth quarter and you could hear the buzz in the crowd. When they get into their zone the Warriors are capable of putting together strings of runs and demolish opponents.
So what does Nellie do that other coaches don’t?
First I remember seeing him play with the Celtics when I was a kid. I always felt players should make the best coaches because players know the game the best. Nellie knows the game and the inside report is that he is a stickler for the fundamentals, which comes directly from being a player.
Also Nellie can look a player in the eye and see if they really want to play. Nellie fills his team with players like that. They come cheaper than Kobe but can be highly productive. They seem to have quirky characters and personalities like Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis. But they come together under Nellie. Boy do they ever.
Mark my words…Nellie is getting ready to pull the big one. His boys are fast, quick, determined and good. They work like a team and play defense like it’s half the game. Last night they were down 18 to Dwayne and Shaq and blew them out in the fourth quarter. A couple years back the Heat were champions. Go figure.
The Warriors all scrap and shoot good free throws. They all seem to have a good work ethic and love to play. When they get moving they can steal the ball in so many ways and score in so many ways. If they stay hot with the threes they could be unbeatable.
Unbeatable? Spurs and Celtics? You bet. The team model for the Spurs and Celts is superstars with supporting cast. If one of the superstars gets hurt, a big cog in the wheel goes down. If a Warrior gets hurt, odds are his replacement will be just as good. A solid bench pays off all season and especially during the playoffs. Please spread the money, honey.
What me worry? Nobody worries as much as Nellie. To see him work the sidelines you would think he was getting ready to have a Miminsky and he always is on the verge. If Nellie expects his players’ best efforts he is no less demanding of himself. The worry edge goes to Nellie.
Will the recipe work? There are no guarantees in life and even fewer in professional sports. But one thing is for sure, Nellie Ball is here and it is going to stay here and this just might be the year. After all, what does that smarty Chris Mullin know that the rest of us don’t?
Hmmm. Maybe something…
Jack D. Deal is a long term NBA fan and writes marketing and promotional articles in Santa Cruz, California. Sample marketing aricles and other articles can be found at http://www.jddeal.com/blog/business
Michael Jordan - From Unlikely Basketball Player To Internationally Known Superstar
Michael Jeffery Jordan is probably one of the most well known names in the world of basketball. He was born on February 17, 1963 in New York City. Jordan was responsible for making National Basketball Association or the NBA famous, during the 1980s and 1990s. He is the fourth child of his parents, James R. Jordan, Sr. and Deloris Jordan.
As he developed his interest for basketball the high school he went to wouldn;t let him play because of his height, a few months later he went from being 5′11″ to 6′3″. He then got a basketball scholarship in 1981 from the University of North Carolina because of his impressive records in school. In the 1982 NCAA Championship game he made the game winning jump shot, as which he says is the turning point in his career and what made him what he is today.
He then started his pro career in 1984 when he signed with the Chicago Bulls. When he turned pro he was soon a public icon and he was also on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline, “A Star Is Born”. He won the NBA championship from 1991 to 1993 and was then known as the best basketball player around. Although many people disliked him, many loved to see him dunk from the free throw line. As that is what he was most famous for doing in those times and what gave him the nickname of Air Jordan. This is also the name of the signature shoes that just about every kid wants.
In October 1993, he took a temporary leave to go play baseball but wasn’t really good at it at all and the only reason he even left basketball was because of the loss of his father, he joined back in 1995 again. He then won it again by winning the NBA championships from 1996 to 1998. He then took another break again in 1999 to return back again in 2001, but this time he would join the Washington Wizards. He played with the team till 2003.
Michael Jordan was part of two award winning gold medalist Olympic teams. His first team won the first gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics and the second one was in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. He set a record in NBA by making the highest career regular season scoring average of 30.1 points per game. He was the best that ever lived I think and he was my favorite player for a number of years until Carmelo Anthony and Labron James started to play in the NBA. He will always be remembered as making history and he will always be the one who first dunked from the free throw line. Even though he was a small guy once he grew fast into the NBA.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about basketball as well as basketball equipment at http://www.nsearch.com
How The Sport Of Basketball Got Its Start And How It Has Evolved
Basketball was first discovered by DR. James Naismith who was a Canadian physical instructor. It was first played in the winter of 1892 on January the 20th. Even though it was made and discovered by a man, women soon started to play the sport.
