#tips to improve basketball shooting

[brenwritesss]

idk if you weite for juju but juju watkins fluff to smut

Work For It

JuJu Watkins x reader

Summary: JuJu tries to teach you how to play basketball, only it leaves you wanting her to teach you more than just playing ball.

Warnings: smut and language

a/n: I have never played basketball, only watch it. Therefore, the tips in this could be very wrong. So, pls bear with me.

“Babe, you can’t be serious,” JuJu picks up the ball after another failed attempt at you trying to make a shot. You and your girlfriend had been in the USC gym for an hour, with her trying to teach you how to ball. Of course, this wasn’t your idea but your girlfriend could be pretty convincing when she wanted something. “Lock in, baby.”

“I’m trying,” you say as she passes the ball to you, standing off to the side to watch you make another shot. 

You threw the ball again, trying to create a smooth arch with your wrist like you had seen JuJu effortlessly so many times. But just as expected, the ball missed the net entirely like the last fifty times you had attempt to get it into the net. When the ball bounces off the backboard and shoots to the side, your shoulders sag. 

JuJu chases after the ball and picks it up. She turns to you, giving you a soft smile. A smile that makes you melt every single time. She walks closer to you. “At least your form is improving.”

That made you frown. “Let’s face it, only one of us is destined to be a basketball star.”

JuJu let out a low laugh, “come on, you got it.”

“I think I should plan the dates from now on.” You hesitantly grabbed the ball again as she handed it to you.

JuJu laughs again. “No, this is fun.”

“For you.”

JuJu sighs, walking to stand behind you. You thought she was just going to walk back to her spot beside you, but her soft, warm breaths hitting your neck proved otherwise. “What did I say about locking in?”

You turn your head to her. “How am I supposed to lock in when you’re right behind me?”

Her hand moves your chin so that you’re back to facing the hoop. Her hands are now gently placed on your waist, gently guiding your body to turn. “Look at where you want the ball to go,” she paused, bringing her foot in between yours and gently kicking your feet farther apart. “You need to get that strength in your shooting form from your legs. Consistent shots come from balance.”

You ground your feet to the gym floor, not taking your eyes off the net. “Now what?”

“Tuck your elbow in when you shoot, almost rolling the ball off your fingers, and follow through.” JuJu’s voice guiding you through this shot did indeed send a flare of heat through your body straight to your core. But you were more focused on making this damn shot rather than how wet you were becoming every second.

Her hands stayed on your waist as a way of providing you some comfort while you tried to shoot the ball. Following her instructions, you tucked in your elbow as you threw the ball and for the first time today, it had gone swiftly into the net. The second you practically heard the swish of the net, you jumped in excitement. “Hell fucking yes.”

JuJu laughed and grabbed you by the waist, picking you up effortlessly. “You did it. You fucking did it!”

You laughed and wrapped your arms around her and buried your face into the crook of her neck. “Couldn’t have done without my favorite teacher.”

“I’m proud of you baby.”

“Can’t believe I just did that,” you said into her neck. Her hand rubbed up and down your back, providing you comfort.

“I can,” she said. “I knew you were gonna get it.”

“Thank you for teaching me, babe.” You let go of her but her hands didn’t linger from your waist.

“Always,” she says before smiling down at you. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

Even after dating her for almost a year, she never failed to turn you into a blushing mess. “Stop.”

“I’m being serious,” she whispers, tracing your jawline with her thumb.

You looked up at her, your bottom lip subconsciously wedged between your teeth. “I think I could use your teaching skills again.”

JuJu raises her eyebrow, looking down your body before looking back at you, your gaze on her immediately making her hands tighten their grip. “Yeah?”

You nod. “Can’t seem to figure out what to do with my hands, you know?”

JuJu swallows hard. “Your hands?”

“Yeah, just can’t seem to use them correctly.”

JuJu chuckles and she lets her hand travel down your hip. “I got you, baby.”

“Need you so bad,” you whisper into her ear and you could swear you felt the shiver that ran through her body just then. You wrap your legs around her waist and her hands shift up to your ass to support you. You had assumed that she was going to take you right here, in the gym. However, her movements said otherwise as she carried you out of the gym and toward her car. She unlocks her car with ease and practically throws you into the backseat, getting in after you and shutting the door.

“What–” You’re cut off by the intense feeling of JuJu’s mouth on yours, immediately pushing her tongue past your lips, not even bothering to ask for permission. You moaned at the feeling of her tongue swirling around yours, which elicited a moan from her. JuJu’s hands pulled at your waist, fiddling with the waistband of your shorts. You slowly lay your back down on the backseat, pulling JuJu with you. Having her on top of you had to be the best feeling in the world. 

“Ju…” you breathed out as best you could as her mouth placed sloppy kisses along your jawline. Your hand gripped the back of her neck, pulling her as close to your body as possible. The second she hit that sweet spot that she knew all too well, you knew you were done for. You dug your fingertips into the skin of her neck. “Need you now.”

Her response to your demand was her hands pulling your shirt off, leaving you in your bra. You raised your eyebrows at her as you silently questioned getting naked in the middle of a gym parking lot. As if she read your mind, she rubbed her hands up and down your sides, looking directly down at you and said, “relax baby, nobody’s gonna see us.”

“O-okay,” you whispered back and she took that as permission to continue, pulling off your shorts and leaving you in your underwear. Every small touch that lingered on your skin grew that puddle in your legs and you were starting to get impatient.

Moving your panties to the side, she pressed her thumb straight onto your throbbing clit, dragging it down your folds. “Fuck baby, so wet for me.” The pressure combined with how wet you were already caused you to let out an unintentional whimper, your legs shaking just a bit.

“Please,” you beg her. Beg her to soothe your throbbing cunt just how you liked it.

Her eyes flicked back up to yours. “Please what? Use your words.”

“Please,” you said, the word coming out in another whimper. “Please touch me. Do anything, just please, I can’t take this anymore.”

“Yeah? Want me to make you cum?” she asked you so bluntly you almost choked.

You nodded your head aggressively and closed your eyes at the feeling of her thumb re-attaching to your clit. “Yes…mhm. Need you to make me cum so bad.”

“Gotta work for it.”

Your eyes shot back open. “W-what?” 

Her thumb applied more pressure which only increased the throbbing. “You said you want to use your hands correctly. If you wanna cum, you gotta work for it.”

You opened your mouth to say something, only for your voice to crack when you speak, “babe you can’t be serious.”

“Use those pretty hands and fuck yourself like I fuck you,” she ordered, taking her thumb away from your clit and licking off your wetness. You could have sworn that in that moment, you could have cum just from watching that.

“JuJu–”

You’re cut off by her grabbing your hand and guiding your fingers to trail down your body, making your nipples harden and your breathing to pick up. She looked at you through her eyelashes, watching every expression that she could read on your face. How your breath hitched at your own touch. She guided your own fingers through your folds and you bit your lip at the touch. “Show me baby.”

You began rubbing your fingers against your sopping cunt, the most pornographic moans coming from your throat. You circled your clit just like JuJu had done minutes ago, even though it almost didn’t feel the same compared to when she did it. You brought your other hand up to toy with your already hardened nipple. 

JuJu is smiling at the sight in front of her, a low groan coming from her when you turn your head to the side, closing your eyes. She grabs your chin, tugging it towards her. “Nah, eyes open and on me.”

You obeyed her orders, keeping your eyes on her as you continued playing with yourself. After a couple minutes, your eyes widen and your breathing picks up even more as she puts her fingers inside your throbbing entrance. “JuJu, fuck baby.”

You stop touching your clit but she grabs your hand and puts it back on it. “Keep working, mama.”

The more she thrusts her fingers inside you, the harder you press against your clit. You were moaning so loud you wondered if anyone could hear you outside the car doors. Your sounds were music to JuJu’s ears. You were positive that she was thrusting harder just to hear your moans. Each one louder than the last.

“Just like that,” JuJu coos in your ear. She hovers her body over your own, kissing at your neck again as her fingers curl deep inside you. Your hand is now trembling over your cunt as you try to continue your own movements. “Wanna feel you cum,” she whispered into your mouth before devouring your lips. That was all you needed to come undone right underneath her. Your legs trembled and your arms shook. You moaned directly into her mouth as she helped you ride out your high. All that was left was your chest almost heaving from the stimulation. 

“There we go,” JuJu says, slowing down her fingers. “So pretty.”

You couldn’t say anything as you were trying to catch your breath. She realized just how disheveled you looked and brushed strands of hair out of your face. She caresses your cheek with her thumb, smiling at you. “You okay?

You nod your head. “Yeah, yeah I’m–holy shit.”

She laughs at how out of breath you are. “Did so good for me mama.” 

She grabs one of her shirts from her gym bag and pulls it over your head. Of course, it was too big for you which caused her to laugh even more. You glare at her. “You can’t just make me cum and then laugh at me.”

“You know how much you’re feeding me ego right now?” she asks before leaning down and giving you a gentle kiss before pulling you both up to a sitting position. “We should go get food.”

You looked at her confused, wondering how the hell she wanted to get food after that. “Food?”

“In N Out sounds really good right now.”

“Fine, but you’re paying.”

[calicoheartz]

could u do hcs of paige with a lax player gf? also i LOVE your work

Netted Hearts ; Paige Bueckers ᥫ᭡

summary : paige bueckers x lacrosse gf hcs !

warnings : none ! just pureee fluff

disclaimer : i do not play lacrosse , so i tried my best to accurately represent it in these hcs!

my master list ㇀♡

a/n : aww tysm anon!! i really hope you enjoy these hcs , they were very fun to write ! enjoy ◡̈

team support ;

Paige’s basketball team and your lacrosse team are all like one big happy family !

you guys often attend each others games, which creates a strong and supporting atmosphere for the both of you 🥹

shared passion ;

With both of your shared passion for sports, you try to help eachother as much as you can with game strategies, especially by watching each others tapes.

