Pro Point Guard College- Basketball workouts, AAU basketball, basketball plays and coaching advice!

NMBA BASKETBALL ACADEMY & NMBA POINT GUARD COLLEGE

2014-05-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

The NMBA BASKETBALL ACADEMY AND MY NMBA POINT GUARD COLLEGE was made for top youth players and point guards (or guards) to come, train, learn, and play against (college/pro train for free) players better than them. We focus on teaching next level concepts designed for helping players succeed at the next level-- whether that be Europe, the NBA, or college level.

SEE AND SIGN UP FOR OUR NMBA BASKETBALL ACADEMY & POINT GUARD COLLEGE FACILITY

I'm Trevor Huffman (me to left at 34 playing in ProA France), the founder and president of the NMBA BASKETBALL ACADEMY and want to invite you to come learn from a pro basketball community helping give back to youth. It's the first of its kind. We look forward to working with you.

Follow me on TWITTER or FACEBOOK.

Top Ten Basketball Conditioning Workouts

2014-04-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

MY TOP TEN BASKETBALL CONDITIONING WORKOUTS

MY NMBA BASKETBALL ACADEMY'S CONDITIONING WORKOUTS[/caption] Created by: Trevor Huffman, Euro-Pro Point Guard and President of NMBA Academy How you design your basketball conditioning workouts throughout an off-season is crucial to your success.

Why?

Because it’s the finals. The clock is running down. Your five is running up to set a middle down-hill ball screen. Your best shooter is in the left corner, your best athlete in the right. Your four man is at the elbow. This is your time to make a play. The ball is in your hands. The crowd is standing in anticipation.

What will you do? Which way will you go? Have you ever been in this position-- when everything you have done, practiced, and trained for leads up to the biggest moment of your basketball life?

I’ve lost games and won games in this position, but the truth is, the sun doesn’t always shine on you as a basketball player and what I mean is: sometimes you just suck, and worse, there are thousands of people watching you while you suck.

Which leads me to why I want to talk about basketball conditioning workouts and educate you on why conditioning is so important for young players to understand. My friend Jason Otter and I always talk about what kids are and aren't doing correctly. AAU basketball is kind of running the show these days during the off-season, which is both good and bad. Bad because players forget to focus on their skill development, athletic development, basketball conditioning, injury prevention, and learning what mental toughness is (think Rocky pulling rocks here people). Good because players still compete in live play.

But there is something missing with only playing pick-up or AAU. You develop bad habits. You don't focus on movement or basketball skills that prepare you for the highest levels. I developed the NMBA for this one thing alone: that players should be well balanced between playing high level competition and pushing their weaknesses to their limit through basketball and athletic skills training. TWEET THIS!

MY NMBA TOP TEN BASKETBALL CONDITIONING WORKOUTS 1. ONE-BALL TWO BALL DRIBBLE MOVE ZIG-ZAG:

This is a great drill and really gets players tired, while still making them better basketball players. Put a cone/chair at the corner, the elbow, half-court/sideline, other elbow, and then corner. Sprint towards the cones/chairs and change direction with an explosive dribble move. If you can master one ball, move to two balls. My NMBA players hate when I put this drill in the practice plan, which also means: the path of most mental resistance is usually exactly where you should walk (or run) to.

2.) THE WEIGHTED WOODWAY TREADMILL

At NMBA Basketball Academy, one of my favorite speed-conditioning workouts is on the Woodway treadmill. I love this thing. It has the feel of a pulling a sled, but just absolutely kills your hamstrings and glutes, and not only pushes you to get faster, but to get in better shape. If you did our Woodway basketball workouts all summer, your opponents wouldn’t be happy next season. If you have access to one of these bad boys, strap in, increase the pounds and sprint for 10 seconds (100% intensity, after a warm up) and then the walk for 30 seconds. I like to do this two to three times a week and slowly build up my power and endurance, making sets harder after each 3 week mini-cycle. Tweak and adapt. Always push yourself, but never hurt yourself.

Week 1: 10 sets: 10/30 rest.

Week 2: 8 sets: 12/32 rest

Week 3: 6 sets: 14/34 rest

Week 4: BREAK

Week 4: 5 sets: 16/36 rest

Week 5: 6 sets: 18/38 rest

Week 6: 10 sets: 10/20 rest

3.) VOLLEY-BALL LINE BASKETBALL CONDITIONING WORKOUT

Love this drill and hate this drill in the same breath. TWEET THIS. Anything I hate doing is usually because it’s the best thing for me (weight pull-ups come to mind). Not choosing something because it is hard is called that the path of least resistance for a reason. Players aren’t thinking about putting in the seeds in the off-season to reap their harvest when the lights are on. This drill will ensure your harvest looks like a politician taking money from Monsanto:

1.) Put a chair in the middle of the volleyball court going side to side. Start in a sprinter stance with the ball. Go!

2.) At the chair do a basketball dribbling move that breaks ankles or at least is fast enough to not get ripped by your grandma.

3.) Do 4 repetitions sideline to sideline. I teach hockey stop turns with the ball in both hands. Believe me when I say changing direction with a ball in your hand takes practice (google Isiah Thomas dribbling if you don’t believe me). Get low!

4.) I usually practice every move I’m developing during the off-season. Bread and Butter moves are key too: hesitation, cross, through the legs, behind the back, wrap around, in-out, stutter step, spin etc… Good luck. Week 1: 10 sets and then build it up!

4.) VERTIMAX VERTICAL TRAINING WORKOUT This is a good example of what we do at NMBA. I’m a short white guy. I know this. I also know I’m competing against better athletes everyday, but that doesn’t mean I can’t improve my vertical jump or increase the power of my fast twitch muscle fibers through proper training. I am speaking from experience when I say that being a strong athlete is key. But you have to train strength the right way. You can’t just throw around big dumb-bells, grunt like an ape, and wear unitards around the weight room in the game of basketball and be successful (I mean, you can, just send me a pic so I can post it to my NMBA page).

The Vertimax is a nasty little device that creates resistance with bands and loads your hips and makes gravity 10x stronger you’d ever like it to be. Unfortunately, we can’t force Lebron to wear one of these while he plays so he can feel what we feel. But beating gravity starts with pushing more force into the ground and training different mechanics, form, and executing a proper training program with the Vertimax has rounded out my basketball conditioning workouts top ten.

5.) THE VERSA CLIMBER

I just dry heaved a little saying this word. Every week we race or train or do a shuttle with teammates on the Versaclimber.

I love this conditioning workout for my older athletes and pros because you don’t put any stress on your joints (c’mon Shaq, get in the Academy, I’ll get you in shape!) and is one of the hardest friggin’ workouts you can ever do from cardiovascular standpoint.

I like doing HIIT workouts with a partner. We also have a record board at NMBA and we allow players to try to break records weekly.

6.) SAND WORKOUTS Conditioning workouts with basketball don’t always start in the sand, but I do like to end my workouts in them. 1.) Because I hate getting sand in my toes and then working out after. 2.) Because I like saving the best for last.