The sport is a team sport where there are nine players on each team when the team with the ball is trying to score they are trying to score in a hoop that is ten feet tall and there is also going to be a center that is trying to deflect the ball but cannot be goal tending. While the other team is dribbling down court towards the defending team the defending team is standing their ground waiting for the ball to come to their hoop. If the team with the ball scores the defending team is given the ball and is allowed to try to get basket unless the other defending team steals the ball then they could run down court and make a simple lay up. Basketball is a competitive sport and when being played both teams should be trying to get the most points that they can make.
The first basketball was a soccer ball which was white since the fans and announcers couldn’t keep up with the white ball the ball was changed to orange in the 1950s. The court is to be 94×50 which is going by the NBA standards. The goal is going to be ten foot tall with a steel hoop and net with it. There are to be 4 quarters with each of them lasting 12 minutes each. After the first two periods there is to be a fifteen minute break which is known as halftime when the period resumes to the 3rd period the teams switch baskets where they are now opposite to where they were playing before.
In the NBA today the players are required to wear matching jerseys to their teams and are required to have at least 9 players to a team. After the teams have been organized the game would start with a jump ball and either team with the highest person to jump would get the ball first hand to try and make a basket. If the team scored the defending team would then get the ball and would be allowed to try and score against the opposite team for a score of either two points or three points depending on where the shot be taken from. If the shot was missed by the offense then the defending team would be allowed to try and rebound the ball so that they could get a point without having to let the offense score. If the offense had missed a shot and the defense had recovered the ball that is known as a rebound and can be played.
There’s much more that can be said about the sport and this is the time of year when everyone is tuning in to see who is going to make it to the playoffs. Watch your favorite sports channel to follow your team and be sure not to miss March Madness.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about rock climbing as well as extreme sports equipment at http://www.nsearch.com
Learning About The Game That Made The National Basketball Association Famous
Any rookie fan is sure to have questions about the game of basketball. They want to learn all about the game that made the NBA famous. They see the NBA trademark on everything from tee-shirts to jerseys and hear about all of the fine basketball players that very vividly earn their salaries on the court each week. Seeing the game action firsthand, however, requires them to understand what is going on in front of them.
There are so many things to consider when they enter an NBA arena. They have to become educated on the basketball game court because there are so many lines and half circles and so much distance between the two hoops. They might even wonder if the players will ever be able to reach the hoops and that thought will quickly change when the team comes out of the back and runs across the court.
Fans will quickly realize that professional basketball is dramatically different from the basketball that they experienced at their school gym in high school. They might even have to find out the new rules for fouls and other violations that have made NBA Basketball so thrilling on television. So many games have been one by one free throw from an NBA player who was violated in some way on the court.
A true understanding of the game that made the NBA so famous will come only after a fan has a thorough understanding of the positions of the NBA players and all of the terms that are used throughout the game. Some of these terms are used by the officials of the basketball game and others are uttered by the announcers of the game. The daily newspapers is sure to use a few well placed words to talk about the game too and getting the full affect of the game they saw makes it all worthwhile.
When learning about basketball, fans will usually realize that there are many different styles in play on the court. Some of the styles will come through the influence that coaches have on a players time on the court. There are other styles in place that are indicative of which conference the team plays in. Some of the styles are the NBA basketball player’s signature moves, and those are what have made the player so famous thus far in their NBA playing career.
To round out the education about the game of basketball, fans will typically pursue a thorough understanding of the NBA Draft and they will be sure to mark their calendars with the dates that the NBA Playoffs are supposed to be televised. Some might go as far as learning all about the NBA All-Star game. With a continual learning curve applied, fans can become very educated about basketball by the end of the basketball season.
James Brown writes about http://www.nbagearshop.com
Basketball Benefits of Stretching
The body is flexible. It is supposed to be flexible. You have to be able to bend and reach something you dropped on the floor, or reach that book you need to read at the top shelf. But if your in sports like basketball, you need to be able to do more then stretch. Your muscles need to be loose and flexible all the time. If your muscles are tight, it will be a lot easier to strain and even rip them in an aggressive game of basketball. And we all know it takes a lot longer to heal a ripped or strained muscle than a break.
So, if you are playing or coaching basketball, or any sport for that matter, you need a stretching program.
What Is Stretching?
Stretching is simply the act of extending to full length the body and its muscles. This activity involves straightening or stretching the body structure or the limbs.
How Does One Do the Stretching?
