Question by Dezmond
Hey Coach! I play basketball for my local team and I always drive to the net and get roughed up. Elbows to the teeth and knees to the privates are really painful and hurt my game. Anything I can do to protect my mouth and private parts when I play?
Sure, it’s as simple as buying some protective gear like a jock and a mouth guard. Well, maybe it’s not that simple. The protective equipment will help soften the blow but there are other ways too. Let’s explore
Change of Pace
Fierce Foul
When I played basketball in school, I was the tallest on the team and the coach made me play forward and I was always getting roughed up for rebounds. I was also really skinny so bigger kids always got the best of me, and it hurt and the next year I didn’t go back to tryouts. I took one year off and worked on my shooting. Everyday, I practiced long 3 pointers and other things that shooting guards do. When I came back to the team, my skills as a shooter earned me a guard position and basketball became fun again. I didn’t have to fight for rebounds under the hoop anymore.
Bulking Up
Body Block
The other thing you can do is get stronger. If you gain some weight with strength conditioning, it’s going to be a lot harder for your opponents to smack you around. Can you imagine what it must feel like to try and bump Shaquille O’Neil? I bet it would hurt you a lot more than him.
Sharp Shooting
Sharp Shooter
Remember that basketball is fun. Some kids like to get rough and they like the pain of some bumps and bruises. Let them have the rough power forward positions under the hoop. Go for a shooting position… it’s much more fun!
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