Now this is a huge part of my off-season training. I am trying to get Rob to put a 30 yard sand pit next to SST so our athletes can watch their speed, agility, and quickness training shoot through the roof. I remember doing this in Cleveland with Eric Lichter and it was the fastest, strongest, I had ever been. Of course, in my all-knowing youth, I stopped working out down there because I moved back to Michigan, but I can’t imagine how much better my career would have been if I had just stayed in Cleveland after my Kent State days and continued to train with other pros and college guys in the area (hence, my academy in Northern Michigan).

1.) Put a speed ladder in the sand. Start the clock. 20 minutes of footwork drills and sprinting out of the ladder after each set. You will never be the same if you continue to do this throughout your career. Make sure you completely recover before you do your next set. I also like races and competition, but you need space.

7.) CORNER TURN SHOOTING

I put cones out around the three point line (usually I want every angle possible) or closer for my younger players. I tell them to sprint dribble, corner turn with a low shoulder, hand on the ground (dip that shoulder), and sprint to the basket. Then I add a lay-up, pull-up, floater, runner, step-back, or euro-step footwork pattern and finishing move once we get the right technique on the shoulder turn.

I love this technique of teaching players to get lower than their defender. Jason Otter has so many great drills too and really helped me when I got to college. An explosive dribble move is only that (fast ball movement), but when you add in mechanics of shoulder dip, stride length, and reading defender’s footwork and how to attack their weak points, you naturally adapt to being able to get past defenders when you know you can get lower than them.

Depending on level, adapt your footwork and finishing moves inside these sets: Have one group go, while the other rests coaches.

Week 1: 10 sets: 20 seconds/20 seconds rest

Week 2: 12 sets: 15 seconds/ 15 seconds rest

Week 3: 14 sets: 10 seconds/10 seconds rest

Week 4: REST

8.) FULL COURT 5 DRIBBLE/SHOOT This is not easy. Put a chair at half court. Start under the basket, dribble at the cone/chair, execute a dribble move (if you do a combo move it still only counts for one dribble), and then get to a finishing move like in the corner turns drill. I like to mix in all finishing moves, especially after you master something simple like a jump-stop pull up. Get your rebound and go the other way and do the same thing with a 5 dribble max limit (for younger players you can add dribbles). Change moves at half court cone/chair per set, or per shuttle, or if you are a coach, call out a new move to make it instinctual reaction move for players at the cone/chair.

For my college players, sometimes, I’ll add a weighted vest or weighted shorts and push them for a short amount of time with extra resistance. I don’t like to overuse weighted vests or shorts because I want my players joints to last. Any pro will tell you that the first thing to go is your joints, your back, etc, so I want players to be able to be able to walk when they are 40.

Shoot 10 free throws between each set, record. @Extra challenge= Every free throw you miss, you add that into an extra set.

Week 1: 3 sets X 8 full length court shuttles

Week 2: 4 sets X 8 full length court shuttles

Week 3: 5 sets X 8 full length court shuttles

Week 4: Break.

9.) I’m not going to tell you 9 or 10. 10.) Come to my Academy. I can’t give away all my secrets! Or contact SST at the above link to save a spot. If you are out-of-state, or are a college/pro player and want to train for free, please email me here or leave a comment and I'll get you a NMBA ELITE application. Or TWITTER me (to let you know, Twitter is about as fun as rocket science is to me). If you are out of Northern Michigan and want to come train and want an application, please contact me or leave a comment. :)

Join the NMBA'S POINT GUARD COLLEGE AND GET MENTORED, TUTORED, COACHED FOR EVERY LEVEL...

2014-04-09T17:57:00.002-07:00

NMBA'S BASKETBALL WORKOUT: BALL HANDLING DRILLS & BASKETBALL DRIBBLING DRILLS

By: Trevor Huffman, PRO POINT GUARD, AUTHOR OF HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL BETTER IN 1 HOUR A DAY, AND CREATOR OF NMBA ACADEMY.
The lights turn on, the wooden court creaks above you, and the thumping of 10,000 fanatical fans from the locker room. Your heart beat locks into your throat and you squeeze your eyes together. The Eiffel tower and city of Paris are nearby, but tonight there is no compassion or crepes, as you try to beat them, in their city, with their team and their Boston Celtic-like history. The jeers and roars grow. You try to calm yourself. The line moves in front of you as the team walks up the stairs to the court for pre-game. You get pelted with batteries and toilet paper and spit.

A SPALDING NBA basketball lands in your hands and the leather grain rolls along the pads of your fingertips and you remember.

Deep breath. Relax. You are home. You have done this for 12 years.

Scouts watch with notepads. Lenses focus and flutter. The clock ticks down and the fear slowly drains away because of one reason: everything you did in the off-season. Every ball handling drill and basketball dribbling drill. Every shot, every basketball crossover and ball handling wrap done with maximum focus, force, and knowing how far you pushed your aching body day in and day out with the best Basketball Dribbling drills and Ball handling drills.

Your palms stop sweating and you know everything you left on the practice court will be understood by faces under the bright glare of stadium lights.

This is being and living the life of a pro point guard. You must know your ball handling drills and dribbling drills prepare you for this moment-- when preparation collides with opportunity and you know you can play against anyone. Above, I'm going to leave you with a short basketball workout plan I used during my college days and pro playing days.

Constantly change the amount of time per drills between 5-20 seconds and count how many reps you can get. Try to execute long-range and faster small range dribbles. I don't know why kids practice basketball dribbling drills or ball handling drills without a plan of attack. When you step on the court, if you are by yourself or with a training partner/friend, you need to have a workout in your hand and push yourself to reach new goals daily.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF MY PRIVATE NMBA POINT GUARD COLLEGE BASKETBALL BLOG, THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN QUALIFY TO PLAY, TRAIN, AND BE MENTORED BY PRO PLAYERS/COACHES.

The Ultimate How to Play Better Basketball Handbook with Trevor Huffman

2014-03-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

How to play basketball better with Trevor Huffman

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For anyone as pumped about March Madness as I am, I found this excerpt frommmm a long time ago and thought it was also relatable to my Trevor Huffman Elite NMBA Basketball Academy and how to approach basketball training in general. One of my rules of thumb growing up was: Always try to compete against the best, because it helps you evaluate where you actually are.

This is what my NMBA basketball academy is about- I want college players playing against pros. I want high school playing against college. I want middle school playing against high school and so on and so on. Pushing yourself and seeing what the best do is a game changer because what you are doing might be a waste of time.

Most players and teams try not to find the best competition and measure themselves against it, but I believe finding confidence in yourself is done by tracking down the best players and teams and measuring your progress against them, whether you are an AAU, high school or collegiate basketball player or team, and then evaluating your personal game and going back to the drawing board. From there you can work out the kinks through high intensity training, specialized sports performance training, and a daily basketball skill development plan.

Terry Pluto kind of gets what I mean and sums up what I'm trying to say: being successful and learning to deal with failure go hand in hand, you can't have one without the other nor would you want too because the road to play college basketball is tough one. Read here... http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2010/03/to_get_more_invitations_to_the.html

Pro Point Guard College: Basketball Passing 101

2014-02-10T12:26:00.001-08:00

The Pro Point Guard College

-Pro Basketball Training Courses with Trevor Huffman & Jason Otter-

Basketball Passing 101

What if I told you, you are limiting your basketball career by the belief mindset and basketball training program you choose?

Would you do anything different, if you had a training system that has created over 1000 college players? Could you become a college player if you had the right information?

If you answered yes, then I think you've found the right place.

My mission with the Pro Point Guard College is to help teach, educate, and inspire point guards to the next level, either through my Pro Point Guard College courses, my NMBA training center (email us here to stay & train all summer) or Jason Otter's youth basketball training system, Point Guard Elite camps, and more.

Click here for Pro Point Guard College: Basketball Passing 101 video!!!

Keep reading while it downloads, should take a few minutes.

So, basketball passing, let's get started! Being an Pro Point Guard means you have to have deft, accurate, and multi-faceted passing skills, which requires a practice program designed to replicate passing skills at the highest levels.

The best passers and point guards have timing, awareness, and quick release points from many angles, all the while understanding that practicing passing is a skill just like any other that can be learned in this world.

What is the fastest way to learn Pro Point Guard passing skills?

Much like everything else Jason Otter or I teach, it is built upon learning proper technique, then progressively increasing the intensity and workload through advanced basketball skill training techniques.

5 Basketball Tips: How Pro Guards Get Assists

Find your big man or post player for the early seal, pin, or post up underneath the basket on transition. Specifically, look for a defensive player playing on the top side or ¾ front and lob the ball while in forward motion before there is defensive pressure. You must teach your big to keep eye contact with you while he posts up or pushes his defender up the lane to receive the lob. Tell him to let the defender fight for position on the top side. If you have athletic wings, forwards, or centers that beat defensive transition, tell them to create body contact, post up, and look for quick lobs in transition. Notice how fast Chris Paul gets the ball out of his passing pockets with lobs, early seals, eye contact, and other basketball passing skills here:

Learn to create eye contact with players and quickly release the ball from from different pocket passing angles. For example, I usually make lob passes, either for post ups, dunks, or early seals between half court and the hash mark (the mark on the sideline at the top of the three point line) with quick one-handed flick passes. The faster you can get the ball (outlet), the more assists you will get. Once you get the ball, always keep your eyes up to pass the ball up the court first, then second, keep your dribble alive until you have a better option. Most point guards don’t practice pivoting, creating angles with explosive basketball moves, or learning how to dribble the ball with their heads up looking for better scoring opportunities. As you watch some my Basketball Passing 101 video below, start practicing our passing fundamentals with this beginner training system and then move onto our live training events or Jason Otter online training and you will begin to see things developing quicker on the court, which means more assists!

Pass quickly with precision using two hands! Our basketball training system will create two hand passing- pocket passing, bounce passing, hook passing, pick and roll passing, and start creating pro point guard passing skills.

Be patient but aggressive with the pick and roll, practice using ball fakes, no look passes, explosive basketball moves, and finishing jump stop (the two footed stop where you leave two pivot feet to choose from), 1-2 footwork (where you choose a dominant pivot foot to pivot from) to shift the defense. Again, let the defense choose how they play you and then read the situation as quickly as possible. My Pro Point Guard College Basketball Pick and Roll 101 will be coming in later weeks, but continue to implement pick and roll work into your basketball workouts.

No baby dribbles, go nowhere, or meaningless dribbles! Make every dribble count for something. Baby dribbles are soft dribbles, where you cover no ground or create no angle for an easier pass or scoring opportunity. Again, sometimes the root problem for bad passing is slowing down, understanding how players are moving, keeping your head up, and not being able to create space because their offensive moves are so bad! You can never get good angles to pass with baby dribbles or practicing poor footwork, basketball dribbling moves, and inefficient basketball workouts.

Okay, now you can watch the video! Sign up before space runs out at our live training events all year. Thanks, Trevor Huffman and Jason Otter

Cryo chamber after tough basketball workouts?

2014-01-29T02:29:00.001-08:00

I have always been interested in regeneration, blood flow, how to improve your vertical jump training, basketball conditioning, and recovery methods for basketball players and teams.

One thing we do in euro leagues here is Cryo Chamber freeze-- A deep penetrating cold that goes to negative 160 to 260 and hurts your feelings while you do it.

Sometimes pain and suffering make sense.

Most teams, parents, and aau basketball teams don't have a Cryo chamber, but you can do a lot with a little.

One of my other favorite forms of recovery + regeneration protocols or speed, agility, quickness, even how to improve your vertical jump basketball workouts are through DWR basketball specific training: get DWR, deep water running gear for my workouts, with an aqua jogging belt, where you feet are not touching OR for our explosive workouts where they are...

I use the pool for BASKETBALL WORKOUTS FOR 2 PRO PG reasons--

1.) to recover after hard games and keep my basketball fitness up.

2.) to train explosively with aqua fins, aqua shoes, and high resistance, high intensity style training!

What a grand idea! Train MAX intensity in the water with less pounding, more reps, and fast twitch/high speed training programs!

Basketball players rarely play for more than 1 min straight of MAX 100% intensity, and in Europe actually press, pick up man to man and use more energy disrupting offenses in hopes 24 seconds will be run down.

Which is why recovery is so important, and why a water recovery workout is so beneficial for you: to get the blood flow up, joints moving, full range of motion back, relax and put your spine in a neutral state, and help decrease stiffness. It's the same concept as to why every player and coach should start looking into basketball training and cold baths, recovery suits, and other products that help players train at the highest intensity possible.

But, during the offseason (sometimes in-season when I'm coming back from injuries) I have been able to keep, enhance, and improve speed quickness agility muscular endurance training in the water. Also, I've experimented with basketball recovery tights, which seem to be compression trick (remember RICE= rest, ice, compression, elevation). Everything little thing helps and if you can combine proper hydration, RICE, through these basketball tips, I think you'll be able to consistently out-train your competition.

I've done enough research to know this works, not only with myself, but from reading articles online and streamlining workouts for point guard, basketball specific workouts. Which is why creating basketball workouts that replicate and simulate basketball intensity are so important! (why Jason Otter is one of the best in my opinion...)

So, try this in the pool for recovery basketball workouts: 5 mins light DWR. Keep your back straight and make sure you are getting full range of motion with knees and circular motion as you kick down and thru bringing your heel to your butt.

After 5 minutes, stretch on the side of the pool and return to fart licks or interval running where you increase your running tempo for 20-40 seconds then slow down. Do this for 20 minutes straight and stretch again (then find a nice steam room and throw your legs up on the wall).

No max intensity here. Just recovery training.

Stay tuned for my how to increase your vertical jump thru water basketball workouts... Just one of the many ways to improve your basketball skills or team.

Take care let me know if you have any questions!

