I divided my group up between two half courts, one side with the older boys (high school) and one side with younger boys (middle school).  From here we ran a series of shooting drills that I made into a competition with the first person to make 10 shots avoiding the dreaded pushups.  I am pretty sure that no one in the gym, even the parents that were watching, anticipated anyone but one of the older players winning.  But sure enough, bucking the odds one of my sixth graders won the first drill. Of course the older guys started with, “he was shooting too close,” and “I was shooting threes.”  I basically told them to do their pushups and next time take shots that they can make.  So they did…in theory. 

The next drill started and ended the same way as the first.  The sixth grader made about 85% of his shots and got to 10 first again.  Now the older guys were really mad, to the point where one guy stormed off the court to get a drink say, “How does he make all those shots?’  I just smiled at the circumstances and encouraged them to work harder next time…and they did. The player who stormed off the court finally won a drill for the older guys on the very last try and it had all to do with him getting mad at losing the two previous competitions.

With this story in mind, coaches and/or players need to make training, workouts, and practices challenging and competitive.  If done properly, it will take the practice to a whole new level and your players’ games to the NEXT level.  Competition is the nature of the game and making your skill development sessions and trainings competitive simulates the game of basketball itself.  It will get players used to winning and losing and competing to get better by working harder and hard work is the the only way you can get better.

Here on some thoughts on how to make your skill development workouts more competitive:

1. Have a race to a predetermined number.
2. Time your drills and see who makes the most done in that time period.
3. Combine the first two by giving them a short time limit to make a predetermined number of shots.
4. Set standards for certain drills that equal a particular level. (ex. 20+ mikans made in 30 seconds is above average, 15-19 mikans made in 30 seconds is average, 10-14 mikans made in 30 seconds is below average, less than 10 made is beginner)

By using the above, you will make your skill development workouts  more competitive and as a result more successful and fun. 

If you like this idea, let me know in the comments section below and also don’t forget to check out my new product on basketball speed, agility, and skills training at www.basketballspeedandagility.com.  The promotional price of $14.99 won’t stay that way for long so head on over to www.basketballspeedandagility.com to pick up your copy today.

See you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

So what do my password issues have to do with basketball skill development?  To be honest, not much at all.  However, not being able to be on my website has allowed  me to grind away training basketball players of all ages and skill levels at my current home base, the New Jersey Sports Academy.  In this time I have seen my players improve their overall basketball game and become more versatile basketball players.  My training philosophy which is designed to create a very versatile athlete through highly competitive and efficient drills.  I strive to create workouts that improve basketball skills while increasing a player’s overall speed and agility.  This is done through basketball drills that focus on speed and agility while incorporating skill development into each drill. By combining basketball skill development with speed and agility training, what used to take hours to train can now be done in the length of a regular workout.  With that in mind, I created my very first online product that I am super excited about.  It is a combined ebook and video product that combines basketball specific speed and agility drills with basketball skill development.  Have a look at the video below for a few examples of the drills that I am talking about.

I hope that you enjoyed that sample video.  If you liked the drills that you saw in it, you can get more of the same at www.basketballspeedandagility.com.  Let me tell you, this product is no joke and it is on sale for a special limited time promotional price of $14.99.  You won’t want to miss out on the chance to find innovative drills that will help you increase your overall speed and agility along with your basketball skills. 

So don’t wait to get your Basketball Speed and Agility E-book and Video for this great price.

See you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

I have to admit, I was quite happy to see Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks win the NBA championship.  Although I am not a Dallas Mavericks fan, I have always admired Dirk Nowitzki and found his game pretty impressive.  He possesses the size, athleticism, and skill set that very few players in NBA history ever have, and it is this versatility that makes him great. 

Ever since his coach Rick Carlisle referred to Dirk Nowitzki as one of the top ten greatest basketball players ever, there has been much debate over his place among the all time greats of the game.   Nowitzki is hands down the best foreign player ever to play in the NBA and whether or not he is a top ten player ever is up to you to decide.  What I want to take a look at the root of what makes him such a spectacular player.

Dirk Nowitzki is a multiple skills basketball player, meaning he can dribble, pass, and shoot the basketball, and for someone who is seven feet tall, that is quite impressive.  Nowitzki has the ability to handle the basketball like a point guard while being able to stop on a dime and pull up for his incredibly soft jump shot.  At this point, I am not sure if there is a better jump shooter in the NBA and there is no better free throw shooter as evidenced by his performance from the line througout the playoffs.  Furthermore, Nowitzki has the court sense of some of the great point guards in the game as he has an uncanny ability to pass the ball to the open man when the opposition double teams him.   And let’s not forget his athletic ability that  often is overlooked.  Sure, Nowitski is not one of the high flyers of the NBA, but his ability to change directions, explode past defenders, and run up and down the court are quite feat of athleticism for a seven footer. 