You both often offer insights and advice to eachother in order to improve!

injuries ;

ooooof best believe if you get injured during a game, yk our girl will be fighting the refs in order to get to you!

You’re HER baby , and she wants to take care of you in any way she can

Whether that means icing your bruises , kissing your scrapes , or just running you a warm bath, she will do anything for you ❤️

surprise visits ;

despite both of your conflicting schedules , she tries her best to surprise you with visits

she will definitely randomly show up at your lacrosse practice and start screaming your name, handing you your favorite snack during break time ◡̈

and you will often try to go to Paige’s basketball games sporting a hand-made sign

balance ;

balancing sports and academics can be quite a challenge , but you both definitely tackle it together

You two definitely study together , help eachother with school work , and loveee to keep eachother motivated

training sessions ;

you typically join eachother in the gym for back to back training sessions for your respective sports

Paige helps you with specific basketball skills such as ball handling and shooting , while you typically help her with agility and speed, drawing from your lacrosse experience

supportive dynamic ;

you both have a very deep and passionate supportive relationship.

again , despite your conflicting schedules , she will always find a way to cheer you on at some of your games. Always always always cheering loudly from the stands

(you obviously do the same for her)

competitive spirit ;

you both are fiercely competitive , so it’s natural for the both of you to make everything into a competition. Who can clean the dishes the fastest , racing from the car and into your apartment , who can finish laundry the fastest , etc.

this competitive nature helps keep your relationship fun and exciting , and keeps you on the tip of your toes

personal growth ;

through the ups and downs of your relationship , you have been able to benefit the both of you in your respective sports.

You both have learned valuable lessons regarding teamwork , perseverance , and communication ; which has helped you both on and off the field / court

random hcs ;

She will definitely hit you with a lacrosse stick just to piss you off , maybe even a basketball too if you’re unlucky enough to

Will make you get up in the mornings to practice your stick skills

Gets you lacrosse themed goodies as a way to say she’s proud of you (yall are matching)

Paige would be such a good gf istg 🥴 anyways, as always tysm for reading !!

[pickalilywrites]

Lily, would you write some pokopiku? 🥹

anon, i will always write some pkpk!

breaking free

pokopiku. high school musical au. 3984 words.

Soaring, flying

There’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach 

Porco can only recall those two lines, but the rest of the muddled melody plays in his mind for days on end. Sometimes he doesn’t know if he’s imagining it or if it’s just Pieck humming it beside him. When he’s lost in a daze, that song playing in the background of his mind, he’ll startle from his daydream and turn expecting to see her by his side only to realize that it was all in his head the entire time.  

He doesn’t hate music. In fact, he actually kind of likes it. He might not go out of his way to attend concerts or buy musical tickets. Hell, he hasn’t even paid attention to any of the low-budget productions that his school puts on every semester until recently. He just likes to strum the lonely guitar sitting in his living room every once in a while, and he admittedly doesn’t mind hearing Pieck humming beside him when they should be focusing on their chemistry experiment. It’s just that he has other things he should be thinking about: how to improve his free throws, the upcoming basketball game with Shiganshina High, and the basketball championship that his team is set on winning. He has no time for songs or dances no matter how many fliers Pieck shoves under his nose.  

He finds it curious that she’s even interested in the school’s upcoming musical, although she’s never been normal in the first place. She had transferred here a month into the new school year. The teachers adored her for her intelligence and her willingness to participate in class. Her academic credentials were undoubtedly impressive: a straight A student with a dozen math and science championship titles under her belt. She would, of course, be representing Liberio High in the International Math Olympiad with all the other math whizzes in their school. She fit quite neatly into her niche of smart, intellectual students destined to graduate one year early and attend an Ivy League just as Porco fit neatly into his own niche of big, burly athletes that were aiming to attend a top-rated sports university on an athletic scholarship. 

Porco is putting his books away in his locker when someone slams it shut, making him jump.  

“Jesus, Pieck!” he yelps. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest. “What the fuck? You could have slammed my fingers in there.”  

“Oh, please. I wouldn’t have done that to the school’s basketball star shooting guard,” Pieck says with a crooked smile. She leans against his locker, her head resting against the cool metal door. “I made sure your precious fingers were out of the way before I closed the locker door.”  

“I’m the point guard,” Porco says even though he’s had to correct Pieck on his position on the basketball team multiple times at this point. He has a feeling she purposely gets it wrong just to annoy him. He can feel the tips of his ears begin to sting, although he doesn’t quite know why. “What do you want anyway? You don’t have to keep reminding me to write my lab report. They’re individual anyway.” 

“Aw, you’re so grown up now,” Pieck coos, and Porco wants to cover his ears before they turn completely red but he resists the urge and keeps his hands at his side. “No, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I just wanted to tell you that I signed you up for the upcoming school musical. The auditions are tomorrow.”  

Porco straightens up in alarm. He would think this were a joke, but he wouldn’t put it past Pieck to scrawl his name down on the audition list for real. She had been talking about it for the past few weeks when auditions were first announced, but he didn’t think she would actually do it. She had math competitions to study for and he had his basketball games. With all the time they put in their current extracurriculars, he didn’t know how they would even have the time to prepare for a musical on the slim chance they managed to pass auditions.  

“You’re joking, right?” he asks, but he feels as if he already knows the answer to that question when he sees the way Pieck’s smile never breaks. He runs a hand through his hair and curses when he sees the grease that covers his fingers from his hair gel. He glares at Pieck as if this is her fault, but she doesn’t seem deterred. “Pieck, I’m not a musical guy. It’s fine if you want to juggle all of these different things — math whiz, science nerd, theater geek — but I have my hands full as it is being -”  

“- a jock?” Pieck finishes for him, eye brow raised. She rolls her eyes, a laugh escaping her lips. For some reason, Porco is beginning to feel ashamed. Pieck pushes herself off Porco’s locker. Her smile is a little less relaxed now, stretched into a thin, tight line. “Come on, Porco. You can’t seriously subscribe to the strict status quo that all your classmates do. It’s all made up by teenagers, for God’s sake. You must want more in life than being shoved into a shoebox labeled ‘high school basketball star.’”  

“Well, maybe I like being a high school basketball star. Maybe you’re dissatisfied with being good at one thing, but I’m perfectly happy with it,” Porco snaps. He hikes the strap of his backpack up his shoulder and looks down at Pieck, but the frown that has replaced her smile doesn’t make him feel very good about defending himself.  

Pieck purses her lips and looks as if she’s about to turn away, but she opens her mouth instead. “You know, I signed you up because I thought it would be fun, and also because I thought you would be good at it.” She looks down at the tiles on the hallway floor, reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. "I hear you singing sometimes, and I think it’s amazing. You probably don’t even realize it, but you were singing just a few minutes earlier. It was under your breath, but I heard you.”  

Porco’s cheeks begin to flush and he wants to deny it, but he knows that what Pieck says is true. He’s been singing the song for the audition piece because it plays in his head on repeat. He wants to snap at Pieck again and blame her for getting the song stuck in his head in the first place, but he knows that there isn’t any point. She isn’t saying anything hurtful, just pointing something out what he’s been trying to ignore for years: he enjoys music. If it wasn’t the song for the musical, it would be some other song that he’d be singing under his breath. Even if he’d never admit it out loud, he has thought about what it would feel like to be standing underneath a spotlight on a stage instead of a basketball court.  

“It’s okay if you just want to play basketball, but … I don’t think it’s bad to like other things either,” Pieck says. She raises her brown eyes to meet his hazel ones. One hand reaches out, and Pieck’s fingertips graze Porco’s arm. “We’re too young to be playing personas that other people have written for us. We should be figuring out who we are on our own terms without minding what other people might think of us.”  

Pieck squeezes his arm and Porco watches as she leaves. A few people glance in Pieck’s direction. She’s been a spectacle at their school ever since she had transferred here, and people weren’t used to seeing someone who was on the math team speak with a member of the basketball team. Now that Porco thinks about it, he doesn’t know why that would be enough reason for people to stop and stare. People should be allowed to associate with whoever they like regardless of what clubs they’re in or sports they play. He knows it’s ridiculous, but he still feels embarrassed anyway and pulls up the collar of his bomber jacket and skulks away as if he’s done something shameful. 

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ 

“Are you auditioning for the musical or something?”  

Porco has never particularly liked Reiner Braun, but the power forward’s voice is especially grating today. After his conversation with Pieck earlier this morning, Porco finds he’s especially irritable, but he doesn’t want to take it out on anyone recklessly so he grits his teeth and asks, “What are you talking about?”  

A panic seizes his chest and he can feel his heart rate pick up. Paranoia begins to pick away at Porco, whispering in his ear. Reiner Braun must have seen you talking with Pieck. He must know that you’ve been thinking about what Pieck had said. He must have seen your name on the audition list. Porco doesn’t know why the thought of Reiner knowing about his conversation with Pieck bothers him so much, but he tries to play it nonchalant despite the clamminess in his hands. He shoots a ball at the hoop in front of him and misses terribly.  

Reiner, always happy to see Porco failing, grins when he sees Porco’s missed shot. He turns back to Porco, a knowing smile on his face. “Come on, everyone’s heard you singing the audition song in the locker room. Even if you’re singing it under your breath, we can all hear you. You’re not seriously thinking of auditioning, are you?”  

Last year, Porco would have scoffed and told Reiner he was stupid for even entertaining the thought. A basketball player didn’t have any place in the school musical. People at this school adhere so much to their little stereotyped boxes that Porco never would have considered auditioning for the school musical until Pieck had waltzed in and started singing that damn song. Now is his chance to deny it, but he doesn’t want to. All he can think about instead is how annoying it is to have Reiner’s judgmental sneer in his face and how there isn’t any harm in just auditioning for a dumb school play.  

“I don’t really see how that’s any of your business,” Porco finds himself saying instead and Reiner steps back, startled at his teammate’s answer.  

