Gym Rat Mentality

 A regular workout period in the gym is important because if you have the “gym rat” mentality it will pay off. For the last 5 years I did not have to worry about trying to figure out what work out I would do or how to do. One of my high school coaches worked me out anytime I needed; he knew what workouts would benefit me the most, and what ways I should do them. I depended on him a lot, and he helped me develop my game on the court, and helped me get stronger in the weight room. This summer when I got back in TX I wasn’t able to call him to workout me out because he is in the Ukraine. Without him being around to help me out, I have had to come up with my own workouts, and hit the gym solo.

One of the things that has helped me on my shot is the gun. The gun catches the ball after the shot then passes it back out to you. Most high schools and colleges have them. I went from never shooting to shooting all the time. The gun had a little to do with that. Besides shooting on the gun I work on all the shots that I think I will shoot in a real game, and individual moves. Also  I work on ball handling with one and two balls.

 The older you get the more on your own you get. With that being said you have to know what you want to get better at, and what you need to do to make it happen. It isn’t always easy to do, but the results are well worth it. 

Don't be afraid to step out

When I first started playing select basketball I did not know what to expect. I had mixed feelings about it because I was kind of shy when I was younger. When I started playing on the Arlington Hoops in the fifth grade I was excited, but nervous at the same time. I had to step out of my comfort zone. Stepping out proved to be a good decision. I was able to go places I never would have been able to go if it weren’t for stepping out. On the flip side I also missed some opportunities for being too content. In my high school years I would have been able to go to Vegas, and some other places, but I passed up  the opportunity to try out for a team in Waco. That is a regret that I have, but like they say we live and learn.

With it almost being time to go back to school the focus should go back to the classroom not on basketball. A player can have all the talent, but if he or she doesn’t have the grades to stay on the court the talent won’t get to be shown. Since players are no longer allowed to go straight to the NBA from high school the thing a player most likely does is go to college. A player may not be able to get into the college he or she wants without the grades. 

Getting ready for next season

I am getting ready for another year of basketball at NSU. I have to report back to college on August 10^th, and soon after we start our conditioning program. The first and most dreaded challenge that the coach has on our agenda is waking up at 6 am to go to the track and run a mile under 6 minutes along with the 200’s and 400’s. This year this should be especially fun since the temperature has been over 100 degrees every day for the last month,

A good thing that I am looking forward to is getting back in the weight room (at the bubble). Working out on my own doesn’t compare to being in the bubble working out with my teammates. During the week we do arms on certain days, and legs on the others. The arms are my favorite because I like doing bench, and like seeing the results in the mirror when I get done.

During the off-season we only have a certain amount of time to workout together in the gym, so we have to do things on our own without the coaches. I usually go to the gym later in the day to get on my shots on the gun, and work on my game.

For all you players that have wrapped up your select basketball season for this year and are looking forward to the next one this might be a good time for you to start working on your conditioning too. You will be glad you did up-tempo pressing games and have to play some overtimes. 

It's time for the Nationals

Every year when July rolls around I always think about “the Nationals.” My first national’s tournament was Prime Time Sports’ National’s in 2001. This was also Prime Time Sports’ first national tournament, and it was held in Kansas City. I was in the fourth grade playing with my Cleburne All Star team. With it being Prime Time’s first year the number of teams in the fourth grade division counting us was five – we came in fourth. One thing I remember about this time is that we stayed in the Drury Inn, which was my first time to stay in a hotel. We went to an amusement park, ate out a lot, and had lots of fun.

Out of the four games we played we won one. In the other three we were blown out. The main reason we lost was from not being able to handle the press. It’s not fun to be on the wrong end of a press. Later I played for other teams that knew how to press and enjoyed it much better. Even though we lost, I still enjoyed myself and overall it was a good experience.

Two years later I played for the Arlington Hoops team and we won the Prime Time Sports’ National Championship for the sixth grade. Always remember that if this season isn’t the best, things can change quickly. There are lots more opportunities to play in national championships now than there were when I began. I hope that you get to have as much fun as I did every season when I played Select Basketball.

If you have any questions for me or want to make some comments let me hear from you.

Welcome to the Select Basketball Blog

My name is Ethan Anderson and I am going to be managing the Select basketball website and Blog. I am currently playing basketball for Northeastern State University. Select basketball played a big part in making it possible for me to earn a full scholarship.  I began playing basketball in the third grade in Cleburne, TX. I have played every year since then. My first select team was the Arlington Hoops, then Southwest Metro, and my last was the Dallas Mustangs. Now that I am in college and can no longer participate in select ball I can truly say I miss playing in select, but now I am looking forward to helping others enjoy what I love so much. Now I want to help you make your select basketball experience a fun and successful one too. You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and this Blog.