Ultimately, there have not been too many players in the history of the game of basketball that combine Dirk Nowitzki’s skills and athleticism. It should be noted that this is not something that Nowitzki was born with.  He worked and still works for countless hours in the gym with his same boyhood trainer developing all aspects of his game.  His work ethic is admirable and consequently, his ability and versatility are what make Dirk Nowitzki one of the NBA’s all time great players.

The development of multiple skills along with improving athletic performance have long be a fundamental aspect of our training at Elite Basketball Training.  If you ever have any questions on how we develop basketball skills that take our players games’ to the next level please contact me through this website at any time. 

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner, USAW

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Elite Sports Performance

Having a like minded individual to work out with will eliminate the days when you just do not feel like working out.  Each of you can ensure that this never happens by motivating each other from the start.  Once you are at the basketball court or weight room working out, having a training partner will completely change the dynamic of the workouts.  They will be competitive and challenging as you and your partner push each other mentally and physically to make more jump shots, lift heavier weights, run the extra sprints.   This will ultimately make you a much better basketball player and athlete.  Beyond the obvious physical and mental benefits of training with a partner, the workouts will just simply be more FUN.  Having one of your good friends around to train with will make the workouts less like work and more like another way to hang out.  The workouts will be encouraging for all of you and bring you all closer together, knowing that you pushed each other to give your very best during each and every workout. 

With this in mind, Elite Basketball Training and its sports performance training branch, Elite Sports Performance in accordance with the New Jersey Sports Academy will be hosting Bring-A-Friend week during the week of June 13-18.  All participants in any of the Elite Basketball Training and/or Elite Sports Performance programs are encouraged to bring a friend to any of our workouts.  The friend will be able to work out with the group for the hour for FREE and then can earn a discounted rate to any of our programs if they sign up that day.  As a show of appreciation to our loyal customers who bring a friend to the workouts, they will also receive a discount to a future program if their friend signs up.  There will be vendors and contests throughout the week including our athlete of the month sponsor, Muscle Maker Grill of Edison who will be there Thursday evening handing out free samples of their delicious and healthy food.

So how could you possibly say no to Bring-A-Friend week or training with a partner. I encourage you all to go out and invite a friend to work out with you and I guarantee it will help make your workouts competitive, challenging, and fun while making your game Elite.

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner, USAW

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Elite Sports Performane

THR College Planning and Recruiting

The drill, that I call the “Bird Drill” (don’t ask me why, I have no idea where the name came from) is one of the toughest drills that I have ever done.  It is a five spot drill (both corners, both wings, and the top of the key) that requires the player to make two shots in a row before they move to the next spot.  Right about now, you are probably asking yourself where the difficulty lies.  Two shots in a row is no big deal. Well, it is if you only have two minutes to get around and back.  That 20 total shots in under two minutes (four shots from the far corner before you can start your way back). If you are thinking this is still no big deal, give it a try.  I have seen really good players shoot really well and this drill and never make it back around because of the fact that you have to make two in a row at each spot.  Nonetheless, the “Bird Drill combines two challenging components, shots made in a row and time. I encourage you to do this drill shooting off the catch and off the dribble. And of course, keep track of your progress, it is the only way to get better.  

Hope you enjoy this drill. Let the us know some of your most challenging shooting drills by describing them in the comments section below. 

See you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Let’s use our best of 30 shots contest as an example.  We competed in this event three different times.  The first time around, I made 67% of my shots.  I decided that that was not good enough and new I could make more so when my turn came around again, I buckled down, focussed a little more and made 73% of my shots.  However, I was still left wanting a higher percentage.  This is part who I am, but also partially because I knew I missed a few shots last round that should have gone in.  So for the third round I zeroed in and lit it up for a whopping 80% from the floor!

Honestly, my point is not to tell you how well I can shoot that basketball with no one guarding me.  It is actually to get you into two habits for your shooting workouts.  First, keep track of how many shots you take and how many shots you make.  Not everyone has access to fancy pieces of equipment like the “Gun” but last I checked, a note pad and pencil worked just as well. 

My second point is to make sure that you are competing and constantly changing the game.  Incorporate various games/competitions into your shooting workouts, even when you are alone.  Examples of this include:

1.  A total number of shots made in specific period of time.
2. Making a certain number of shots in a row from varying spots.
3. Making a certain number of shots in a row before you move your spot.
4. Number of mades shots out of a specifc number (like out of 30 or 50)
5. Setting a specific number of shots to make in your workout, either as a total or from varying spots (ex. from three point range, off the dribble, in the lane, etc.