“Well, it kind of is my business. It’s everyone’s business. You can’t be making these types of decisions by yourself,” Reiner begins, and already Porco finds his temper rising. Reiner continues, not noticing the way Porco’s grip on the basketball tighten. “You’re part of a basketball team, and a pretty important part of the team, and it’s everyone’s job to get to the championship. If you’re taking time to sing and dance on stage for a stupid school play, you might cost us first place. We haven’t lost first place in years. The whole school is counting on us.”  

“I didn’t ask for this responsibility!” Porco snaps. Why should an entire championship hinge on the shoulders of a teenage boy? Why shouldn’t he be able to do a silly little play even if his talents might lie elsewhere? Why can’t he just do things he enjoys without everyone having a say in what he should and shouldn’t do?  

Reiner’s smile falters and his brow furrows. “You’ve been awfully strange lately. Basketball used to be the only thing you cared about. The rest of the team has been concerned, too. ” The corner of Reiner’s lip twitches in a knowing smile. “I know you’ve been getting closer to Pieck, but I don’t think you should hang out with her anymore. You only started acting weird after meeting her.”  

Porco’s patience was already wearing thin. At the mention of Pieck’s name — with the implication that Pieck was the reason for his declining performance in basketball practice — his patience snaps entirely, but rather than throwing a fist or hurling insults at his teammate, Porco simply asks Reiner, “Why are you dating Historia?” 

Reiner’s smile falters once more, caught off guard by Porco’s question. “Why are you asking -”  

“Why do you like Historia?” Porco interrupts.  

Reiner’s brow furrows and he shrinks down, his shoulders hunching over. It’s a stark contrast to the way he typically holds himself: confident, brash, bold. Now, he seems uncertain as he fumbles for an answer. “She’s the head cheerleader. Why wouldn’t I like her?” Reiner replies, but his smile is too shaky for his response to be one hundred percent truthful.  

“So if she weren’t the head cheerleader, you wouldn’t even give her a second glance?” Porco asks.  

“Why are you asking me this?” Reiner asks. His cheeks are turning red as he becomes more and more flustered. He pulls at the collar of his jersey, fanning himself, and turns his face away from Porco. “Look, I like Historia. Doesn’t it just make sense that we’d be together? I’m the power forward on the basketball team. She’s the head cheerleader. We complement each other.”  

“Do you, though?” Porco steps forward, challenging Reiner. Reiner had outgrown him years ago, gaining several inches in height as everyone was going through their growth spurts. Porco could never keep up with him in height, but now he feels like he’s like he’s the one towering over Reiner as the power forward continues to shrink down with doubt. “Forget about whatever cliques or extracurricular groups we’re in for a second. Do you like her? Do you like being with her? What do you two even talk about?”  

Porco feels like he knows the answers to all those questions, and he asks them anyway. Two months ago, Reiner and Historia had never even spoken a word to each other. It was only when Pieck had transferred here that they began talking. When Pieck was about to be seated in the back, Reiner raised his hand and volunteered to give up his seat in the second row for her so that Pieck would be able to see better. He sat next to Historia and, although the cheerleader seemed disinterested at first, the two eventually went out, but Porco always felt strange about their relationship. They didn’t seem affectionate except for the occasional chaste kiss on the cheek at basketball games. When they hung out at parties, Historia was always tapping away at her phone. Reiner talked to his friends on the basketball court than he talked to Historia. They are the biggest couple on campus, but they don’t seem to like each other very much.  

Reiner must know that, too, because his face begins to contort in confusion and then in anger. “What’s your fucking problem, Galliard?”  

“What’s your problem?” Porco asks. “What makes you think you have the right to criticize my relationship with Pieck when your relationship with Historia seems so vapid in comparison? Woohoo, hot basketball star with the head cheerleader, but you guys don’t even talk to each other unless people are watching you. You have a deeper relationship with Bertholdt than Historia.” 

Something about what Porco says angers Reiner even more. In his anger, Reiner grabs the basketball from Porco only to throw it angrily back at him. He throws it with such force that Porco has to stumble backward when he catches it. The basketball feels like a punch to the gut.  

“Fuck you,” Reiner snarls, and he turns and stalks off but not in time to hide the slight trembling of his voice.  

Porco can feel his blood pumping, thrumming in his ears. He grips the basketball tightly between his hands and turns towards the hoop. He’s standing at the free throw line, but the hoop somehow feels further than it normally is. He prepares himself to take a shot, bending down slightly to aim. He flings the ball forward and misses entirely. It isn’t even close.  

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ 

For all his brave words to Reiner and challenging who they should and shouldn’t be associating with, Porco doesn’t make any further moves to rock the boat. He wants to avoid the curious glances from his classmates and judgmental stares from his peers. He keeps his lips pressed tightly together. He doesn’t even dare to hum the song under his breath for fear of being overheard. He doesn’t want anyone — any innocent classmates passing by, Pieck, or even himself — to get the wrong idea.  

Still, he finds the flyer being slipped over his desk every day leading up to the audition. Pieck doesn’t say much when she sends the flyer in his direction. She slips it to him wordlessly every morning before their chemistry lecture starts and then ignores him for the rest of the class unless they have to discuss the reading together or work on an experiment. She’s not her usual bubbly self even when he’s kinder to her than usual, asking her mundane questions about her day or classes that he normally wouldn’t. He’s grateful for her curt answers no matter how short because at least that means he gets to hear his voice. He wonders if he should apologize, but he doesn’t know what for exactly. He’s never really been the best at apologies in the first place.  

At the end of each chemistry class, she taps again at the flyer. She raises her eyes towards his face but never quite meets his eyes. Quietly, she always says, “The audition is soon. It would be good if you could make it.”  

He always makes up the same excuse. His words always ring hollow in his ears. He wonders if Pieck hears it, too, the hesitancy in his voice when he says he can’t audition because he doesn’t know the words and he doesn’t have the time to rehearse because he has basketball practice. The truth is that he knows every single line, he’s memorized it and hears her sing every word in his head every second of every day. He knows the song by heart and he can envision himself singing it alongside her, his voice harmonizing with hers as they stand underneath the spotlight. Even thinking about it is thrilling. It makes his heart beat faster than any basketball game ever did, but it’s not something he’s willing to ever admit so he ignores the pounding in his chest and tells Pieck there’s no way he could ever audition. He isn’t meant for it. She should go audition for it if it’s something she really wants to do, but she shouldn’t count on him to show up.  

“I think you’d do great,” Pieck says on the day of the audition. Her finger is pointed towards the flyer once more, tapping on the date which is circled in red pen in case Porco misses it. She finally meets his gaze today, and she looks almost hopeful even though he’s tried to crush any hopes she had every other day.  

“I have practice,” Porco mumbles, and he doesn’t even take the flyer this time. He leaves it on his desk and grabs his backpack instead, hustling out of the room as fast as he can so he can avoid Pieck’s disappointed gaze.  

He hurries off to practice, but it feels like he’s running away from something. Even once he’s changed into his jersey and running on the court with his teammates, he can’t stop thinking of how he had left Pieck standing alone at their desk. He had never promised her anything, and yet it feels as if he’s abandoned her. His mind is filled with her — her lonely silhouette standing underneath the bright stage lights, her disappointed expression every time he turned her down, her voice echoing across the empty auditorium. He doesn’t hear the voice of his coach yelling at him or his teammates shouting at him when they tell him to pass the ball. All he can hear is that song again, the song that he would have sang if he went to the audition.  

“What’s wrong with you?” his coach shouts before pulling him out of practice to sit on the bench.  

Porco wishes he could answer, but it’s too complex to give a straight answer so he sits on the cold, metal bench and stares at his shoes. Every so often, he glances at the clock on the wall and grows more anxious with every minute that passes. It’s almost four o’clock. That’s when the auditions are meant to conclude. Had Pieck already gone? Had she auditioned by herself, singing that song that was meant to be a duet? Had she gone on without him, doing something he was too afraid to do himself?  

He tastes blood on his tongue and jerks his head back in surprise. He hadn’t even noticed he had started chewing on his thumb nail. He bit too close to the quick and now his thumb is bleeding. He staunches the blood by pressing it against the hem of his shorts, but the material does little to stop the bleeding. He curses and looks back up at the clock. How can move so agonizingly slow and so fast at the same time?  

Without warning, he stands up and begins to run toward the gym entrance. 

“Galliard!” the coach shouts. “Where the fuck are you going?”  

Where I should have been all along, Porco thinks, but he doesn’t say it out loud. He has more important things to do.  

He stumbles through the back of the auditorium and he can see other people who have just finished auditioning looking at him quizzically. They’re people he can’t recognize, part of the theater geek circle that he doesn’t associate with. They’re probably wondering why he’s there at all, and Porco would wonder the same thing if he couldn’t hear Pieck’s voice ringing through the theater. 

He creeps through the backstage towards the sound of Pieck’s voice, clear as crystal as she sings half a duet. It sounds empty without the other person singing the other half, but she keeps her voice steady as she sings, undeterred that she’s singing alone.  

Porco finally reaches the curtain and pushes it back slightly to catch a glimpse of Pieck. Her back is turned towards him and she faces the drama instructor, her voice never wavering even under the director’s stern gaze. She only has the piano to accompany her, but she sings confidently. Her voice fills the entire theater and Porco can hear it, the missing half of the song. He doesn’t realize that he’s singing along with her, that it’s not his imagination that’s filling in the gap but his own voice, until Pieck turns toward him. 

She doesn’t look angry at him or even surprised. Her lips turn upward as she sings and she gestures for him to step forward, to join her onstage, and he takes her invitation, never missing a beat even when he feels the heat of the spotlight on his skin. 

“We’re soaring, flying,” Porco sings, his voice mingling with Pieck’s. He thought his legs would shake as soon as he stepped on stage, but he feels at ease by her side. “There’s not a star in heaven we can’t reach.”  

