Congratulations! It was a long, tough journey, but you made it through the season and are now in the middle of the off-season and the summer. Now you can sit back, relax and take a month or two off, right? Not so fast!
You might be feeling a little sore still, but the last thing you want to do is lose all of the progress you made over the course of the year. Here at Dr. Dish Basketball, we’re all about improving your game all day, every day; so we’ve put together a quick off-season checklist to keep you on your toes and help you get ready for next season.
We 100% believe that champions are built NOW - in the off-season!
1. Heal Up
While you don’t want to sit around doing nothing the entire off-season, it is also smart to give yourself a little time to recover from the grind of the regular season and (hopefully) playoffs. Every coach wants their players to work as hard as they can, but they also want their players to be healthy throughout the season. Going too hard too often doesn’t help you or your coach if you’re sitting in street clothes at the end of the bench, so give your body the rest it needs!
Little things like eating healthy, stretching, and getting good sleep can go a long ways in the off-season as well. In order to have enough energy to train hard and with purpose, you must treat your body the right way. Always stay hydrated and warm-up properly before hitting the hardwood. Both your body and your coach will thank you.
2. Connect With Your Coach & Have a Plan
Just because it’s the off-season doesn’t mean you can’t talk to your coach! If anything, it’s more important to speak with your coach off the court during the off-season than it is during the season. By staying in contact with your coach in the off-season, you can develop a basic basketball practice plan that will put you in a position to hit the ground running when that first practice starts.
It's ultra-important that you have a plan for the off-season as opposed to "shooting around" and "lifting weights" when you have time. Great players and programs develop clear expectations and make time to accomplish their goals. If you are coordinating these plans and goals with your coach, he/she will surely take notice and it will help you stay accountable.
If you really want to take your game and accountability to the next level, you can use the Dr. Dish Academy (whether you have a machine or not!) to upload your stats. From there you can track your progress, set specific goals, and challenge your teammates or players from around the world! All of this data can be easily accessed by your coach as well.
3. Work on the Fundamentals
Your coach may give you some more detailed directions, but it’s always a good idea to work on developing your fundamental skills such as footwork and shot mechanics. If your program has a Dr. Dish machine, you can click HERE for some examples of drills you can run with your Dr. Dish machine.
With or without a machine, it's always essential to focus on purposeful training at game speed. When in doubt, focus on game-like actions that you will likely execute in games. Much like taking care of your body, little things matter on the court as well. Just like in a game: training in an athletic stance, using proper footwork, and shooting with complete focus & confidence is extremely important. ALWAYS focus on the fundamentals.
Follow these simple steps and you'll be well on your way to capitalize on a great off-season! Take some advice from the GOAT:
“Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”
-Michael Jordan
Looking for some more ideas on how to train with Dr. Dish? Click below to train smarter!