Take care,

Trev, the wild and extreme world of "Pro PG Methods" and Pro Point Guard College reviews

- Posted using BlogPress

Location:France

Course One- Pro Point Guard College: Basketball Dribbling 101

2014-01-28T01:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the online Pro Point Guard College. I'm a 16-year Euro Pro, NBA, and NCAA All-American Point Guard that wants to help you or your team get to their basketball goals. My passion is educating, inspiring, and explaining why Jason Otter's #1 basketball training system has transformed over 1000 middle school, high school and AAU basketball players into college or pros.

4 BASKETBALL DRIBBLING DRILLS PRO TIPS:

Watch this short demo. Notice their stance. Butt down. Their backs are straight and their eyes remain up. Once you have the proper form and technique for these drills, increase you intensity:

Intensity is key as you progress. A pro point guard must have explosive ball handling and dribbling moves. By lowering your base, engaging your core and abs, you increase the power, speed, and quickness of your dribble move.

Make sure you keep your base strong. At my college, or Jason Otter events, we walk around and push players to see if they move or fall out of their stance. If you have a weak base or foundation, you will have a hard time creating explosiveness and quickness with the basketball.

Plan to incorporate this into your basketball workouts twice per day. Yes, I said twice per day. Pro point guards practice twice per day.

I'm writing a book, it's called the Point Guard Methods and it is my method for approaching basketball and life development, on how to design a youth basketball training system, from learning Jason's basketball dribbling drills to basketball shooting protocols, to basketball conditioning (as in learning how to improve your vertical jump quickly and safely) so you can play at the highest level possible.

Most kids, parents, and coaches think that PRO basketball skills take 8-10 hours a day of basketball off-season practice and playing, Aau basketball every weekend, and on and on and on... This idea of basketball improvement is:

False.

So what did I do? What would I have done differently if I had all the knowledge I do know as a 14 year old? I'd design parts of my basketball program with Jason Otter's dribbling and ball handling drills twice a day!
See, I consistently started basketball dribbling drills two times a day for 45 minutes to an 1 hour before school (the PG Sunrise Club!) and after school when I started my vision quest to be a college basketball player when I was in 8th grade with my dad.
But I didn't know what I was doing, nor did I actually work all that hard.

I barely made it to a division I scholarship. But then I met Jason and my career took off.

Hopefully this will be the education and inspiration you need to get where your vision quest or basketball goals are taking you. Good luck and ask any questions here or email me in form on top right!
--Trevor Huffman

Ps. OtterBasketball would like to congratulate Philip Flory on his recent verbal commitment to Marquette University! Philip has been involved in the OtterBasketball training program since 2009 and made the commitment to Marquette before ever even playing in a High School game! Hard work pays off!

The PRO POINT GUARD TRAINING METHOD to Living

2014-01-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

Inspiration comes when you least expect it. Most players, parents, and coaches don't get how much passion, energy, intensity, planning, and vision go into being a PRO point guard. As Derrick Rose battles back from his surgery, just like thousands of other players out there giving it their all, we must have a PRO plan to getting where we want to go.

It's not just what you do, it's how you do it, why you do it, and the method you use to approach designing your life around (your vision quest) of basketball training, playing, or coaching.

You have to design, I repeat, design your life around the best training practices, coaching drills and concepts in THE WORLD!

Yes, find the best in the world, and replicate what they are trying to do (not so tough right?)

There are thousands of online basketball coaches and trainers popping up. It's important for you to do your research before investing in yourself whether it's a point guard camp, point guard college, elite pg online training, youth basketball training, etc...

The good news is, I've been doing this for 20 years. I can cut through the crap, the BS, the scam artists teaching killer crossovers and spin moves without a clue of what really goes on at the highest levels.

PRO PG METHOD BASKETBALL TIPS:

STOP TRAINING INCORRECTLY.

STOP DESIGNING YOUR LIFE AROUND BADDDDDD HABITS and SKILL MOVEMENTS THAT DON'T WORK AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

It's the motivation and passion behind my own Pro Point Guard Academy in Northern Michigan. It's the reason I write and tell you about stuff, videos, point guard training drills, and basketball equipment--from shoes, ankle braces to training products-- that actually aren't crap.

So, before I write about my life here in France, playing (recovering from surgery) for the Antibes Sharks, in PRO A, I want you to check out my 2014 Personal Journey Pics- 365 Days of the Point Guard Method-- my future book and overall approach to lifestyle, training, and basketball coaching design: HERE!

One of the things I constantly tell kids, parents, and coaches is: Start acting like a PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER RIGHT NOW! Don't wait. Inaction is the root of all failure. As Thomas Edison did, "You don't fail until you stop trying (acting, in this case)."

One of my 2014 PG Method Habits, as I recover from ankle surgery, is waking up with the sunrise everyday, just like I used to wake up and do basketball dribbling drills before school started.

The Pro Point Guard Method applies to everything in life.

Basketball injuries and setbacks happen everyday. After 12 years of playing Pro ball, "Your ankles," the doctor said, "look like a 65 year-old with a calcium deficiency."

Thanks Doc for the uplifting news!

Yep, reconstructive ankle surgery is no fun. In fact, I'm going to tell you that it downright stinks like a pile of poo you stepped in bare foot that sticks to the insides of your toes.

Yes, basketball isn't always fun.

But that's life-- challenges, failures, broken hearts, millions and millions of dollars, wait, what?

Sorry, I got ahead of myself. I'm going to add that to 2040's vision quests list. But seriously, I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't down about my luck going into the surgery, knowing I would miss the whole basketball season, knowing I went from a champion last year to riding the bench and pool therapy this year.

Pain and suffering aren't the easiest pills to swallow.

But eventually the Proverbial Point Guard in me said, "What else can you do? What else can you be? What else can you explore? What else can you dream?"

I realized life is limitless in what we can do. It just so happened my choice and dream was to play basketball. What is yours? Can I help? Do you want to make the team? Do you want to find a college team?

Well, first off, let's focus on getting better everyday, on getting closer to reaching your dreams. So...

What is going to make 2014 the best basketball (or non-basketball) year ever?

Name three daily habits you have to do?

How to Be a Pro Basketball Player Blog BASKETBALL TIPS:

I can tell you what most people do. They make resolutions and never do them. They think about dreams and never make them happen. People constantly fail because they fail to plan and let their dreams inspire them into daily habits.

Why do Pro Point Guards train 2x a day?

Because they friggin' want too, because they love the game, because they are afraid someone else is doing more than them, because they have always had big goals and dreams. It's never easy for the underdog, the small guy to make it, but that doesn't mean you can't.

Here's where it applies to life! The Point Guard Method, which I will write about more, doesn't care if it is getting in shape, investing money, trying to meet a special someone, learning a new skill-- it always comes to YOUR APPROACH!

So, one challenge: Write out one thing you want to accomplish and post it... don't be frightened by a big bad pro point guard. I won't bite.

I'm your friendly basketball, not your Bob Knight cuss-you-out-expert.