His eyes meet Pieck’s and he can feel his own lips stretch into a smile even as he sings. He’s not sure if he’s meant to be on stage. He doesn’t know if he’ll even make it past this audition, but he knows that this feels thrilling, like he’s broken chains that he didn’t know were shackled to him. He feels like he’s finally free.  

[soaked-butch-boxers]

cw: biting, rough handling, slight spanking, semi-public sex, "good boy" title, good old fashioned sportsdyke foreplay

notes: inspired by the song "Play The Field" by Partner; Cal uses they/them pronouns and Jada uses she/her

Out of Bounds, I've Gone Too Far

It took the longest time for me to understand how Jada joined our university's women's basketball team, but once I made the connection between her last name and Coach Gibson's, it became clear. Nepotism is such a powerful thing.

It took even longer for me to understand *why* she joined the team. But it really shouldn't have.

I actually got into this school on a basketball scholarship. It's my whole life. I hope to go pro. Jada Gibson, on the other hand, can't play for shit. She's a music major, and while her hands might be clever with guitar strings, they are dumb as dirt when it comes to dribbling. She can't even pass accurately. Not even when I'm less than a foot away from her. It's a good thing Coach keeps her on the bench during games. Otherwise, we'd lose every single one.

I never understood why Jada didn't mind benchwarming until that day in the locker room.

We had been 2 hours into that day's practice, when I got the idea to work with Jada one on one. Maybe improve her skills and confidence a bit.

"Sure thing, Cal," she grins, her perfect teeth flashing as she lightly punches me in the arm. My heart stutters, probably from the workout.

"Lets start with your free throw. You've got great power, but your aim could use some work. Plant your feet at the free-throw line. No, shoulder width apart. Shoulder width, dude, what are you doing?"

"Could you come help me?" A smirk. I try not to stare at her long brown fingers as they beckon me closer.

I swallow and place my hands on Jada's hips, squaring them toward the basket. Then, I bend down and grab her ankles through her socks, shifting them into place. I'm careful not to touch any bare skin as I breathe in her scent: sweat, asphalt, and a musky cologne. "Try now."

Her skinny arms windmill and the ball ends up way too far left. I jog to go retrieve it.

"Haha, sorry! I think the issue is my form! Come position my arms?"

I return with the basketball under my arm, face flushed. Probably from the jog. Definitely not from the idea of touching her arms. I tell myself to get a grip, and toss her the ball.

I stand behind Jada on the free throw line, and she presses her back into my chest. I take a deep breath. *Why is she so distracting?*

"Hold it with the tips of your fingers. Yeah, just like that." I move her left hand underneath, pull her arms to her right shoulder. "Okay, good. Now relax your right wrist." Focusing on the motions is the only thing grounding me from the feeling of her soft skin under my hands. "Okay, good. Now bend your knees and throw. The power comes from the full body movement, not just your arms."

She shoots. She scores.

"Fuck yeah! That's the first time I've gotten one in!" Jada whirls around and hugs me tight, the tip of her high top fade brushing against my chin. I'm nearly a whole head taller than her.

I gently allow myself to wrap my own arms around her and hold her close.

"Gibson! O'Donnell! Time to scrimmage!" Coach shouts at us.

"Thanks, Cal. You're a great teacher." She winks at me as she lets go.

I'm distracted the rest of practice, feeling the ghost of her arms around my back. For the first time ever, I'm relieved when it's time to hit the showers, glad practice is over so I can return to my dorm and cool off, get this weird feeling to go away.

I'm always last to take a shower. I don't like getting undressed in front of the girls. I don't want anyone to see me with my binder off.

Jada usually never showers in the locker room, so I'm surprised when I see her grab a towel.

"Not gonna shower at your place this time?" I ask, trying to seem nonchalant, and not as if seeing her in nothing but a towel would turn me into a puddle.

"Everyone cleared out so fast today, I figured I may as well go ahead and get clean. I hate smelling like shit, stinking up the dorms."

"Then. Why don't you normally just shower here?"

"I just don't wanna make anyone uncomfortable. You know, since I'm a dyke and everything," she laughed.

"Bro, more than half the team are dykes, me included. You're not making anyone uncomfortable!"

"Yeah, I know, I know. Just don't wanna make anyone feel unsafe." She looks away for a second. I can't read the tone of her voice, but I feel the need to comfort her.

"I always feel safe with you," I say, walking over to her and laying a hand on her arm. "You don't have to worry."

Jada smiles up at me, full of a sweetness that almost hurts my heart. And then, she suddenly grins.

"Great. Because I was hoping you'd help me wash my back. Can't always reach it, you know?" She says it innocently enough, but I can't help but blush furiously.

"Uh -- of course!" I hate my stutter.

Jada starts to pull of her shirt, and I immediately whip around so I don't see her. I can't tell if that is for her sake or mine. I listen intently to the clothes shuffling off her small body, and try not to imagine what that looks like. I hear her walk over to the showers in her Nike slides, turn the water on, and close the curtain.

"Okay, dude, you can come help now!"

I give my head a shake, trying to clear it. *This is just friendly. She just needs help scrubbing her back. Don't make this weird.* I walk over and pull back the curtain slightly, expecting to see her bare back. My jaw drops.

Jada is standing there, in nothing but her slides, grinning up at me. Her large, dark breasts immediately draw my eyes. Her dark brown nipples are so hard. My eyes follow the happy trail down her soft stomach, and as I see the cluster of black curls between her legs, my eyes glaze over.

"I know this is really forward, but I've been flirting with you all season, and you haven't noticed, not even when I kissed you! We don't have to do this, you can walk away, but I really --"

Surprising both Jada and myself, I bend down and kiss her, clutching her jaw in one hand and her bare waist in the other. It's intense, full of grazing teeth and wandering tongues.

She pulls apart briefly and sighs out, "Fucking finally," before grabbing the collar of my jersey and pulling me into the shower with her.

"Oh, sorry, dude!" Jada giggles as she realizes she just drenched my clothes. "Lets get this off." She begins removing my jersey, then suddenly stops.

"What?"

"Cal. You're fucking binding? You've been running around all day, that isn't safe! You know better than that, I can't believe you!"

"I know, I know it's dangerous. And if any of my friends did that, I'd tell them the same. But I'd rather feel the pain of my ribs being constricted than the pain of seeing my body like that."

"No. I'm sorry for snapping," she says, smoothing her hands over my chest, immediately relxaing and arousing me simultaneously. "I'm just worried about you. I can't imagine what it's like. Just try to stay safe, okay? You'll be able to have top surgery soon, and then --"

I kiss her again. "You're sweet. But shut up and fuck me."

A pause. Then, Jada's eyes turn dark, and she slams me against the shower wall. The water continues to run down my short hair and clothes. She leans in close.

"Fine," she hisses. "But we're discussing this later. I fucking care about you, dude."

She leaves my binder on without even mentioning it, which I'm grateful for, and she immediately moves her hands to my waistband.

"Can I take these off, Cal?"

She's pressed up right against me, my heart is hammering in my chest, and I'm soaked in more ways than one.

"Y-yes."

Jada pulls my basketball shorts down to my ankles. "Cute boxers," she smirks, before pulling those down too. And suddenly, my wet cunt is exposed to the locker room, my t-dick sticking out between my glistening folds.

"Jesus Christ," she whispers, almost reverently.

I clear my throat, suddenly shy. Jada seems to notice, and gives me a gentle kiss to my lips before turning me around so my face is againt the wall and my bare ass is exposed. She slaps it lightly and chuckles as I jump, then leans in close to my ear.

"You are so. Fucking. Handsome. And I've wanted you for so long."

I blush everywhere.

She kisses the back of my neck, her arms pinning my hands to the wall. I gasp as her teeth drag over my skin. She bites down on the back of my collarbone, and I groan.

"Fuck, baby, you sound so good."

She presses my hands to the wall, nonverbally demanding that I keep them there. Then her fingers trace the water droplets down my back as I shudder and pant. My back is always so sensitive.

She moves her hands down my lower back and lands another light slap on my ass. It doesn't hurt, but I still jump.

*I am taller and bigger and stronger than her. Why am I letting her push me around like this?*

Jada presses her body against mine, and I can feel her coarse hair against the ass she keeps spanking. She clutches my throat with her left hand and reaches her right around my hips before slowly dragging a finger over my t-dick. I bite my lip to stifle a moan.

"Ohhhhh, no, baby, don't try to be quiet. I wanna hear you!"

"But -- Jada, w-what if --" I'm panting, unable to deliver a full sentence as she rubs me mercilessly.

"What if someone hears you?" Her left hand grabs a fistful of my short hair and she pulls my head back. "I want them to. I want them to hear you finally come undone on my hand."

I can't help it. I whine.

"Good boy." And I can hear the smirk in her voice.

She kicks my legs apart to get a better angle, notices my breath catch when she hits *just* the right spot, and starts rubbing me harder and faster.

I obey her earlier command and keep my mouth open, not bothering to muffle the unholy sounds falling from my parted lips. I'm getting more and more desperate with each stroke, and as Jada starts licking the water droplets off my neck, I start to unravel.

My whole body is shaking, and I'm so close so close so close so close

"Please," I whimper between sighs and gasps and groans and moans. "Please, Jada!"

"Good boy, being so polite."

As soon as she calls me a good boy, my orgasm hits. I feel my eyes roll in the back of my head, my whole body sieze up, my legs vibrating and struggling to keep myself upright, my tight cunt clenching around nothing. She rubs and kisses me through it, and when I finally relax and collapse against the wall, she holds me and strokes my wet hair.

"God, Cal." She presses a kiss to my cheek.

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck," I sigh. "Thank you."

"Did you just thank me?" She's laughing, and I pout at her. I never pout! She does crazy things to me.

"Well --" I start to splutter. She tries to shut me up with a kiss. "No, seriously, Jada! I feel the need to thank you. That was fucking amazing!"

"I'd wanted to for a long time."

