It can be said with confidence that basketball occupies one of the most honorable places among sports games. The game invented at the end of the 19th century by a teacher of physical education at the American College of Springfield, in fact, in terms of its intensity of struggle, rhythm, emotionality, speed, is the best fit for the present time.
It is difficult to find another sport that combines speed, endurance, strength, agility and, most importantly, intelligence. Basketball is the best way to promote physical development. And it is not surprising that the number of fans of this interesting game is constantly growing, regardless of age and occupation. It is hardly possible to count the number of fans and admirers of basketball. Let’s look at when and how, of course, who can start playing basketball.
Player Age
There are many different opinions about the best time for a child to start playing basketball. Most experts believe that it is best to start classes at the age of 8-10 years. At this age, as practice shows, the foundations of the technique of playing basketball are best laid, the foundation is created on which all future work to educate a good basketball player will be built.
However, classes can be started at an earlier age, starting at six or seven years. This in no way means that having come to the sports section, the child will immediately begin to comprehend the basics and subtleties of the game of basketball. Starting classes in the sports section, children at first engage in various outdoor games, relay races and competitions. Such trainings are held in a relaxed game environment under the constant supervision of coaches. Coaches carefully look at little athletes in order to study their physiological characteristics, coordination of movements, state of mind and thinking abilities. By analyzing their abilities, the coach will be able to determine what physical and technical qualities will make it possible to grow an outstanding athlete from this child in the future.
But if suddenly your child, at the age of 14-16, suddenly grew over two meters, then he should be brought to the basketball section. Such a “late” player of the coach is usually trained on an abbreviated program, teaching him only the most necessary technical techniques. Such training is ultimately reflected in the technique of the game, the ability to handle the ball. Usually such players lack the necessary ease and lightness.
Don’t pass by
Each player comes to basketball differently. Some are brought by parents on their own initiative, some children turn to their parents to enroll them in the basketball section. But in most cases, coaches recruit children in ordinary schools, and sometimes just on the street or courtyards, the latter very often gives the best results.
An interesting fact can be cited. When the child is not yet ten years old, the coach literally begs the parents to take up basketball for their child. And after the child reaches the age of 12, the same parents are already persuading the coaches to accept their child into the basketball section.
Very often, when talking with a coach on the phone, parents express their doubts about the benefits of playing basketball for their child. In such cases, it is necessary to invite such parents to basketball training. Usually, after such a visit, having familiarized themselves with the conditions of the classes, any doubts disappear from the parents. One circumstance worries the coaches, if the boys are brought in sufficient numbers, then there are big problems with the girls, they are clearly lacking.
When selecting for the basketball section, the coach first of all pays attention to the following indicators – first of all, the height of the child himself, the length of the arms, the size of the legs, the mobility of the child, as well as the anthropometric data of the parents. And of course, the desire of the child himself is taken into account. If a child goes to training without much desire, if he is looking for reasons not to go to training, then it is hardly worth continuing to train.
Very often, parents fear that if their child is of medium or small stature, then he has nothing to do in basketball. This is a rather erroneous opinion. Of course, big growth for basketball is a good indicator, because high growth gives an advantage when attacking the ring, it is much easier to take possession of the ball when rebounding under the ring. But tall players are significantly inferior in speed and endurance to players of small stature, as well as in the ability to make long-range shots.
Game Formula
In any business, hard work is paramount. It is impossible to achieve significant results without hard work. If your child started studying at a specialized children’s and youth school of the Olympic reserve, then you should remember that here, first of all, the result is required. And to achieve the desired result, you will have to get up early, do exercises, go to training regularly, follow the instructions of the coaches. On the part of the coaches, everything must be done to interest the child as much as possible, to draw him into the training process, to make him fall in love with basketball. After all, the game cannot be taught – you can only learn, and before you go to the playground and start playing, you need to spend a lot of time and effort.
A frequently asked question is, at what age do you know if your child will achieve significant success in basketball?
There is no single answer, and no one will give you accurate predictions. In their practice, trainers are guided by various tests that make it possible to get a complete picture of the physiological data of the child.
Constant visual observation is also necessary, especially during training. The child must have passion during the game, he must constantly rush into battle, attack, be able to stand up for himself. It is also impossible to discard the fact that physical data – height and complexion play an important role. Although sometimes it happens that a child seems to have good physical data, excellent technique, has the ability to play, but as soon as the game starts, all this somehow immediately disappears, because there is no fighting character in him, the game core. Where did all this go, where is the talent of the player?
If you look at the game of basketball, you can conclude that this is a fairly simple and at the same time very complex game. Americans often like to say – “Playing basketball is easy, but playing well is very difficult.”
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It’s easy to think that you can’t learn to play basketball. It’s a difficult game with a steep learning curve, and it requires a lot of practice. However, you can learn to play basketball by following these steps:
- Practice dribbling the ball
- Practice shooting the ball with your dominant hand
- Practice shooting the ball with your non-dominant hand