If you don't write it down, and the action plan to get there, you are fooling yourself. You are procrastinating about how good you want to 2014 to be.

If that's the case and writing out your PG daily habit creation and vision quest is too tough or demanding, then our basketball training isn't for you most likely.

Examples? Okay, one of the habits I needed to instill to reach my goal of seeing the sunrise every morning was getting up earlier and planning my day around my vision of who I wanted to be. Getting up early is not easy, just like this injury isn't easy. But day after day, it gets a little easier. I shed my old self. I see the orange sunrise peak over the white tipped Alps and am reminded that this world is big, powerful, and it's our job to tap into it. It's our job to make our dreams happen, even if we step in poo once in awhile.

Tell me what will make your 2014 the best ever? What about 1 habit you will make this year to ensure 2014 is friggin' like Chris Paul throwing lobs to DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin?

Let's make 2014 your best basketball year ever, are you ready?

-- Trevor Huffman

PS- JOIN or LIKE MY 365 PG CLUB- GET FREE POINT GUARD COLLEGE DISCOUNTS, OTTER TRAINING EVENT INFO, and learn HOW TO BECOME A PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER by qualifying to train with me all summer.

Youth Basketball Training

2014-01-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

I'm on Day 5 of 365 Days of Sunrise. It's a new habit I'm tying to instill. Take a look at today's picture while I recover from my basketball ankle surgery in France.

European Basketball Inspiration:
http://instagram.com/p/jgP44OqUqk/

Youth basketball training to Elite basketball training is an art, a science, and a feel. I thought this was interesting. It's a nice way to say, the more you know, the more workout programs mean less. Don't always let your workouts rule you, but then again, don't slack just because you have a liberty to know when you may or may not!

Take a look.

If you haven't signed up for my free elite basketball academy, sign up here: how-to-play-basketball-drills.com

If you have any questions about becoming a better basketball player, please ask!-- Trevor Huffman

Ps. If you are looking for summer training camps, please contact me.

Life isn't Exactly Basketball, is it?

2011-05-10T02:59:00.000-07:00

Life and basketball seem to have something in common-- ups and downs. I must admit, my basketball career has been a roller coaster. I've been on top of the world. I've been on the bottom. There were dark days when I was playing in Poland after being cut from the Phoenix Suns-- days with minutes of complete depression, hours of self-pity, and moments of melancholy nostalgia for living in America again.

The grey hairs sprouting in my beard are like weeds in a garden, reminding me that life isn't always a bed of de-horned roses. I've adapted, worked, and been asked multiple times to quit the world of competitive basketball. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't close to hanging up the shoes a few times.

I was close. But I've decided a long time ago, to never give up because things are a struggle or suffering is felt. I never wanted to give into the critics, to the people who told me I couldn't. But the critics were there from day one and sometimes I was walking right next to them.

Maybe I still am:

"You aren't good enough."

"You don't belong."

"You are too slow."

As I've gotten older, these voices are replaced with positive ones, but is it a human desire to "not fail," to shun the negativity and push forward even when my mind and body tell you not too?

Aren't we all full of the same capacity of the human spirit and will; to be certain, that against all odds, everything is possible?

Is it who we listen to, learn from, or get coached by that matters? If I had listened to the critics and naysayers, I wouldn't be rounding out a ten year career. I wouldn't have learned what works and what doesn't work.

I've loved basketball since I was little boy playing in my driveway, but the challenges get bigger and more complex as you get older and move up to more competitive levels. Suddenly, you are faced with hype, politics, money, contracts, lies, deceit, playing time, production, and selfishness. It wasn't that way when I was little. But maybe the times are different.

Maybe parents are pushing their kids too hard. Or maybe they aren't teaching them what really matters. Maybe kids aren't learning the life lessons that basketball would inevitably teach them if they chose to dedicate their lives to the challenge of self-improvement through dedication and practicing with a purpose.

Maybe that is the only lesson we are supposed to learn anyways.

The Grind of Euro Ball

2011-05-05T03:54:00.000-07:00

Basketball is lot more mental and metaphysical than people are lead to believe. There is a connection between the body and mind that sports psychologists have proven to be fact, not fiction-- in regards to performance, motivation, shooting %, and more. Yet, why do many coaches ignore this? Why do coaches continue to pretend like the Grind of a basketball season doesn't affect certain players more and other players less? Or worse, continue to do the same things over and over (the definition of stupidity in my book) with the same result?

How do we overcome the challenges of the basketball Grind and help players spark mental motivation, performance and enjoyment from a game?

I use a few principles that might help players or coaches. Always try to make practice a game. That's why we play basketball in the first place-- it's a game, it's competition, and it gets the blood flowing whether it's a shooting game, a passing game, a dribbling game, a relay race, or some other type of game that isn't basketball.

I always like when coaches mix it up. So as a player, I try to mix it up with my own practice routines. For one, everyone comes into the gym and starts shooting. Most players I study don't play shooting games with themselves. They just robotically shoot. Rebound. Shoot. Go in for pre-game.

Here is what I do that sometimes keeps me playing and competing against myself. Pick a shot-- whether you are a big man, a shooting guard, or a point guard-- that you will be forced to shoot a majority of the time during games. For me, it's shooting off a pick and roll. The game is this: Make pick and roll shots off the dribble in a row from top of key and wings. Week 1: 4 makes in a row from two-point territory and 3 makes in a row from three point territory (I like to use a chair as my picker). Week 2: 5 makes from inside arc and 4 makes from outside the arc (15 total inside arc, and 12 total outside). Week 3: 6 makes inside and 5 makes from outside, increasing the makes by 1 every week.

A team game I like is the team tag. The whole team is one half court and can't run outside the half court lines. There is a ball and whoever has the ball is safe, can't be tagged. There is a runner whom is trying to tag everyone. the person with the ball must try to help his teammates from getting tagged by passing strategically to players about to get touched by the runner. This creates a passing and catching game, a lot of laughing as players run from the tagger, and a lot of strategy as well.

If anyone has any other thoughts on the basketball Grind, please comment below!

The little details of pro basketball

2011-05-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

May 2nd, 2011

Today is the aftermath of the Euro-challenge Final Four. It has been a long road back for me personally, from 4 torn hamstrings, to 1 and half seasons of sitting, therapy, and watching basketball from the sidelines. I can tell you this: sitting out and watching basketball when you are used to playing is an emotionally challenging task. Quite simply, it can be downright sad.

Sad in the sense that you know you can help, or you can do certain things on the court to help win a game; like watching your team turn the ball over in a crucial moment, or make a bad read, or not do a certain rotation on defense. All these small details really matter. Awareness of the small details matter, whether it is training, playing, or coaching. Getting perspective on the sideline for almost 2 seasons has confirmed this much.

The beauty of basketball is paying attention to the details. The small nuances of an offense, a defense, how to get a team out of its rhythm, how to change your approach to guarding a player, a team, doubling a big man, rotating from a double team, and things of this nature really affect the outcome of a game.