"Really though. I feel the need to express my gratitude," I lower my voice into what I sincerely hope sounds like a seductive growl, and not a flustered enby with a fucked out voice. "And I have a few ideas on how I can do that..."

I eye the black curls between her legs and watch her grin.

[starlightshadowsworld]

I know that Steve loses his crown but I love playing with the concept that he doesn't.

That King Steve doesn't fall despite fundamentally changing.

If anything Steve becomes more likable.

A nerd walks into him and drops his books and is frantically apologising.

Steve simply kneels down, picks the books up and and hands em over to the dumbfounded kid.

He walks away before they can get a word out.

Steve continues to hang around with Nancy but he also bumps shoulders with Jonathan.

He pulls silly poses for photos and is seen listening intently when the other rambles.

He's completely lost but there's not a shred of annoyance on his face.

Steve remains on the swim and basketball teams, he brings snacks and give tips to those struggling.

Even offering to practice with them before games/ swim meets if they want.

They improve and are suprised when he doesn't ask for anything in return.

A game finishes late and Steve offers to drive some of the girls back. Nancy always goes with him when he does.

It becomes a routine.

He doesn't throw parties anymore but he's let kids who've partied to hard to crash in his guest room.

He once practically dragged one of his team mates back with him, hand on hip insisting they couldn't be in school in this state.

And Steve doesn't care for his popularity. He's doing these things because they feel right to him.

He wants to change, to be better than he was and he is.

And than Billy shows up to take his crown.

With Tommy and Carol backing him.

Steve doesn't pay him any mind, he doesn't care about his so called crown.

So Billy's basically won.

Except he hasn't.

Because everyone follows Steve's lead.

This is Steve Harrington, this is the guy who broke Jonathan Byers's camera and got his ass handed him.

The same guy who Jonathan has clearly forgiven and are more often than not arguing over top 40 hits in the cafeteria.

Nancy dumped him and she's still a close and good friend of his.

This is Steve who applauds when Eddie's making his lunch time call outs.

Getting a thrilled dramatic bow from the self appointed jester.

The guy who is seen time after time herding middle schoolers around like a stressed out mother of 7.

If Steve is looking at the new guy with contempt, rolling his eyes in an effort to look unbothered but is clearly holding back rage.

... Yeah everyone takes a hard left on that one.

And they're proven right.

Billy may act charismatic but he's an absolute asshole to anyone who he views a beneath him.

And anyone on the basketball team can tell you he plays dirty.

And he absolutely has it out for Steve.

Pushing him down, knocking him into his locker.

But through it all Steve doesn't fight back.

He gets bitchy about it but he never takes the bait.

And stops anyone else from trying to get between them.

Eddie once was snout to deliver the absolute verbal equivalent of a throat punch to Billy on his lunch time rants after the guy started talking shit to Steve.

Steve made eye contact with him and shook his head, eyes pleading Eddie not to.

Eddie made a show of huffing, he tried not to worry about the sheer relief on Steve's face.

It all goes to shit when Steve ends up stumbling into school one morning.

Looking beat to hell and back.

And with Jonathan shooting him worried looks, everyone knows it wasn't a round 2 between them.

Nancy looks pissed which is absolutely terrifying.

No one puts the pieces together until Billy trips Steve over in the hall.

"You forgot to plant your feet, amigo."

He walks off with a smirk.

But Steve doesn't get up.

Jonathan drops to his knees, beside him. "Steve? Steve! Hey, hey you good with me bud." Lightly shaking him.

Nancy was right behind him, getting a pen torch from her bag. "Did he hit his head again...."

Both exchanged worry looks.

"Ugh..." Said Steve, shutting his eyes at the bright light.

"Steve" said Nancy, relieved. Jonathan sighing softly.

"Nance... Jonathan?..." Asked Steve, squinting at them. "Why am I on the floor?"

"Billy tripped you, you fell." Explained Jonathan.

"I did? Why am I on the floor?" His confusion was worrying them and the small crowd around them.

"Yeah... I'll get the nurse.." Said Eddie, speed walking away.

"Steve you have a concussion, why did you come here today?" Asked Nancy, confused. Steve hummed for a few months, snapping his fingers when it figuratively hit him.

"Didn't wanna miss the debate teams match." He said with a nod, before frowning in pain.

"Wait... What?" Asked one of the members, who was also part of the basketball team.

"Yeah, yeah Gavin looked nervous so I wanted to come and see him. I was gonna bake cookies but than, Billy kicked my arse and the egg broke." He added.

"The egg?" Asked Jonathan, completely lost.

"The egg, when you have that project to keep the egg safe and not break it. It's me, I'm the egg." Replied Steve, sagely even though no one knew what he was on about.

Except Robin who snorted.

"Oh man you are such a dingus."

Eddie returns, Agnes the 80 something nurse takes one look at Steve and sighs, hands on hips.

"Harrington."

Steve eeps, trying to hide behind Nancy who is both amused and concerned.

"She's going to kill me Nance."

"Harrington, I'm not going to kill you get to my office now."

"She is, she said if I end up there one more time in dead. I'm already a broken egg, I can't be dead I'll miss debate."

Gavin, touched kneels beside Steve "its okay, hey the sooner you go the sooner you your back?"

Steve considers this and allows Jonathan and Nancy too lead him away without another word.

Billy didnt get in trouble as none of the teachers saw what happened but a couple days later, he was storming out of gym holding his shampoo.

And his blonde mane was bright pink.

Shame no one saw who do it and no one got caught.

And if they rescheduled the debate match and Steve was sat watching in the front row, no one mentioned it.

[ni-kol-koru]

KnB 30-Days Challenge

Day 9 : Favorite Generation of Miracles

Midorima Shintarō 💚🐸

Choosing a favorite member of The Generation of Miracles was really tough for me. Though, in the end, I realised that it just must be Shintarō.

Ever since his first appearance, I thought this guy is a weirdo. Horoscopes, taped fingers, lucky items, blood-types, funny speech, this guy was so strange, I was very curious about what kind of a player and person he was and simply couldn't wait for Taiga and Tetsuya to face him and his team! When that time finally came, he really pissed me off. I thought he was way too confident and selfish, I hated that. He was also really boring to me as a player, just waiting for the ball to be passed to him so he can shoot. Yes, shooting a heavy ball like that and never missing was impressive, but it was also kinda annoying, because it seemed like the only thing he could do. I didn't think of him so highly anymore and I wasn't really curious about him...

Then the episodes where Seirin and Shūtoku ended up on the same campus came. This guy voluntarily shared something very important with Taiga, he shared tips on how he could improve. He just shared something like that with a person who beat him in a basketball match. Out of blue. Well, I started seeing hints of him becoming less and less selfish, and I was living for it. I was into him yet again!

Then, the second match between Shūtoku and Seirin came, and this boy was almost the same as the first time. I expected him to pass the ball once, maybe, and so I was a little disappointed when he didn't do that. But he didn't totally disappoint me because he ran and blocked Taiga and even dribbled the ball. He also had more determination and wasn't overly confident and cocky like the first time he faced Seirin. I was waiting for his improvement still... There just had to be more.

Season 3 came and Rakuzan was getting introduced, and oh boy, it was Shūtoku they were going against. Well, I knew Shūtoku was just going to be a toy used to showcase how powerful Rakuzan is, and so I expected them to lose. Finally, Shintarō changed. He wasn't playing alone anymore. When he said it in the locker room, 'Let me pass the ball', I felt like a proud mother. He finally decided to trust his teammates. When I saw how much he trusted Kazunari, I just couldn't help it, I felt so happy and proud of him! In that match, he did so much, he got out of his comfort zone so many times and we saw him do so much! He was dribbling, passing, blocking, he was shooting the ball in the coolest way possible (Sky Direct 3 Pointer), he even helped his fellow Senpai show off by passing him the ball and giving him an opportunity for an epic dunk, to prove the haters wrong. He was doing all of this because he wanted to achieve victory. Not just for himself, he wanted to do it with his team, his friends. That match was the first time I wanted Shūtoku to win. I really wanted them to win and I was rooting for them deeply. But, of course, they didn't. When Shūtoku lost, I actually cried. When he and Kazunari started crying, I had to pause the episode to cry more and I needed quite some time to recollect myself and continue.

Midorima Shintarō is an incredible character and writing this, I realised his development was one of my favorite things in this entire show. And he is a weirdo in the best way possible. 💚

[lloydblogs]

Basketball: The Ultimate Guide to the Sport

Basketball is one of the most popular team sports in the world, with millions of players and fans worldwide. It’s a fast-paced, high-energy game that requires skill, strategy, and physical fitness. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, there’s always something new to learn about basketball.

THE BASICS OF BASKETBALL

Basketball is played on a rectangular court with a hoop (called a basket) at each end. The objective of the game is to score more points than the opposing team by shooting the ball into the hoop. The team with the most points at the end of four quarters (or two halves in some leagues) wins the game.

Each team has five players on the court at a time, with one player designated as the point guard, one as the shooting guard, one as the small forward, one as the power forward, and one as the center. Each player has a specific position and role on the court, and they work together to move the ball up the court and score points.

The game starts with a tip-off, where two players from opposing teams jump up and try to tap the ball to a teammate. The team with possession of the ball will try to move it up the court and score, while the opposing team tries to defend and prevent them from scoring.

Players can score points in several ways, including:

Shooting the ball into the hoop from anywhere on the court

Making a free throw (a shot taken from the free throw line)

Dunking (slamming the ball into the hoop with one or both hands)

Passing the ball to a teammate who is in a better position to score

The Rules of Basketball

Basketball has several rules that govern the game, including:

The ball must be dribbled or passed, not carried or thrown

Players can only hold the ball for five seconds before passing or shooting

Players cannot travel (take more than two steps without dribbling)

Players cannot commit fouls, such as pushing or holding onto an opponent

The ball must be in bounds (inside the court) to be considered a valid score

The game is divided into four quarters, each lasting 12 minutes in professional games and 8 minutes in college and high school games. The team with the most points at the end of four quarters wins the game.

