I want to add a few things to my previous post -

What I am trying to say is to take ONE step at a time... you cant make it to the Pros until you are successful in high school, then college, then who knows where it will take you. CRAWL, WALK and then RUN.

You don't start out shooting threes do you? We all start in close and work our way out, its the same in life and its the same in sports. (basketball)

I wanted to be a Head Boys Varsity coach at a major high school once I got into coaching. It took me awhile but I realized my dream. I had to go back to college and get a BA and teaching degree. I started that at the age of 32 so I know dreams can be achieved IF you are willing to put the work into it.

Just remember, only a very small percentage make it to the Pros... but that shouldn't keep you from trying to get there. Heck, you might have to go overseas and play first... and there are some great players there... look up Ricky Rubio on you tube...... what an amazing player for an 18-19 year old kid.

Yeah i've seen a couple of his videos looks like a special player . Thanks for all the support but at the end of the day its all up to me, your definently not going to be there holding my hand when i have troubles with my game or im doubting myself but your tips are so useful and every single piece of advice you give me i treasure it and it is more than helpful .

About the goal setting, can you give me an example e.g. Yearly, monthly, weekly goals or life time goals .

thanks alot coach appreciate the help

I'm glad that I can be of some help to you..... be patient with yourself.
As far as setting goals.. yearly / monthy / weekly / daily -

You need to break down your game a little bit -
* Footwork / quickness (quicks are very important in this game)
* Ball Handling
* Passing
* Shooting / short - mid range - 3 point - free throws
If you have someone to work out with this will be a lot better, easier and quicker... you can accomplish a lot more in a shorter time. ( 100 shots with you feeding each other will go a lot faster than doing it alone and you can do it at game speed )

I had one kid shoot 1,000 free throws before our summer work outs and he did this most of the summer. 1,000 X 5 X 10 weeks... 50,000 free throws - shooting is all about muscle memory and he was smooth and he could really fill it up from the arc.

The first thing you need to figure out is how much time you can spend 5 - 7 days a week... 5 is realistic.

Lets talk about the free throws.

Daily 100
Weekly 500
Monthly 1,500
Yearly 18,000

If you break down all the parts of the game this way, you WILL become a better player. REMEMBER - this is just free throws so you have to be realistic about how much time you CAN spend a day on all of this.

Footwork 15 minutes a day
Ball Hanlding 15 minutes a day
Passing 15 minutes a day
Shooting 1 to 1 1/2 hours a day
Thats a 2 hour + workout

The last thing you want to do is to make this game a job - you will grow to hate it... this is supposed to be fun, so remember to have some fun along the way......... get a partner that has your same goals and it can be a lot of fun.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

sweet coach, good example . I found myself a partner who has the same goals as i do so this will really benfit me . I got two questons, How many jumpshots should i shoot daily to make myself a good shooter? im thinking 400-500 anything above will be tough because of school, and also the goals that i'm meant to stick around in my room what would be an example of that would it be like 1.play in the nba 2. play div 1 ball .............................................

thanks

Tell me a little more about yourself first -

Age
Year in School
What level you are playing at right now
How much playing time you are getting
Points per game
Height
Weight
Do you have any quicks
What position are you currently playing
Do you handle the ball well (like a point guard skills?)
What are your strengths
What are your weaknesses

Okay
im 17 years old , im currently doing year 12 and i play in a semi professional league which is the 4th or 5th after the national league, its my first season there and season kicks off in 4 weeks . I play the 2 spot and last you for school basketball i averaged 20 - 25ppg . Our school basketball isnt as big as yours so you have to play for a rep team . I'm 190 cm / 6'2 and weigh 82.5 kg which is about 178 pounds . I've been named in the sides first 8 so i should be able to see quality minutes this season and coach also said i should aim to start around 5 - 10 games which i probably will . I'm the youngest their by 4 years and coach really wants to develop the program around me . I think im the best player on the team but lack of experince and Physical attributes will effect my minutes .
My weakness is my jumpshot and maybe my decision making . My strengths would be being able to create my own shot and getting to the basket and free throw shooting i shoot ft at about 80 percent . Im pretty quick , my 3 qtr court sprint is 3.12 which is faster than most rookies in the nba . I do handle the ball pretty well in terms of stationary drills and can do 2 ball drills very well and also some 3 ball drills . Im not to good dribbling under pressure but and i tend to look slower because my handles aint that good on a break which kind of slows me down but overall their pretty good .

forgot to mention that my vertical jump is also a major weaknesses

One thing I like about you is your " I WILL ATTITUDE"

And I want to tell you and Ben this....

" Don't ever stop chasing your dream "

You are young and still have a lot of growing to do. You shoot 80% from the FT line, thats pretty good... with practice you can make that better too.
You should probably do some weight trainig and Plyometric training to help increase leg strength and jumping ability. (thats not an area I am an expert on.... maybe Coach Mac can help you there)
I'm glad that you have a positive attitude but you DO lack experience, so be patient and learn the game while you hone your skills. Your decision making will only get better by playing the game and when you scimmage in practice. Hopefully your coach will make sure that you get some pressure every time you touch the ball so you can relax and know that you can handle it. ( we used to put extra defeners on the floor so our players would see more pressure and that way in games it would be a lot easier. )

Work out with your partner every day... try to get in 300-400 jumpers every day and 100 free throws too. (time permitting) You definately need to work on your ball handling, dribbling under pressure and on the break. This is very important IF you are going to be successful at this level and move to the next level.

As for goals -

1- Be successful at the level you are playing at right now in your current role.

2- Be one of the starting 5

3- D1 or D2 college player D1 IF you really want to get noticed as a NBA prospect.

4- Professional ball, either in Europe or NBA

Coach Mac, what are your thoughts here?