If you have teams that are equal in talent, then it comes down to these small things. That's what I learned at the European Final Four. It's the small things. The team that won didn't have the most talent, but they had the small details-- the guarding pick and rolls, the ball movement, the rotations, the hybrid zone that went man to man, the offensive rebounding because of their ability to move the ball and get defenses out of position, these small details all added up and helped them win, when realistically they weren't the most talented.

This is basketball to me.

Basketball Dribbling Skills

2011-03-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Basketball dribbling, ball handling, and explosiveness is what separates the good from the great. It’s what makes a guard different then the rest of the dime a dozen guards out there.

I had the chance to play for Kent State during the 2002 NCAA tournament. It was a long time ago, before I started going grey and losing my hair, but it still feels like yesterday. We were a #10 seed and we were coming in with the country’s longest winning streak. I had just come off a Team USA Olympic Try-out in Colorado Springs, Colorado in which I had competed against the likes of Jason Williams (Duke), Chris Duhon (Duke), Frank Williams (Illinois), Dan Dickau (Gonzaga), and other top point guards in the country.

I didn’t make the Team USA, but I felt good about my experience. Coming into my senior year, I had been ranked in the top 7 Point Guards in the country by various college basketball magazines. Granted, I had felt the pressure of expectations (which was new to me) and used them to train harder, smarter, and more efficiently. My tiny city in Northern Michigan wasn’t exactly a hotbed for producing NBA talent—so you could say not being the underdog was new to me!

The attention, or the spot light-- both nationally and locally-- added a different challenge for me. But I learned to deal with it, to visualize my success and my path going forward. What really matters isn’t accolades or success or being on national TV; what matters is gratitude and humility while incessantly trying to be your best. It’s a simple formula: to continue to work on being a better basketball player, human, and athlete. Do this simple task and you’ll have no regrets about your where your path takes you.

My pro trainer Jason Otter is a prime example of my quote above—to continue focusing on what we control: increasing your awareness, knowledge, and skill as a basketball player, human, and athlete will open doors for you that you never knew existed.

The OtterBasketball System taught me how to dribble effectively and efficiently at the highest level. Granted, at first, his dribble skills and ball handling drills amazed me, but it was more than just looks, it was how he taught movement, rhythm, ball location, and footwork.

I found this link of me playing in 2002 (I mean, at least you’ll know I’m not pulling your leg). Copy and paste this in your web browser: www.vault.ncaa.com/?game=306SR141_s01&seconds=4660

When my team lost in the Elite Eight to Indiana, I was admittedly sad about my college career being over. But there was the next challenge waiting for me and it was going to take a lot more dedication, perseverance, and awareness. Contact Christy Otter or Trevor Huffman at 1.866.357.2966 to find an elite point guard camp or start our Online OtterBasketball Training School today!

Basketball Dribbling Skills Video Blog

2011-03-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Basketball dribbling skills are what separate the good from the best. Learning to be a better basketball ball-handler and dribbler is made easy with Jason Otter’sOtterBasketball Online Training or attending a live Otter Training Event. Remember, it’s not the quantity, but quality of instruction, teaching, and training you decide to use.

With hundreds of all-state, collegiate, and professional players using this unique training system, players, coaches, and parents are learning what it takes to get to the next level faster than the competition!

We hope you enjoy our basketball dribbling skills video blog. Let us know what you think and we look forward to helping you achieve your basketball goals!

Basketball Coaching Blogs

2011-02-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

It wasn't too long ago that I was a 15 year-old kid looking for basketball guidance from coaches. Now, I want to help coaches, players, and parents out there get a real chance at making it to the next level. There are just so many basketball philosophies, strategies, tactics, and drills out there to choose from. It's overwhelming, really.

I was lucky to meet Jason Otter when I was younger. He was everything I was looking for to learn how to get to the next level-- hard work, detailed break downs of offensive movement through deliberate practice routines that were insanely harder and harder, and the mental advantage of learning basketball from a coach that had played professionally (which was what my goal was too).

From day 1, I just tried to soak up Coach Otter's wisdom. I really focused on his basketball tips-- how to position my feet, where the ball should be on this drill, how hard I should be working, what I should be doing in the weight room, and how to incorporate his dribble and triple threat matrix of basketball moves into my individual practice program.

It was hard. I was sore. I sweat more than ever. But it was fun. It was fun to play and practice intensely, doing things that directly transferred to court value, success, and confidence. I owe him a lot for my success.

I was the worst player on my team when I arrived at Kent State University in 1999. Four years later, I was playing in the ELITE EIGHT of the NCAA tournament, meeting the likes of Bill Walton, and other infamous basketball stars. I tried out for the NBA and failed. I tried again and failed. Then I went to Europe and started my career there. 10 years later, I've learned a great deal about basketball. About getting better. About organizing your drills around your game-- the strengths and weaknesses that have to be flushed out through proper training.

Coach Otter taught me the importance of not doing what everyone else is doing. Not following the "herd" mentality. It truly made me the player I am today and I'm eternally grateful for that. I guarantee you can learn from his system of basketball training, just like I did.

I think coaches, players, or ambitious parents could use his system. It's truly changed my basketball career forever and it can work at all levels. Have a great day, and remember there's always people out there trying to get better. Fight the resistance. Have a plan. And get up and do it again tomorrow. Sincerely, Trevor Huffman

Ps. check out his Online Basketball School here: http://www.otterbasketball.com/products/training.php

Online Basketball Training Program

2011-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hey How to Play Basketball Better Readers,
Hey, I'm recovering from surgery and looking for some basketball tips from anyone out there has recovered from a sports surgery before. Please let me know what you did to stay positive and get healthy fast! I'm starting to ramp up my blogs. Stay Tuned!-- Trevor Huffman

The Basketball Revolution

2010-04-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

New-Age Gymrat Revolution

Basketball Saying #2: If you feel the resistance of not wanting to do something, it usually means you should be doing it.

Head coaches get a lot of publicity these days. Often times these head coaches get the majority of hype, newspaper clippings, and name making (Dicky V was once a coach, enough said!), but it shouldn't be this way. It is the trainers, mentors, and self-development personnel that should be the real stars. And most importantly, they should be the stars of your show because these key people will help you improve the most!

In many ways, a head coach is supposed to make a team better, but a personal (basketball or sports performance) trainer is supposed to make a player (you) better. The magic formula for a great head coach is someone that can find the right balance-- between player development and team development-- like the infamous Yin-Yang symbol.

These head coaches exist, but they are usually too busy to spend all of their energy, planning, and advice with you!
Why?

Think about it. Head coaches today-- in Division I, II, and III-- always seem to be looking for the next great player at the next big AAU tournament.

Pheeeww-eeey on them!

But more importantly, how do you become one of these exclusively talented players the coaches are looking for?

It isn't just a one word answer, although most trainers, workout scam DVDs, and phony commercial basketball camps will try to give you just that. There is no one-stop-shop for basketball success. I don't have all the answers, but I do know what these college coaches really want:

The complete package as an athlete, person, and basketball player.

So let's start there.

