INJURIES 

We can confidently say for all players, parents, and coaches that no one wants to see an injury. Injuries will certainly happen. Rolling an ankle on another player’s foot or catching an elbow to the head are a part of basketball.

However, if a player is playing to not get hurt then they aren’t going to reach their maximum production. There are always risks involved in physical competitions. As soon as that becomes a factor in how you play, you are limited to what you can do.

Players

You absolutely must take control of and know your body. It is one thing that you completely control. You have the power to work it, rest it, and rebuild it.

*Previous injuries – if you have a previous injury like torn ACL, sprained ankle, etc. that is still nagging or limiting what you can do, be sure to follow the advice of your doctor and athletic trainer.

It is important that you understand, with Underrated Ballerz AAU Program, IF YOU MISS ANY PRACTICES THE WEEK OF A TOURNAMENT FOR ANY REASON, EVEN DUE TO INJURIES, ILLNESS, OR ANY REASON, YOU WILL NOT START WITH UNDERRATED BALLERZ AAU PROGRAM FOR THAT WEEK. PRACTICE=PLAYING TIME. THIS RULE IS UTTERLY INFLEXIBLE.

Prevention

Some teams will do pre-season conditioning, lifting, and work to get into shape and build the athlete’s body. Some will also cover pre-workout stretching and warm-up. This is important for injury prevention. However, if your team isn’t doing these or if you want to go deeper, it is your responsibility to educate yourself and take action. 

Recovery

If you are working out as hard as you possibly can, your recovery is crucial to your future performance. This means post-workout stretching, consistent hydration, and getting plenty of quality rest. This also lends itself to injury prevention. Competing while overly fatigued, tight and cold, or dehydrated makes you more susceptible to injury. If you are serious about your performance, recovery needs to be a piece of your overall workout.

Nutrition

While all players vary in their type of nutritional needs, the kind of food you eat matters. Just like an injury, sickness can also keep you from performing at your best. Everybody needs a good mix of vitamins and nutrients. And eating high doses of sugars and bad fats can negatively affect how your body works. Be smart about what you eat. It may not last as long as a bruised rib, but being sick can still keep you out of action.

Parents

You are going to be one of the biggest influences in your child’s off-the-court activities. You can really help by supporting their prevention, recovery, and nutritional efforts. Encouraging them to educate themselves, helping them with recovering, and providing nutritional meals will go a long way in helping their performance.

IF YOUR CHILD MISSES ANY PRACTICES THE WEEK OF A TOURNAMENT FOR ANY REASON, EVEN DUE TO INJURIES, ILLNESS, OR ANY REASON, YOU WILL NOT START WITH UNDERRATED BALLERZ AAU PROGRAM FOR THAT WEEK. PRACTICE=PLAYING TIME. THIS RULE IS UTTERLY INFLEXIBLE.

Coaches

Most coaches will provide as much support as they can with regard to injuries. Coaches are playing the balancing game. They want to push their players through tough drills and physical practices. At the same time, they are controlling the type of contact that has a higher potential for injury and monitoring the chance of players overdoing things with their bodies.