Tips and Strategies for Improving Your Game

Here are some tips and strategies for improving your basketball game:

Practice your shooting and dribbling skills regularly

Watch and learn from other players, both on your team and on opposing teams

Stay in shape and work on your physical fitness

Communicate with your teammates and work together to move the ball and score points

Study the game and learn the strategies and tactics used by successful teams and players

Authoritative Reference Titles

Here are three authoritative reference titles that can help you learn more about basketball:

“Basketball: The Essential Guide to the Sport” by David R. Horton

“The Basketball Handbook” by John R. Grasso

“Basketball: A Complete Guide to the Rules and Strategies of the Game” by David L. Porter

hope this guide has been helpful in your quest to learn more about basketball! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, there’s always something new to learn about this exciting and rewarding sport.

[aussie-wbb]

WNBA Finals: The Australian and WNBL connections run deep

Tipping off tomorrow, Las Vegas and New York face off in the WNBA Finals, and there's plenty of Australian and WNBL storylines to follow.

HAYLEY WILDES

The WNBA Finals get underway tomorrow morning with Game 1 tipping off at 6am AEDT and after an incredible season, it all comes down to the two preseason favourites battling it out in what is sure to be a Finals to remember.

Las Vegas will be aiming to make it back-to-back championships, while New York will be hoping to claim the franchise’s maiden championship. 2022 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart headline both teams, while the likes of Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones will have a huge say in the outcome of the series.

Speaking of those that will have a big impact in the championship decider, there are a myriad of connections to Australia and the WNBL, with players with WNBL experience set to light up the Finals and a very familiar head coach.

There are three players on each team who have played in the WNBL, and of course Opals head coach Sandy Brondello is running the show in New York. This demonstrates the standing and importance of Australian basketball in the best league in the world.

For New York, Betnijah Laney, Kayla Thornton and Jocelyn Willoughby have all had stops in the WNBL, while Las Vegas’ Jackie Young and Kierstan Bell have suited up in the WNBL, and Opals superstar Cayla George is also on the squad.

Laney and Young in particular have taken their respective careers to new heights after stints in the WNBL and will be among the most important players in the series.

Laney was a revelation for the Perth Lynx in 2015/16, alongside the likes of Sami Whitcomb and Tessa Lavey. That squad made it all the way to the Grand Final series and although they ultimately lost to the Townsville Fire, there’s no doubt it was a special season for the Lynx. Laney led the team in rebounds (7.7 per game) and assists (3.8), while also adding 14.7 points per game (second to Whitcomb at 19.2).

Her toughness and work ethic shone through back then and she returned to the league in season 2017/18 with the Bendigo Spirit, creating a dominant duo with Kelsey Griffin. That season wasn’t to be for Bendigo, with Griffin’s season ending after just six games due to a hip injury, but Laney battled until the end, averaging 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

After struggling to find her groove in the WNBA, everything changed in 2020 with the Atlanta Dream when she averaged 17.2 points per game, up from 5.6 the previous season. She won the Most Improved Player Award and was named to the All-Defensive Team that season.

Now she is a force for the star-studded Liberty team. As well as being a defensive headache, Laney is just super efficient on the offensive end, making her the perfect fit alongside the likes of Stewart, Jones, Ionescu and Vandersloot. This season she has averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 49.9% shooting from the field and 39.2% from three.

Young was on the rise prior to coming to Perth for season 2021/22, but really announced herself as one of the best players in the WNBA after her summer with the Lynx. Young spent one season with Perth, in a loaded squad that included college teammate Marina Mabrey, Whitcomb, Darcee Garbin and Lauren Scherf.

Although the Lynx lost to the Boomers in the Grand Final, Young was massive. Despite a slowish start to the season, she quickly found her groove and became deadly on both ends of the court. After averaging 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for Perth, Young returned to Las Vegas a different player.

Not known for her three-point shooting in pervious seasons, Young showcased her improvement over the off-season and incredibly became one of the WNBA’s best three-point shooters, finishing third in the league for three-point percentage in 2022. Young’s newfound three-point shooting was integral in the Aces run to the Championship and she was named an All-Star for the first time in her career, while also taking out the WNBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

This season, Young has taken her game to a new level, and much like Laney, it’s all about efficiency and finding a role within a team full of stars. Named an All-Star again, Young is just an assassin on offence, averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game on otherworldly shooting splits of 52.3% from the field, 44.9% from three and 86.7% from the line.

Kayla Thornton, Jocelyn Willoughby and Kierstan Bell all played in the WNBL last season, and Willoughby will be back in the league this summer.

Thornton starred for Southside last season, helping lead the squad to an unlikely Finals appearance after a season filled with injuries. She was everything the Flyers could’ve hoped for in an import and played both side of the ball extremely well.

Leading the team in points (15.7 per game) and rebounds (6.8), Thornton announced herself on opening night with 21 points and 8 rebounds, and never looked back.

While playing for Southside earlier this year, Thornton was traded from Dallas to New York as part of the deal that landed former WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones in New York (and saw Bec Allen head in Connecticut). Although her minutes are down compared to what she playing in Dallas, her importance to New York cannot be underestimated. She’s a star in her role and brings it every game on both ends of the floor.

She does all the little things well and Brondello knows she can rely on Thornton whenever she calls her number.

In a rocky season for the Flames last season, Willoughby just kept working. A coaching and point guard change mid-season threw Sydney into chaos, but Willoughby – as well as Keely Froling and Tiana Mangakahia – did all they could to remain competitive.

Willoughby averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, and will suit up for Adelaide this coming season alongside fellow import and WNBA player Brianna Turner. Willoughby is played sparingly off the bench by Brondello and appeared in 29 games in the regular season.

Bell only played nine games for the Lightning last season before returning to the States. She showed flashes of what Adelaide would’ve been hoping for from her (she did average 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game), but it was shortlived. Back with Las Vegas in her second season of WNBA, Bell hasn’t been able to lock down totally consistent rotation minutes, but for a second-year player on a loaded squad such as the Aces, she’s done well to fight for minutes. She’s shown enough potential to be an option off the bench for Becky Hammon in certain match-ups and is only improving.

Cayla George has done it all in Australian basketball – won WNBL championships, a WNBL MVP, represented the Opals on countless occasions, highlighted by Olympic and World Cup campaigns – and now she is trying to add a WNBA championship to her resume.

George hasn’t seen consistent court time for the Aces this season. She has struggled with her long-range shooting (23.4% shooting from deep), which is vital to her game considering over 60% of her shots this season have been from beyond the arc. With that being said, she’s the type of player that has remained ready and is very clearly a positive personality to have on your bench.

Speaking of positives on the bench, Sandy Brondello has done a fantastic job balancing the many mouths to feed on a Liberty squad boasting ridiculous star power. She will be aiming for her second WNBA championship, after leading Phoenix to the 2014 title, with fellow Aussies Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips members of that squad.

Brondello has long been known as a defensive-minded coach and while the Liberty owned the third best defensive-rating this season (101), their offence was even stronger, finishing second with an offensive rating of 111.8.

Incredibly, as per ESPN, Brondello and Becky Hammon facing off will mark the first time in WNBA history that two former WNBA players will meet as head coaches in the Finals.

This truly is a meeting of the juggernauts and all I can say is, sit back and enjoy!

WNBA Finals schedule

Game 1: Monday, 9 October @ 6am AEDT

Game 2: Thursday 12 October @ 12pm AEDT

Game 3: Monday 16 October @ 6am AEDT

Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday 19 October @ 11am AEDT

Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday 21 October @ 12pm AEDT

[ramimornel]

Rami Mornel Shares Winning Tips for Young Athletes of Basketball 

When it comes to basketball, talent is only part of the equation. Rami Mornel, a veteran coach with experience and years under his belt, is well-known. Young athletes need to be focused not just on improving their skills but also on building the right attitude, he believes. Discipline and consistency are what define success, says Mornel. "You can have all the talent in the world, but without hard work and focus, it won't take you far," he says. By committing to daily practice and embracing constructive criticism, young players can steadily improve their game.

Rami Mornel also emphasizes the need to understand the fundamentals. He often reminds his players that mastering the basics, like dribbling, passing, and shooting, sets the foundation for more advanced techniques later on. It's not about fancy moves," Mornel explains. "It's about being reliable on the court." He encourages young athletes to watch professional games with a critical eye, analyzing how top players move, make decisions, and support their teammates. This approach helps them develop a deeper understanding of the game's strategy and flow.

Another valuable piece of advice from Mornel is the importance of teamwork. While individual skills are important, basketball is essentially a team game. Rami Mornel teaches his athletes to communicate with teammates effectively, trust each other, and play selflessly. "No one wins a game alone," he says. "Learning to work as a unit is what separates good teams from great ones." And while the playing performance on the court will certainly get better, a true collaboration between them builds strong lasting friendships and strong community bonding.

Last, Rami Mornel stresses the need to have a balance between sports and life outside the game. He encourages young athletes to be focused on education, rest, and mental well-being. "Basketball is a big part of your life, but it's not the only part," he reminds them. Staying grounded and well-rounded will keep young players from burning out and enjoy long, fulfilling careers both on and off the court.

[hooperfiko]

TRAIN LIKE KEVIN DURANT EXCLUSIVE SCORING DRILLS YOU MUST TRY

🚀 Why Train Like Kevin Durant? Kevin Durant’s versatility, length, and skill set make him one of the greatest scorers of all time. His ability to shoot from anywhere, attack defenders, and read the game is something every player can learn from. By practicing these elite scoring drills, you’ll improve your offensive game, confidence, and overall basketball IQ.

✅ Become a Three-Level Scorer – Score inside, mid-range, and beyond the arc like KD.

✅ Develop Pro-Level Shot Mechanics – Perfect your jump shot form and footwork.