If I was these coaches, I'd change the "normal" recruiting approach. Instead, I would start looking for that special trainer that knows what it takes to get you to the highest of level of basketball performance (if you already know this is for you: www..com ). I would be looking for that unique mentor that pushes you to work on every aspect of who you are. I would be looking for that different kid pushing his body, mind, and soul with this trainer to become the best basketball player he/she can be!

Endless AAU tournaments are the holy grail. You can think you're getting close to realizing your potential, but it's always the next game or tournament, the next scout or recruiter that will be watching you. But really, it's only competition in the end.

Granted, (like I said before: great parents, great trainers, and great competition are the key!) AAU has a purpose. It does show kids and parents how much talent, athleticism, and game is out there. But this should be a constant reminder as to why you should constantly strive to find any and all advantages for yourself.

New-Age Gymrats unite now!

The days of 10 hours in the basketball gym are over. The days of skinny arms and black sunken gymrat eyes are over. The days of Pistol Pete and sloppy pick-up ball are over! The days of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are over. Not that there aren't insights to glean from these pros. There are! But the times have changed (and you with them!) and just shooting 400 shots a day and dribbling a basketball around town aren't enough anymore!

So let us welcome in the new age of the Gymrat: personalized plans designed for efficiency, rest and recovery; proven systems based on periodization, all-inclusive training and workouts made with the sole purpose of realizing full potential on every scale!

If this is what you are looking for, you are on the right path. I believe wholeheartedly this is what you should be doing: working with one-of-a-kind trainers like Jason Otter, or sports performance trainers, or mentors implementing their systems, weight room training programs, or vertical jump and plyometric routines (among others).

Keep reading if this is what you are looking for. If you are looking for easy solutions and the holy grail, stop reading!
Basketball Saying #3: If you think you have already arrived, you are wrong.
Why? Nobody has every arrived. That is why Dwayne Wade and Lebron James pay a hundred thousand dollars to their trainers. That is why Tim Grover studies basketball movement, physiology, muscle preparation, anatomy, and who knows what else... to help those guys get the most out of their bodies and games!

But there are countless other trainers and playings forging the same relationship. That is why I pay my trainer (not as much!) and work with people like Jason Otter. And that is why you will have to shell out some money to get yourself to the top-- because we can't possibly know it all and focus on every aspect of realizing our potential.

Basically, a young player/parent can't have a PhD in training and coaching!

Even more important, this philosophy of living has taught me some valuable lessons about basketball and life...

Basketball Tip #3: Since everyday brings a new set of challenges, barriers, and resistance, you get to decide everyday, if not every moment, to begin separating yourself from the rest of the herd and do something different.

Which leads me to...

Basketball Tip #4: Right now, start designing a workout plan (on and off the court) through research, experience, and effort (and money probably), that is based upon evaluation of your weaknesses/strengths. Next, start implementing and working the plan immediately.

Can you make it without any help or planning?

Sure you can, but it's harder than building a house without a hammer. Or worse, just imagine if you were building a house without a blueprint. My guess is you'd live in a pretty ugly house!

Sorry, but it's the truth and I don't want your game to be ugly!

But what else do you need to realize your full potential? To get to the top?

Work ethic. College coaches are starting to realize the importance of having a skill like work ethic (yes, I believe work ethic is a developed skill). Players are getting closer in skill and athleticism. Just watch the NCAA tournament if you don't believe me. Take this year's NCAA Cinderella team Butler University. It was a team full of small town kids, no names, and overlooked talent. You probably have something in common with a lot of these players. Yet these special players somehow separated themselves from their competition on a national level, received a basketball scholarship, and more importantly, reached their full potential.

This is exactly what you'll be doing.

How did these Butler players get there? How did they get a chance to play at highest of basketball pinnacles?

Again, work ethic. I can't emphasize this enough. But it doesn't stop there. Work ethic alone isn't enough, much like a building a house with only a roof isn't enough. You need walls, dry wall, shingles, framing, and much more. These players built themselves into the full package. To do this, they made a blueprint, understood their blueprint, and worked until the blueprint was finished. For some it may easier than others, but your blueprint is unique and special. It is made for you and only you.

I'm sure these Butler players built their games with their unique off-season training regimens; their personal development through expert coaching during the season (these are usually the assistant coaches taking the personal training role at this level), and their effort and progress in the weight room.

I can assure you these kids had a work ethic before they got to college. They were Gymrats to the tenth degree. But they also had a strategic plan that utilized their strengths and advanced their weaknesses until they became Division I prospects. And they probably worked at this plan tirelessly, doing whatever it took to complete their blueprint.

This is the difference between the players that make the jump from high school to college basketball...
Basketball Saying #4: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Ben Franklin

In my opinion, work ethic is equally important as athleticism, height, or innate ability.
The ability to work efficiently, hard, and smart is one of the most important skills you can have in the game of basketball. If I was these college coaches, I would be studying what a player does in their workouts, how hard they work, what they do, why they do it, and when they do it. I wouldn't be watching all these AAU games (okay, maybe a few), but a player can change so much in a year period, or better, a six month period.

You know I'm right! Think about where you were a year ago.

Are you the same player?

For your sake, I hope not!

With a great attitude, insurmountable work ethic and unquenchable thirst for learning, you can master the right set of fundamentals to be successful at the game of basketball. I live in Europe where seven-footers can shoot the three from thirty feet, make a no-look pass, and make free throws! Don't tell me only certain people can master the fundamentals because it's
hogwash!

True, it helps to be seven feet tall and jump forty inches straight up, but even these players find ways to not reach their full potential (or worse, not make the team)! Even if you aren't a McDonald's All-American, even if you can't jump 40 inches and run a 4.2 forty yard dash... you can succeed with basketball and reach as high as fulfilling your blueprint can take you.

Hogwash again, you say?

If the proof is in the pudding, then look no further because I got a big spoonful of it ready to fling it at you (if you're the first naysayer that is)!

What am I talking about, you ask?

I had not one division one scholarship until a week before university started!

Yet here I am today, standing before you as an achiever of my full potential (and still working on it!) And let me tell you, there were tons of high school players more athletic than me, taller than me, faster than me, but none of them trained, worked, and executed their blueprint and plan as well as me!

Which leads me to my next point in regards to your progress as a basketball player: imagine me as the next head college coach coming to visit you, not at an AAU game, but watching your workouts, sports performance sessions, and on-court training.

What would you do differently? Work harder? Smarter?

Really... what and how would you train if a scholarship was on the line,or better, hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Hopefully you are catching what I'm throwing at you. It's the how and why, not the who and where that matters. Now, I know none of us started playing basketball with the intention of getting a scholarship or a million dollars. But many of us have the intention of fulfilling our potential. I know I did.

And that's all you have to concern yourself with, which leads me to the only real question we need to ask ourselves (since we are basketball players I will phrase it in regards to basketball, but you can take basketball out and add life instead): How do we really take the passion we have for basketball and truly fulfill all of our potential?