Stretching is fairly easy. As mentioned in the introduction, it is involved in the normal activities. It can be done by any people, regardless of age.
However the extent of stretching and flexing differs. Like the muscles tighten as a person ages, when you are playing a sport like basketball the muscles shorten their span making them tight. The range of joint movements can be minimized when the elasticity in the muscles begins to run out. Bending or flexing becomes more limited. The muscles take longer to stretch out and soon you are on your way to sitting on the bench due to an injury for the game or even the season. This is why stretching regularly, as part of a routine is very important.
Simple stretches can be done everyday. It can be incorporated in the lifestyle and the daily activities. It does not require much of your time.
Stretching exercises can also be done while training. Actually, stretching is an essential part of any training or sport. It must be done first before anything else. Stretching the body and the limbs is a good preparation for a more rigorous activity.
Most athletes would do the sit and reach, wherein they position on the floor, extend their legs and reach the tip of their foot with the tip of their hand. Actually, most trainers actually require their athletes to really do the stretching before playing.
There is actually an ideal length of time in stretching. It is best to do it in 10 minutes. This will give the body enough opportunity to move and flex the muscles, thus preparing it for more complicated and strenuous movements.
Experts however would frown upon going way beyond 10 minutes. Stretching the exercise to 30 minutes or more will already wear out the body before you even get started playing. This would not be favorable if one is preparing for a game.
What Are the Benefits of Stretching?
1. Increase the Range of Movement
As one constantly does the stretching exercises, the length of the muscles and the tendons are also increased. This will help in increasing the range of your movement. Thus, the limbs and joints will be able to move, way before an injury can take place.
2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills
When you have a wide range of movement, the more you will be able to do more things. For example, you can jump high without feeling any pain when you land back on the floor. Plyometrics is based on this fact. Learning to stretch in this aspect early on will allow you to have a more active lifestyle longer.
3. Injury Prevention
You can prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles with stretching. When the muscles and tendons are well-flexed, they are considered in good working order. This will help in a faster recovery and decreased soreness. The muscles of the body will be able to take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of being injured.
4. Reduce Muscle Tension
If the muscles are given their regular exercises and stretching, it is less likely that they will contract. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.
5. Enhance Energy
Being able to move more will also give you more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your awareness, like knowing that you have a body that is capable of doing many things. As such, you are going to be more driven to move rather than sulk in the corner.
6. Reduces Cholesterol
Research also shows that doing prolonged stretching exercises, like yoga, will help reduce the cholesterol in the body. This of course must be done with a healthy diet at hand. This could prevent and even reverse the hardening of the arteries, allowing you to avoid coronary diseases.
If you incorporate stretching in your everyday practice before doing basketball, the benefits, as the commercial says, will be priceless. It does not require much. After all, your fitness is everything so do what it takes to keep the body healthy.
Kathy Giegel has successfully coached basketball for over 25 years and loves every minute of it! She creates programs for all ages to anyone who wants to learn about basketball. Check out her newest creations at Http://www.courtsidekids.com.
Establishing a Practice Schedule for Basketball
As far as the time of practice is concerned, I feel the best time to practice is right after school. I begin our practice at 3:20 and continue until 5:15 or 5:30, depending on the work planned for the day. I feel it is desirable to have several practice sessions at night before we begin the regular season’s schedule so that we might accustom the players to game conditions. I conduct several game type scrimmages at night before the opening game.
It is my sincere belief that proper practice equipment is one of the most important elements in a successful basketball program. I have uniform practice equipment which is not expensive but very adequate. The squad is issued white practice pants and reversible T-Shirts, so they can merely turn their shirts inside out if they change teams during practice. Our school provides sweat socks, athletic supporter, and white shoes. I feel the boys are much better disciplined if they are all outfitted in the same practice equipment. From the standpoint of the player, this gives him a feeling that he is part of a team and not a member of a disorganized group.
I feel it is equally important for the coach to have some type of uniform that he wears to practice. It is my belief that the coach must set the example if he is to insist upon uniform practice equipment for the team.
If you are fortunate as we are, and have a trainer, take advantage of the situation and make the best use of him. It will give the boy more confidence to be told by the trainer that he is all right than to just have the coach do it. I let our trainer make the decisions on all of our minor injury problems. If he says the boy needs to be taped, that’s it. If he says the boy should miss practice for any reason, I respect his judgm