“SLICE” AND “POINT” SETS - FIBA.com

ecome any stronger. It is important to
note your strength training program
should be implemented on a year round
basis (train in and out of season).
Strength is an attribute that can be diminished
in 3-4 weeks if not done consistently.
Your team needs to strength
train throughout the year in order to
maintain their maximum level of
strength and reduce the potential for
injury.
In addition to strength training, your
team should participate in a comprehensive
year round conditioning program
too. It is important acclimate the
body’s muscles and joint structures by
practicing the specific motions used in
basketball. If a conditioning program
only incorporates straight sprinting (a
typical track workout), you will not sufficiently
prepare the hip, groin, and ankle
areas which are all high-risk areas
for basketball players.
One of the most overlooked aspects of
injury prevention is rest. Many coaches
drive their players into the ground with
the “more is better” philosophy. Your
program should have built in days off
each week and a few planned weeks
off each year (it is especially important
to give your players a few weeks off immediately
following the end of the season
prior to beginning their off season
workouts). If you notice your players
are dragging, give them a surprise day
off. The rest will make them more productive
and less likely to get injured
during an actual workout.
PLYOMETRICS
“FACTS DO NOT CEASE TO EXIST JUST BE-
CAUSE THEY ARE IGNORED”
If plyometric exercises are appropriately
picked and supervised, than they
can be a safe and productive supplemental
training tool. However, the game
of basketball itself is already very plyometric
in nature, so adding a large volume
of additional plyometric exercises
can be counterproductive and produce
overuse injuries including orthopedic
trauma to the joints, tendons, ligaments,
and bones that occur from too much
impact.
Unlike many other sports, today’s basketball
players play year round with no
real off-season. It has been estimated
that the average player will perform between
450 and 500 full speed jumps per
week. As such, what will an additional
50 jumps from a plyometric program
do? While plyometric exercises -commonly
referred to as "Plyo’s"- can be
implemented carefully into a program
as a way to help players with their
body-awareness and confidence in
performing certain movements, it is imperative
to pick only the safest exercises
and use as soft of a surface as
possible to reduce the orthopedic
stress placed on the body during such
exercises.
It is not necessarily the jumping that
could potentially cause a problem, but
rather the landing. Be very cautious
when having players jump off of boxes
and/or performing weighted jumps.
In summary, your success has a program
can be dependent upon keeping
your players injury free. In order to reduce
the occurrence of injury in your
program, you should have your players
participate in a comprehensive year
round training program.
This includes having them warm-up
(dynamic flexibility) before every workout,
perform strength training and prehab
exercises, limit the overuse of
plyometrics, have them wear tape or
braces when they go live, and give
them ample rest to recover.
Fiba Assist Magazine | 34 2008 | Page 43