This is what I'm trying to tell you. The difference between making it and not making it is miniscule. There is a huge gray area for college coaches. The separation between a Butler player and a Division II-III player isn't as big as you think, just like the reasons why a high school player makes it or doesn't make it aren't as big as you think.

Basketball Tip #5: It will always be the ambitious youth that puts his/her basketball plan into action, everyday of every year and continues to do the right things that separates themselves from the rest of the pack and reaches their goals.

Basketball isn't a perfect game. Great players slip through. Bad players sign full rides. It happens all the time. But it does lead me to the old adage my father still tells me, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Are you really ready to start learning (Well, you must be right? You are reading this?) So let's start here:

Reaching your full potential means finding the right people to help get you there.
It means designing the blueprint that will help make you who you are trying to be.
It may take some work ethic skill building, but I believe with smart, efficient work we can achieve great things.

Good luck in your quest. I hope I can help you get to where you are going, which seems to be up-up-and-away... – Trevor H.

How To Play Basketball-- "Basketball Tips, Training, Drills, Sayings, and Quotes"

2010-04-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

How To Play Basketball Tips Blog

*BLOG NOTE: This is written for the basketball player, parent, and coach that might want to get inside the player's head and understand the psychology of a true gym rat; for that ambitious youth aiming for the highest of basketball pinnacles; for that streetball player trying to reach their full potential on and off the court through weight training routines, basketball workouts, drills, and expanding their mind with basketball quotes, sayings, and realizations not yet realized.

May your journey and epiphanies be as fun and fulfilling as mine. Hopefully I can aid you just as others have aided me. – Trevor Huffman, Pro Basketball Player (NBA-Phoenix Suns, 8-Year European Pro)

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Basketball Saying #1: Get out of your Comfort Zone.

It's 8:40 a.m. in Belgium. Luckily, pro basketball in Europe doesn't start too early, but it wasn't always this easy. When I played at Kent State in the Mid American Conference, workouts started at 6:30 a.m. Those were tough. Now my mornings are slower. I watch and try to walk my dogs first-- a Jack Russell and Spanish Hound-- but they are already playing, growling, wrestling, and spinning around like a Tasmanian tornado in my living room.

It's their nature and I can't stop them.

They do it every morning and it's like an abstract doggie dance that no one can interpret-- especially me, and especially in the morning before a cup of my favorite Nespresso. Yeah, I need a kick because pots of coffee don't really exist over here. Belgians don't believe in it. So I have found the next best thing: Nespresso Pods-- small colored pods that click into a espresso machine that sucks the espresso out of them (and then get sucked down by me!)

Unfortunately, that is one of the things I have learned from my eight years of professional basketball here; pots of never-ending coffee just don't exist in Europe. Not that I need that much coffee. I just need one cup. Every morning. Then it's time to contemplate, plan the day, and figure out what I need to do and how I need to do it.

This is what I call (and I'm not medically qualified to start naming syndromes, but this one might be the first good one) the Gymrat Syndrome: when basketball is just our nature, part of who we really are.

This syndrome includes: the drive, passion, burn, desire, or craving to be in the gym or working on your game. I don't know where my Gymrat Syndrome came from, but it started early. It transformed over the years, fueled by my dreams and goals, and my fear of failure or allowing other ballers (taking the liberty of shortening basketball players to ballers) the chance to beat me.

This feeling, when it comes, is like a volcano waiting to erupt; to be the best I can be, to win championships, to be remembered, to succeed, and most of all, to win and not let others beat me!

The thrill of winning and reaching my goals is part of this cycle, this feeling emerging over and over again, that takes me to the court after every morning, after every practice or game--good or bad-- and keeps me working and improving and wanting to sharpen the facets of my game.

I can't suppress the Gymrat Syndrome as much as a volcano on a fault-line can't suppress lava!

But this lava isn't actually burning or melting someone's feet (thank goodness!) This feeling and desire just sloshes around inside of me, burning me on the inside, burning me to go do something: to keep learning, to try new workouts, to drill myself in new ways.

But over the years, I learned the burn to just play basketball isn't enough.

BASKETBALL TIP #1: You can't only be in the gym or only think about basketball or only lift weights. There has to be premeditated, planned, decisive action that covers all of your designated areas of improvement (I'll call these AOI.)

BASKETBALL TIP #2: Spend time thinking about what these areas are and start planning ways to turn weaknesses into strengths and strengths into ultra-strengths!

For example some people might be need to work on their left hand dribbling. Others might need to fine tune (more like overhaul!) their weight room routine and training habits (especially if you look like a bodybuilder with pole legs!) Some might need to find ways to control their nervousness and mindfulness on the court. There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of things to work on!

How do we pick?

Every person has a different path to basketball enlightenment (well, not really like Buddha enlightenment, but a very clear understanding of who and what you are on the court), but you will have to be painfully honest with yourself.

Why?

Because it is these areas that will take you to the next level. It is these areas I will talk about and harp on. But the burn has to take you to these AOI. It has to make you improve and work on the things you really need. It has to expand your mind, bring presence to your game, and help your maturity both on and off the court. I have found ways to channel that burn and become more productive as a person, a player, and an athlete and I want to help you do the same.

Be careful! There is tons of static, white noise, and things trying to stop you! Everyone will have different challenges, barriers, and setbacks! But know this: there is so much more to basketball-- right under the thin veneer of sports hype, ESPN commentators talking too much, and NBA players trash talking to each other-- that is the real part of what being a basketball player really means.

So again, this is my challenge for you: (1.) find the sacred side of basketball-- where humility, hard work, and presence (more on this later)-- will be your foundation. (2.) start thinking about your AOI on a broad scale that involves your game, your body, your soul, your spirituality, your knowledge, etc. (this is your AOI, you need to figure this out and what you need.)

If you have questions, ask.

Deal?

Deal.

Now I didn't always get paid to play basketball, but it was a byproduct of the burn inside of me. That started a long, long time ago-- now just a fairytale inside my head-- as a little boy dribbling a ball in an empty gym, sweating and counting down the seconds until shooting the last second basket in front of a thousand imaginary, fanatical fans. I was that little boy (this analogy works for girls too!) at one time-- dreaming and hoping and working towards the next level-- and now I'm passing the torch to you! Now it is you that is going to make this journey! It is you that will pass the torch next!

Your first task on this new journey:

Ask a question!

Start a discussion!

Take action!

(or take the shot!)

I've learned so much on my journey; countless lessons, insights, and barriers broken, yet still playing basketball all over Europe against some of the best in the world; for money, championships, pride, and the right to say, “I'm part of the Elite.”

This isn't about me (well it sort of is, but really, I want this to help you reflect about you!) and I want to keep this as honest and raw as possible. My career might be in the final stages, but what about your career?

What about your path?

Where is it headed and why?

This is the time to ask. This is the moment to learn.

The beautiful thing about basketball, heck about sports in general, is that you usually reap what you sow. If your harvest is empty, maybe you need to think about the seeds you're sowing and start over again.

So let's get to it already, work together, and start fulfilling all of our potential!-- Trevor H.