Yesterday I started to play basketball, man, that was tough! I haven’t done that for so many years, you know? So I grabbed a basketball from my garage, it was a little bit dusty but still bouncy, and I went to the court near my house.
Dribbling Practice
First thing I did was practicing dribbling. I tried to keep the ball low and fast, just like I saw on TV. But, oh boy, it was harder than it looked! The ball bounced in all the wrong places, and sometimes it just rolled away. I chased it down like a mad man each time. I kept at it, though. Dribbling with my right hand, then my left, and I even tried to do some crossovers. After a while, I could feel my arms getting tired, but I pushed myself to continue. I did this for maybe 30 minutes, and by the end, I was sweating buckets, but I could dribble a little bit better.
Shooting Practice
- Shooting off the dribble: This was next on my list. I tried to dribble, then stop, and quickly shoot the ball. Sounds easy, right? Nope! Most of my shots didn’t even touch the rim. I adjusted my stance, focused on my aim, and kept shooting. Some went in, most didn’t, but I didn’t give up.
- Shooting off the catch: I pretended someone passed me the ball, and I tried to shoot it right away. This was a bit easier because I didn’t have to dribble first. I focused on my form, bending my knees, following through with my wrist. Still, my shots were all over the place, but it felt good when one actually went in.
Free Throws
Then, I decided to practice free throws. I stood at the line, took a deep breath, and shot. The first few missed badly, either too short or too far to the side. But I remembered seeing some tips online, about lining up the shot, keeping my elbow in, and releasing the ball at the peak of my jump. I tried to follow those, and slowly, my shots started getting closer. I made five, but I’m not proud of that number, need to practice more.
Weight Room and Core Strengthening
After all that, I realized I was out of shape. I need to be stronger to play better, so I went home and hit my small weight set. I lifted some dumbbells, did some push-ups, and worked on my core with sit-ups and planks. My muscles were burning, but it felt good to be active. I think I did it too much, feeling so sore this morning!
Playing with Others
Next time, I want to find some people to play with. I know I’ll learn a lot from playing with better players. It will be tough, but that’s how you improve, right? Anyway, I will keep doing this regularly. I want to get better at basketball, and I’m willing to put in the work, no matter how tired or sore I get. So that’s my basketball story for now. I’ll keep you guys updated on my progress. Wish me luck!
