BASKETBALL ACTIVITY CARD

Just what does it take to become abasketball star?

Gear UpA Basketball. Basketballs come indifferent sizes depending on yourage and whether you're a girl orboy. There are also differentbasketballs for inside and outsideuse. If you're buying a newbasketball, make sure you ask thesalesperson for help to figure outwhat size and type ball you need.

A Hoop. Basketball hoops areavailable in most gyms and inmany parks. You can even buy ahoop and attach it to the side ofyour house or garage, if you haveone. To create your own regulationcourt at your house, make sure youset your foul line 15 feet from thebackboard.

Play it SafeBasketball can really make you

work, so make sure youstretch and warm up beforeplaying. Because of all of thequick moves and jumping, itcan put a lot of wear and tearon your ankles, so protectthem by wearing the right

pair of shoes — medium or high tops do the best job ofsupporting your ankles. Protect those knees bylearning how to cut, stop, and land a jump safely.

Heart & Lungs

Upper & LowerLegs

Knees &Ankles

Arms

Parts ofthe BodyWorked

Lifetime Fitness Community Team Sports

Be careful not to misuse basketball equipment. It'sgreat if you've got the skills to put up a mean slamdunk, but hanging on the rim is dangerous and couldcause you to get hurt. Also, make sure the court andsidelines are clear of any obstacles such as otherbasketballs or water bottles. If you're playing outside,make sure the baskets and sidelines are not too closeto walls, fences, or bleachers and there are no holes onyour court.

If you're a serious player, you may want to invest in amouth guard to keep your teeth safe from flyingelbows; knee and elbow pads so you don't get scrapedup (especially if you're playing on an outdoor court);and sports glasses to protect your eyes.

How to PlayBasketball is fun to play in pick up games in the yardwith your pals, or you can join an organized league.Different positions rely on different skills — pointguards should focus on their dribbling and passing,while centers and forwards should be powerfulrebounders and shooters. Outside guards need to bequick and strong to make those 3-point shots. Wantsome basics?

How to Dribble. Bounce the ball on the floor withyour strongest arm. When it bounces back, use yourfingertips to stop the upward motion and push it backto the floor, keeping it about waist high when itbounces. Once you've mastered dribbling in place withone hand, switch to the other and begin to movearound as you dribble. Practicing dribbling by movingthe ball in a figure eight between your legs is one goodway to build your skills.

How to Pass the Ball. Face the person you'repassing to, with your head up and knees slightly bent.Spread your fingers wide and hold the ball at chestlevel, elbows out. Extend your arms, take a step towardthe person you're passing to, and snap your wristsforward and up as you release the ball.

How to Shoot a Layup. Start about 10 feet in frontof and to the right of the basket. Dribble toward the

Lifetime Fitness Community Team Sports

2

basket, timing it so that your last step is with your leftfoot. Holding the ball with both hands (left in front,right in back), jump off your left foot, let go with yourleft hand, and extend your right arm fully to releasethe ball at the top of your jump. Keeping your eyes onwhere you want the ball to go really helps land thisshot!

How to Cut, Stop, and Land a Jump. Ease up onyour cuts or pivots by making them less sharp to avoidrotating your knees. When stopping, rather thancoming to a sudden stop or bringing your weight downon one foot with a single step, use the "stutter step" toslow yourself down by taking two extra steps. Whenlanding your jumps, do it softly by bending your kneesover your feet (which should be pointed straightahead) when you hit the ground. Instead of landingflat-footed, land on either the balls or toes of your feetand rock back toward your heels.

OlogyDid you ever wonder how Michael Jordan seems tohang in the air longer than everyone else when he goesup for a slam dunk? Well, actually, he doesn't — it justseems that way because MJ holds on to the ball longerthan most players before shooting or dunking. Hangtime depends entirely on the force generated by aplayer's legs when he or she leaves the ground (howhard they push off the ground) and the jump's height(the higher the jump, the longer the hang time). Theaverage NBA player can make a 3-foot high jump whengoing up for a shot or dunk, with a hang time of lessthan 1 second (.87 seconds to be exact).

Fun FactsFormer pro, Wilt Chamberlain, once scored 100 pointsin a single NBA game.

Michael Jordan was cut from the varsity basketballteam when he was in the 10th grade — and went on tobe the NBA's Most Valuable Player for 5 seasons!

Lifetime Fitness Community Team Sports

3

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA

800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636 ) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC–INFO

Page last reviewed: January 22, 2013Page last updated: January 22, 2013Content source: Division of Population Health, National Center forChronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team has anoverall won-lost record of 768-128. That means they'vewon over 85% of their games!

Related LinksAmateur Athletic Union (AAU): GirlsBasketball (http://www.aaugirlsbasketball.org/)

(http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU): BoysBasketball (http://www.aauboysbasketball.org/)

(http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

NBA FIT for Kids(http://www.nba.com/nbafit/kids/home.html) (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

Lifetime Fitness Community Team Sports

http://www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards/basketball.html [1/22/2014] 4