✅ Increase Your Scoring Efficiency – Learn when and how to take the best shots.

✅ Master Isolation Moves – Get comfortable creating your own shot in any situation. 🔥

BONUS: Pro Tips for Success

🏀 1. Practice with Game Intensity – Replicate game situations when practicing these drills.

🏀 2. Focus on Footwork – Proper foot placement makes all the difference in scoring consistency.

🏀 3. Work on Your Handles – Durant’s smooth ball-handling allows him to break down defenders effortlessly.

🏀 4. Improve Your Shot Release – A quick, high release helps you shoot over defenders.

🏀 5. Watch Film & Study KD – Observe how Durant moves, reacts, and makes split-second scoring decisions.

📢 Follow me for more basketball tips & exclusive training:

🔗 Instagram: / hooperfiko

🔗 YouTube: / @hooperfiko

🔗 TikTok: / hooperfiko

🔗 Twitter: https://x.com/HooperFiko

🎯 Subscribe now and take your basketball skills to the next level! Let’s train like Kevin Durant and become a scoring machine! 🏆🔥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7DjYgRoWLk

#BasketballTraining#NBATraining#BasketballWorkout#ScoringWorkout#EliteTraining#BasketballDrills#ShootingDrills#BallHandling#NBA#BasketballSkills#BasketballTips#BasketballMoves#NBAWorkout#KevinDurantWorkout#TrainLikeAPro#ScoringDrills#EliteBasketball#KevinDurantSkills#BasketballConditioning#KevinDurantHighlights#NBAPlayersTraining#ShootingForm#BasketballPerformance

[patientgrind3]

Shooting Clinic: Elevate Your Shooting Skills and Accuracy

A Shooting Clinic is designed to help basketball players of all ages and skill levels master the art of shooting. From perfecting shooting mechanics to improving accuracy and consistency, these clinics provide hands-on training with expert coaches. Whether you’re aiming to increase your shooting percentage, extend your shooting range, or develop clutch performance under pressure, a shooting clinic can help you reach your goals.

What is a Shooting Clinic?

A shooting clinic focuses entirely on enhancing a player's ability to shoot the basketball effectively. Participants receive specialized instruction on:

Shooting mechanics and form.

Footwork and balance.

Hand placement and release.

Shot selection and decision-making.

Shooting under pressure and in game-like scenarios.

Key Skills Taught at a Shooting Clinic

Proper Shooting Mechanics

Focus on alignment, follow-through, and elbow placement.

Footwork and Balance

Learn how to set up for shots quickly and stay balanced for accuracy.

Shooting Off the Dribble

Practice creating space and shooting after dribbling.

Catch-and-Shoot Technique

Master receiving a pass and transitioning into a smooth shot.

Shooting Under Pressure

Simulate game-like situations to build confidence and composure.

Range Development

Improve three-point shooting and extend your shooting range.

Consistency and Repetition

Build muscle memory with high-repetition drills.

Who Can Benefit from a Shooting Clinic?

Youth Players: Learn the fundamentals of shooting early in your basketball journey.

Intermediate Players: Refine your shooting technique and correct bad habits.

Advanced Players: Gain a competitive edge with advanced shooting strategies.

Coaches: Learn effective drills and teaching techniques to help your team improve.

Benefits of Attending a Shooting Clinic

Individualized Feedback

Coaches provide personalized tips and corrections to improve your form and technique.

Skill Development

Focused training to target specific areas of shooting, like range, accuracy, or shot release.

Increased Confidence

Develop the confidence to take and make shots under pressure.

Game-Like Scenarios

Practice shooting in situations that mirror real-game dynamics.

Expert Coaching

Learn from experienced coaches and former players who understand the nuances of shooting.

What to Expect at a Shooting Clinic

Shooting Drills

High-repetition drills to build consistency and improve muscle memory.

Film Study

Analyze your shooting mechanics with video feedback.

Breakdown of Fundamentals

A step-by-step focus on proper form, footwork, and follow-through.

Live Game Simulations

Practice shooting during scrimmages and situational drills.

Goal Setting and Progress Tracking

Coaches help set measurable goals to track your shooting improvement.

Top Shooting Drills Taught at Clinics

Form Shooting

Focuses on the basics of shooting mechanics, starting close to the basket.

Spot-Up Shooting

Practice shooting from specific spots on the court to improve accuracy.

Transition Shooting

Work on shooting after sprinting or transitioning from defense to offense.

Free Throw Practice

Build consistency at the line through repetition and mental focus.

Pressure Shooting Drills

Simulate end-of-game scenarios to improve composure under pressure.

Three-Point Shooting Drills

Develop range and rhythm for consistent long-distance shooting.

How to Prepare for a Shooting Clinic

Work on Conditioning

Shooting clinics are high-intensity; arrive in shape to maximize your performance.

Set Goals

Determine what you want to improve, such as range, accuracy, or free throws.

Bring Proper Gear

Pack basketball shoes, a water bottle, and practice attire.

Be Ready to Learn

Keep an open mind and be willing to make adjustments to your technique.

Who Teaches at Shooting Clinics?

Professional Trainers: Experienced coaches who specialize in shooting techniques.

Former Players: Learn from athletes who have competed at high levels.

Sports Psychologists: Gain mental strategies to stay confident and focused.

Why Shooting Clinics Are Essential

Builds Strong Fundamentals

Without proper shooting mechanics, even talented players struggle to score consistently.

Increases Scoring Potential

Develop the ability to score from anywhere on the court.

Improves Efficiency

Learn how to make the most of scoring opportunities.

Prepares for High-Pressure Situations

Gain the confidence to take the game-winning shot.

How to Find a Shooting Clinic

Local Gyms and Training Centers: Many offer clinics for youth and adult players.

Basketball Camps: Often include shooting-specific sessions.

Professional Trainers: Search for private or group clinics run by top trainers.

Online Resources: Some clinics offer virtual options with personalized feedback.

Conclusion

Attending a shooting clinic is a valuable investment for any basketball player looking to improve their scoring ability and shooting consistency. Whether you're a beginner learning the fundamentals or an advanced player refining your technique, these clinics provide expert coaching, targeted drills, and game-like practice to take your shooting skills to the next level.

[hoopin-with-nate]

Thursday, January 23rd

Furthering your basketball skills:

Now that you’ve worked on some of the basics like shooting and dribbling, it’s important to also improve your defensive skills.

Below I have 3 links of great defensive workouts that are great for beginners:

Many coaches are more inclined to give more minutes to players that can play really good defense. Starting out make sure to have the proper footwork when sliding with your opponent. It’s important that you keep your legs at least shoulder width apart and make sure not to cross your legs when sliding. Crossing your legs makes it hard to recover if your opponent goes the opposite way of where you were sliding.

I hope these defensive tips and videos have helped. Have fun!

[beyond-thearc]

Basketball Training in India: A Gateway to Excellence

Introduction: Basketball training in India has evolved over the years, becoming a thriving industry for athletes of all levels. Beyond the Arc, a platform dedicated to basketball enthusiasts, aims to provide world-class training and insights to individuals seeking to improve their skills. The growing demand for basketball in India has led to an increase in training centres, professional coaching, and various basketball leagues. With a focus on both grassroots and elite training, India is rapidly becoming a key player in the global basketball scene.

The Rise of Basketball Training Centres in India

Basketball Training in India Over the past decade, basketball training in India has gained significant traction. Several training centres and academies have emerged, offering specialised programs for young and aspiring players. These centres provide a structured environment where players can learn the fundamental skills of the game, such as shooting, passing, dribbling, and defending. Notably, the growth of basketball in India has been fueled by the increasing interest in professional basketball leagues like the NBA.

Coaching and Training Methodologies

Basketball training in India is no longer limited to just physical drills. Today, coaching is a comprehensive process that includes:

Skill Development: Focusing on ball handling, shooting accuracy, and defensive techniques.

Physical Conditioning: Enhancing the player's endurance, strength, and agility.

Mental Toughness: Building the psychological resilience necessary to excel in competitive environments.

Tactical Understanding: Teaching game strategies, positioning, and teamwork.

The coaching methodologies vary according to the player’s level, from beginners to advanced athletes, with many trainers drawing inspiration from international coaching standards.

Key Basketball Academies in India

Several reputable basketball academies have made their mark on the training landscape in India. These institutions offer top-notch facilities and experienced coaches. Some of the prominent ones include:

NBA Basketball School: An international collaboration bringing world-class coaching methods to Indian players.

Elite Basketball Academy: Known for its comprehensive training and focus on player development.

India Basketball Academy: Providing cutting-edge facilities and personalised training programs tailored to each player's strengths and weaknesses.

These academies not only focus on physical training but also offer career guidance, fostering holistic growth in the players.

The Role of Beyond the Arc in Promoting Basketball Training

Beyond the Arc plays a crucial role in the growth of basketball in India. The platform serves as a hub for basketball news, training tips, and player stories. By bringing attention to training programs, leagues, and events, Beyond the Arc helps connect passionate players with the right resources. They provide valuable insights into training methodologies, player development, and upcoming basketball events, contributing to the overall improvement of basketball training in India.

Conclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Basketball in India

With the growing interest and investment in basketball training across India, the sport's future looks promising. Players now have access to world-class training facilities, professional coaches, and opportunities to showcase their skills in local and international competitions. As India continues to embrace the sport, platforms like Beyond the Arc ensure that basketball enthusiasts can access the best training, coaching, and resources to achieve excellence on the court. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced player, basketball training in India offers an exciting and rewarding journey to unlock your full potential.

[javier-cuenca-hialeah-gardens]

Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens – Tips to be successful in Basketball

Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens is a conscientious Entrepreneur and Business analyst who exudes credibility, commitment and determination. Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens’ passion for Business analyst is apparent through his excellent communication skills and a warm and friendly approach.

​Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens made himself stays determined that he makes a huge impact in the business world. Right from when Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens started his career, Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens knew that you have to stay focused until achieving the goal you have set for yourself.