These two items, charting your progress and making your workouts competitive may seem simple but in all honesty, how often do you do it?  I would venture to guess that the average player would answer that question with a, “not often.” Yet this is a necessity to improving your shooting workouts.  Competitions will add a challenge, alleviate monontony, and make the shooting workout as difficult or more difficult that an actual game.  While charting your progress will show improvement.  So next time you head out to the court to practice, preplan a list of shooting competitions for yourself in your notepad and chart your progress and I guarantee that you will see results.

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Ps. If any of you have any other ways to improve your shooting workouts or just your basketball workouts in general be sure to let the Elite Basketball Training community know by commenting in the comments section below.

As always, let the Elite Basketball Training community know your thoughts on the drill and any other competitive drills that you use by commenting in the comments section below. Thanks.

See you on the Court!

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

In the following video, you will see a series of fundamental drills that I use all the time for my post players and sometimes even for my guards and wings.  These drills work on footwork, finishing, hand-eye coordination and many other fundamental aspects of the game of basketball.  To view this video, please click on the following link: Fundamental Post Drills Video.

Remember, let the Elite Basketball Training community know what you think by writing in the comments sections below.

Also, Elite Basketball Training and Elite Sports Performance has many basketball skill development and sports performance training programs available right now at the newly renovated New Jersey Sports Academy in Edison.  Please contact me for more information. 

See you on the court!
Rich Stoner, USAW

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Now, back to my original story.  I was at Fordham and I got into what an important basketball skill development discussion with close friend of mine, Phyllis Mangina (the former Seton Hall women’s basketball coach).  We were talking about skill development in general and then we got into finishing around the basket and how it is a major weakness in many players’ games.  We determined that the inability to finish is a result of two factors: fear of contact and footwork, and since that time, I have been thinking about this conversation and have determined that one is a direct result of the other.

Simply put, players worry too much about contact.  Watching countless games, I have come to the realization that as players drive to the basket they are trying to shy away from it.  Consequently, they are missing more shots around the rim than they should be.  As a player drives to the basket and tries to avoid contact they are actually putting themselves in an off balance position.  This off balance position makes what was once a makeable shot into one that is significantly more difficult to make.  As a result layups are missed because of the increased difficulty of the shot due to the off balance nature of the player.  

The lack of balance caused by the player’s determination to avoid contact is where the connection is to the second issue, footwork.  During our conversation, Coach Mangina brought up the fact that finishing around the rim needs to be built from the ground up.  In other words, footwork is the key.  As the player drives to the basket and approach the point at which they are going to finish, they must have their feet underneath them. Having their feet underneath them will give them a solid base and good balance and enable them to explode from their low position and finish at their highest point.  Proper footwork and balance can only be achieve if the player is not worried about getting hit and trying to avoid contact. 

Footwork is a facet of the game that needs to be developed and worked on daily.  Players should work on a variety of finishing moves around the rim all with the focus on having their feet in a solid position underneath them.  It would also help if a coach, trainer, or friend had a blocking pad that they could use to by physical with the player.  This will force the player to get used to finishing with proper footwork and through contact.

Please let the Elite Basketball Training community know your thoughts on finishing around the rim by speaking up in the comments section below.  And remember, we have a variety of skill development and sports performance based programs that are available at the new New Jersey Sports Academy so feel free to email me with any questions. 

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner, USAW

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Now getting back to my original topic, it is great that these players are working on their skills.  I love it, but here is where I have my issue.  Each day, as these players pass through my strength and conditioning area, they always inquire about stregnth and conditioning for basketball and my programs that I offer.  I always explain how valuable it is to their personal basketball development and their future as basketball players.  Once I do this, they are extremely excited about my programs and sports performance training as a whole, but each day these players continue to walk by as I train my groups and continue to say that, “they are going to come, tomorrow, or next week.”  Nonetheless, tomorrow and next week keep coming and these players just keep walking by. 

I honestly feel bad for them because next basketball season is going to come and they will be in the same physical shape as they were the previous year.  They will not be any quicker or more explosive and therefore unable to create their own shot or get their shot off over bigger, quicker, and more explosive players who did strength train in the off season.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to develop your body in the off season.  That is the time to put on size, increase your strength, increase your vertical, becom more explosive and quick.  The off season is the time to take your game to the next level, not only by developing your basketball skills but by developing your basketball strength, power, speed, quickness, agility, and conditioning. 

Let me know your thoughts on developing your basketball body by writing in the comments section below.

Also, if you are interested in my basketball strength and conditioning programs or any of my sports performance programs contact me directly through this site or register today at the New Jersey Sports Academy. 

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC