Day 44: Stretch it Out

Flexibility is important in reducing injuries, speeding recovery and increasing speed.  Stretching also helps increase your range of motion.I see players all the time, walk into a gym, put on their shoes, get some shots up and then start to play.  Always begin and finish your activity with an active warm-up and finish with some type of stretching.  

If you attend an NBA game you always see the players out on the floor stretching.

Kevin Love and Eric Gordon

Michigan State University basketball has a great stretching routine. They are passionate about their stretching. Here’s a passage from their Summer Program Handbook about stretching after working out.

Our flexibility training program is a planned, deliberate, and regular program of exercises that can progressively increase the usable range of motion of a joint. Flexibility exercises tend to increase the resting length of muscles, restore normal range of movement, encourage proper blood flow, and permit increase of power with strengthening exercises. Flexibility exercises are designed to stretch certain muscles and reduce the likelihood of injury to muscle tendon units. Make sure you maintain the stretch for 10-15 seconds – avoiding bouncing. Take about 10-15 minutes to do these flexibility exercises with total concentration. You should be in a relaxed state of mind at all times when you are stretching.

Be sure to stretch your hamstrings, hips, your back, shoulders, calf, groin, and arms.

DON'T FORGET TO PROPERLY WARM-UP BEFORE YOU HIT THE FLOOR THIS FALL.

Day 42: Helping Teammates

I stumbled across a small piece from hoop notes.com on Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett and how he likes to help his teammates. But he doesn’t spend all day trying to help them. They either get it or they don't.

"Does he play favorites?  Of course he does.  He loves guys who do what they can to help the team," Doc Rivers said.  "Kevin is great.  Kevin tries to help every big in here.  If that big doesn't listen to him one time, he'll never speak to him again.  Literally one time.  That has happened a couple of times.  Those two guys that he did that to are no longer here and that may be one reason." (NOTE: KG IS AN INTENSE DUDE!!!)

Are you one of the few who looks to help their teammates?

Or, are you someone who is all about themselves?

A great teammate is always looking to help another player on their team.

It can be positive advice.  Rebounding for them after practice.  Encouraging them to get up early and hit the gym or even a small dose of congratulations on a job well done.

Lend a helping hand to a teammate.

“Just remember, you’re teammates, not rivals.”

-Red Auerbach