Here are some key tips to succeed in basketball:

1. Master the Fundamentals

Focus on basic skills like dribbling, shooting, passing, and defense.

Practice proper footwork for offense and defense.

Work on layups and free throws as they are critical in scoring.

2. Develop Physical Fitness

Improve endurance through cardio exercises like running or cycling.

Enhance strength and agility with weight training and plyometric exercises.

Stretch regularly to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries.

3. Build Game Awareness

Learn to read the game and anticipate opponents’ moves.

Understand the rules and strategies of basketball thoroughly.

Practice court vision to identify open teammates and opportunities.

4. Enhance Teamwork and Communication

Build strong communication skills to coordinate effectively with teammates.

Emphasize teamwork; basketball is not just about individual performance.

Encourage and support teammates to maintain a positive team dynamic.

5. Practice Shooting Consistently

Spend time honing your shooting technique to ensure accuracy.

Practice from different spots on the court to become a versatile scorer.

Focus on quick releases and proper follow-through.

6. Stay Mentally Tough

Maintain confidence, even when under pressure.

Learn to bounce back quickly from mistakes or setbacks during the game.

Stay focused and disciplined, avoiding unnecessary fouls or distractions.

7. Study and Improve

Watch professional games to learn advanced strategies and moves.

Analyze your performance after games and identify areas for improvement.

Seek feedback from coaches and teammates to grow your skills.

8. Work on Defense

Stay low and balanced while defending to maintain control.

Use your hands effectively to contest shots and disrupt passes.

Always keep an eye on both the ball and your opponent.

9. Manage Your Time

Develop a consistent practice schedule to improve steadily.

Balance training, games, and rest to avoid burnout.

10. Have the Right Mindset

Set personal goals and work diligently to achieve them.

Stay positive and keep learning from experiences.

Enjoy the game and let your passion drive your success.

By focusing on these tips, you’ll be well on your way to excelling in basketball!

Visit https://javier-cuenca-hialeah-gardens.tumblr.com/ for more details and Follow Javier Cuenca Hialeah Gardens for more such posts!

[levanuelmontgomery]

Improving Your Game: Key Skills for Success in Intramural Handball

Handball, often overshadowed by more widely recognized sports, is a fast-paced and engaging game that requires agility, coordination, and strategic thinking. Whether new to the sport or aiming to improve your skills, intramural handball offers a fantastic opportunity to hone your abilities in a fun and competitive environment. In this article, we’ll explore critical skills needed to thrive in intramural handball and provide practical tips to help elevate your performance on the court.

Understanding the Basics of Handball

Handball is played on a court where two teams of seven players (six field players and a goalkeeper) aim to score by throwing the ball into the opponent’s goal. The game emphasizes teamwork, quick reflexes, and precise ball handling. Intramural leagues are often more relaxed and less competitive than professional leagues, making them ideal for beginners and those looking to improve their skills without the pressure of professional play.

Developing Core Handball Skills

You need to develop various physical and technical skills to succeed in intramural handball. These core skills will enhance your overall gameplay, from offense to defense.

Passing and Catching

Handball is dynamic, and the ability to pass and catch the ball under pressure is essential. Good passing keeps the ball moving and sets up scoring opportunities. There are various types of passes in handball:

Chest pass: A simple, straight pass used when a teammate is nearby.

Bounce pass: A pass that bounces before reaching the recipient, helpful in navigating defensive players.

Overhead pass: A long pass that can quickly change the direction of play.

Improving your catching ability is equally important. Practice receiving the ball with both hands, focusing on creating a stable base with your body and ensuring your arms are in the correct position. Please keep your eyes on the ball and use your fingers to grip it securely.

Shooting

Shooting is one of the most exciting parts of handball. A solid and accurate shot can make the difference in a close game. The basic shooting technique involves:

Positioning: Keep your body squared to the goal and your feet shoulder-width apart.

Power: Generate power in your shot using your whole body, not just your arm.

Accuracy: Aim for the corners of the goal, where the goalkeeper is less likely to block the ball.

There are different shooting styles, such as the jump shot, where you leap off the ground to gain height and angle, and the lob shot, which involves throwing the ball high to clear the goalkeeper’s reach.

Dribbling

In handball, dribbling allows you to control the ball while moving past opponents. Unlike basketball, dribbling in handball is typically done with one hand at a time. Developing a good dribble technique helps maintain possession and can create opportunities for a pass or shot.

To improve your dribbling:

Use your fingers: Keep the ball close to your body by using your fingertips to control it rather than your palm.

Stay low: Bend your knees to maintain balance and agility while dribbling.

Change direction quickly: Handball is fast, so practicing quick turns and sudden movements can throw off defenders.

Defensive Techniques

A solid defense is critical for a winning team. In intramural handball, defensive players work to block passes, disrupt shooting attempts, and steal the ball from attackers. Critical defensive skills include:

Positioning: Stay between the ball and your goal, maintaining an optimal position to block passes and shots.

Anticipation: Try to predict the opponent’s next move. Good defenders read the game, anticipating passes and interceptions.

Tackling: In handball, tackling isn’t as aggressive as in other sports, but using your body to block or steal the ball is essential. Practice timed tackles and proper body positioning to avoid fouls.

Building Fitness for Handball

Handball demands a high level of fitness. You’ll need endurance, speed, strength, and agility to perform well. Incorporate these elements into your training regimen to improve your overall performance.

Endurance: Handball is a fast game that requires constant movement. Running, cycling, or swimming can help build the stamina needed to keep up with the game.

Speed: Quick sprints are essential for both offense and defense. Incorporate sprinting drills to improve your acceleration and reaction time.

Strength and agility: Plyometric exercises (such as box jumps) and core strengthening routines help with balance and explosiveness on the court.

Mental Skills and Strategy

While physical skills are critical, mental preparation is just as crucial in intramural handball. Strategy, focus, and teamwork separate average players from exceptional ones.

Team Communication

Handball is a team sport, and communication is essential for success. Whether it’s calling for the ball, setting up plays, or organizing the defense, clear and concise communication helps keep the game flowing. Practice verbal and non-verbal communication with your teammates to ensure everyone is on the same page during games.

Strategic Thinking

A successful handball player needs to think quickly and make split-second decisions. Develop an awareness of the game’s flow—understanding when to attack, pass, or defend. Practice different offensive plays, such as the fast break, where you move quickly after regaining possession, or the 7-meter throw, a penalty shot awarded after a foul.

Staying Focused Under Pressure

Handball can be intense, and staying calm during high-pressure moments is crucial. Practice mindfulness and focus techniques to help manage anxiety or nerves. Take a few deep breaths before taking a shot or making a pass to help clear your mind and stay focused on your task.

Developing skills in intramural handball takes time and dedication, but the effort is well worth it. By working on critical skills such as passing, shooting, dribbling, and defense, as well as building fitness and mental toughness, you’ll enhance your performance on the court and become a more effective player. Intramural handball is an excellent way to improve your skills in a supportive, fun environment while staying active and building teamwork. So grab a ball, hit the court, and develop your handball skills today!

[javier-cuenca-miami]

Former basketball coach Javier Cuenca - Tips to be Successful

A former basketball coach at two schools in Miami-Dade County sharing tips for the same. Success in basketball requires a combination of physical fitness, skill development, mental toughness, teamwork, and discipline. Here are some tips to help you excel:

1. Master the Fundamentals

Dribbling: Practice with both hands to develop ambidexterity and control.

Shooting: Work on form, accuracy, and consistency from different spots on the court.

Passing: Develop quick and accurate passes to keep the game moving.

Defense: Learn proper positioning, footwork, and how to read your opponent.

2. Develop Physical Fitness

Strength Training: Build overall strength to improve power and endurance.

Agility: Focus on footwork drills to enhance speed and balance.

Stamina: Incorporate cardio workouts like running or interval training to sustain high energy throughout games.

Flexibility: Stretch regularly to prevent injuries and increase range of motion.

3. Basketball IQ

Understand the Game: Study plays, strategies, and rules to outthink opponents.

Watch and Learn: Analyze games played by professionals to pick up techniques and strategies.

Anticipation: Learn to predict opponents’ moves and react effectively.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

Consistency: Set a regular practice schedule and stick to it.

Repetition: Repeatedly practice specific skills until they become second nature.

Simulate Game Scenarios: Include game-like conditions during practice to improve decision-making under pressure.

5. Mental Toughness

Stay Positive: Focus on learning from mistakes instead of dwelling on them.

Handle Pressure: Practice mindfulness or visualization to stay calm during critical moments.

Be Resilient: Bounce back quickly from setbacks or tough games.

6. Be a Team Player

Communication: Talk with teammates during games for better coordination.

Unselfish Play: Prioritize team success over individual achievements.

Support Teammates: Encourage and motivate your team, even from the bench.

7. Work with Coaches and Mentors

Listen to Feedback: Be open to constructive criticism to improve your game.

Seek Guidance: Ask for advice on improving specific skills or understanding tactics.

Show Dedication: Demonstrate your commitment by giving 100% effort during training and games.

8. Nutrition and Recovery

Eat Well: Fuel your body with nutritious meals to maintain energy levels.

Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration is essential for peak performance.

Rest: Prioritize sleep and recovery to allow your body to rebuild and stay injury-free.

9. Stay Committed

Set Goals: Define clear, realistic goals and work consistently to achieve them.

Stay Disciplined: Avoid distractions and focus on self-improvement.

Be Patient: Progress takes time; trust the process and keep pushing forward.

10. Love the Game

Enjoy Playing: Your passion will drive you to practice and improve.

Stay Motivated: Celebrate small victories to keep your enthusiasm high.

Inspire Others: Share your love for basketball to uplift those around you.

With consistent effort and dedication, you can elevate your skills and become a successful basketball player!

Follow Former basketball coach Javier Cuenca for more such tips!