Getting Back in the Game

So, you want to play basketball again. One catch - you haven't been on the court in six to nine months or even a year. It's not as simple as lacing up your shoes and grabbing the basketball. To return to the court successfully and safely requires a carefully planned comeback. Here's how to do it.

ENDURANCE must be the first aspect of fitness established before progressing through a return-to-basketball training program. Typically, an athlete must first build a base of endurance equal to running two miles at a 7 to 8 mph pace. This cardiovascular training should be gradually progressed, and the completion time frame will be based on just how out of shape you are. The cardiovascular conditioning should be performed five days per week with various forms of training ranging from jogging to bicycling to stair climbing to using the VersaClimber.

STRENGTH is the second aspect of fitness to be established. As you are working on your cardiovascular endurance, add strength training three days per week. Each of these strength-training sessions must include upper body, lower body and core strengthening exercises. Mix the strengthening exercises up on different days. For example, on Monday work the legs with squats, hamstring curls and calf raises. Then on Wednesday work the legs with lunges, bridges and split squats. Begin with light to medium weight and 20 to 30 reps. Progress the exercises to medium weight and 40 to 50 repetitions.

JUMPING is one of the most valued traits of a basketball player. Once your endurance and strength base have been established, it is time to add in jump training. First and foremost, correct jumping technique must be learned. Several points to remember when initiating your jump training are:

1. Posture - head up, chest over knees and knees over toes.

2. Landing - on the balls of your feet and sink softly into your heels.

3. Shock absorber - bend at the ankles, knees and hips equally.

4. Recoil - quickly jump back into the air. Begin practicing two-leg jumps. Progress to one-leg jumps. Finally add multidirection jumps side to side and in circles. Jumping should be performed two days per week on opposite days of your strength-training program.

BASKETBALL SKILLS must be integrated into the above workout. By now you probably just want to go to the gym and get in a game. Hold back! Work on perfecting your shot technique. Go back to the basics and choose 10 spots on the court. Make 10 shots at each of these sites. Once you have established your jump shot and layup, add shots off the dribble or drives to the hoop. Re-establishing your shot requires 15 to 20 minutes of work five days per week.

ACCELERATION AND SPEED apply everywhere in the game of basketball. How do you become faster? By sprinting, stopping and sprinting again. Once your cardiovascular endurance has been established, speed and acceleration-deceleration training should replace the cardiovascular training. Try to include a variety of sprinting drills to each workout. Some examples include ladder runs, sideline 17 runs, full-court layups, three-man weave or five-man weave, and tag sprints.

The sprinting workouts should replace your endurance workouts and be performed four days per week. You should spend 15 to 20 minutes per session working on your sprinting. Keep shooting drills and sprinting equal.

LATERAL SPEED produces the best defensive players on the basketball court. Work on developing your footwork through a variety of drills. Begin with the basic lateral slide drill in the key. Concentrate on correct form including a low position. This drill will help further develop the strength of your hips if it has not returned fully. Another great drill to incorporate is "completing the square." Perform this drill both clockwise and counter clockwise. If available, the "quick foot ladder" is an excellent tool to train side-to-side foot speed and coordination. Lateral speed should be included in your training two to three days per week, preferably on opposite days from the sprint training.

BASKETBALL-SPECIFIC DRILLS are phased into the final stages of conditioning. Before going into full court five-on-five basketball, it is important to phase into the game. Begin with three-on-four drills, four-on-five drills and position-specific moves. Gradually work into three-on-three games playing half court, and progress to five-on-five games playing half court. And finally, jump into a full court five-on-five.

FLEXIBILITY must be regained, if lost, and maintained through the return-to-play training program. It is critical to include a dynamic warmup before each workout and spend 15 to 20 minutes at the end of each workout with recovery stretches for the major muscle groups of the legs, core and upper body.

Basketball is a sport that requires the body to do some pretty amazing things. Players go from a full sprint into a maximum jump, contort their bodies in the air, all while they concentrate on putting the ball in the hoop. To perform such a feat, a player's entire body must be properly conditioned.

Obtaining this level of conditioning will vary greatly from player to player, depending how long and for what reason her layoff occurred. For some coming back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, it may take a year. For others coming back from a mental break from the game, this may take one month. By understanding the steps to a comeback, you will be able to return to the game at a high performance level and be less susceptible to injury.

Laura Ramus, PT, ATC, is the athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA Champion Detroit Shock. Since 1994, she has also served as the manager of sports medicine for St. John Hospital in Detroit. For more information, log onto her Website, www.girlscanjump.com.

Copyright Ashton International Media, Inc. Feb 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved