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Vince Papale

Youth Basketball & Improving Jumping Ability

Unless you happen to be seven feet tall, jumping ability has a great deal to do with your success as a basketball player. An above average vertical leap can in essence add inches to your height, and since there are no exercises or basketball drills that will make players taller, the best way to help players get up higher is to guide them through some basketball training exercises that will improve their jumping ability. It's important to remember that you also want to be able to jump quicker than your opponent.

Aspiring basketball players need to refuse to accept the perception of limitations. We have all seen and heard stories, like the Vince Papale inspired movie Invincible, that depict real life instances of athletes defying the odds and achieving things that they were told were not possible. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team as a sophomore, and he used that as motivation to practice on his own for hour upon hour. He said that when he got tired he would conjure a mental image of that list on the locker room door that didn't have his name on it, and that would help him dig down a little deeper and keep practicing.

It is important to instill this kind of desire in your players and give them every opportunity to reach their true potential as an athlete and youth basketball player. Improved jumping ability can help athletes in nearly every facet of the game.

Below are some tips for proper basketball jumping techniques as well as some fun drills for your youth basketball team's practice. You can also find more free basketball skills & drills videos and tutorials online at websites like Weplay.com.

Benefits Of Improved Jumping Ability

• You become a better rebounder.
• The release point of your jump shot is higher.
• Your shot blocking ability is increased.
• You can shoot closer to the basket when you are near it.

Youth Basketball Drills

• Jumping Rope
  Jumping rope is one of the best things that a player can do to improve his or her ability to jump quickly and to jump higher. Youth basketball is a game that requires a great deal of overall coordination, and jumping form relies on it as well. Jumping rope will significantly improve a player's coordination, give them some aerobic exercise, and add inches to their vertical leap as they condition themselves to leave the ground quicker.

• Running The Stairs
  The stronger your legs are, the better they are going to be able to propel you. When you have players run up and down stairs in the gym or up and down the steps of the bleachers at the Football Field, they are strengthening their legs and conditioning themselves to feel as though merely jumping on a flat surface is very easy. Plus, strenuous aerobic exercise is going to keep their weight down, and the less weight you are trying to lift off the ground the higher you are going to be able to jump on the basketball court.

About the Author

By Trevor Sumner who works for Weplay.com, a youth basketball community dedicated to providing parents, coaches and athletes the tools and information to celebrate the love of the game. Weplay.com has one of the most comprehensive, free basketball drill libraries in its active basketball community.

Feel Good Story?

Was Vince Papale the biggest feel good story ever for the NFL? "Invincible"
Is there a movie about him??

That's a tough one! But I have to go with "Fighting Back" the Rocky Blyer Story.

He was told there was ZERO chance ever walking normally again, after losing his foot in Viet Nam.

But he did walk again. Then he ran. Then he ran the football for over 1000yds for the Pittsburg Steelers.

That season guaranteed his legacy, as it marked the first time 2 NFL RB's from the same team rushed for over 100yds' in the same season. His backfield mate was Franco Harris

"Invincible" - Vince Papale, final scenes

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