How To be a College Basketball Player

It takes a lot of practice to make a college basketball team.  Any college player will tell you that.  Starting young is the best way to achieve your dream.  Learn the basics at an early age and start playing on a team.  Many elementary schools have leagues.  Join a team.  Also, start playing in a lot of pickup games in the neighborhood.  If you don't have a basketball court, have your father put one up.  Ask for one for Christmas.  If this is not feasible, buy a basketball and take it to the local park as often as possible.  Practice jump shots, free throws and dribbling every day.  Practice shooting from all distances--long shots, shots from the sidelines, etc.

Dribbling can be practiced at home, even on rainy days.  Get used to the feel of the ball.  Practice dribbling with both hands.

The average age for starting out in competitive basketball is between 7 and 9.  If you start later, you will need to get up to speed more quickly.  One way--and this holds true for all young players--is to sign up for basketball camps in the summer.  These camps are often run by high school basketball coaches.  They can be great advisers.

Don't just stick to winter league play.  Play in the summer, too.  There are summer leagues as well as neighborhood pickup games going on all summer.  Sign up for them.

Becoming a college basketball player requires that you excel at basketball in middle school and during your high school years.  Practice will help, but competitive play will provide you with more hands-on skills.  Strive to be the best player you can be.  Be aggressive and confident. The more you practice the greater the likelihood that you will be a starter.

Being a starting player in high school is very important.  It will increase your chances of getting noticed by college scouts.  They attend games and will notice the players that stand out.  Also, excellent high school players get recognized in the local newspaper.  If your name appears a lot in print, it will increase your odds of getting noticed and recruited for a college team.

Lastly, always keep up with your school work.  Making good grades will prepare you for college-level courses.  If you want to play college basketball all four years, you will need to be able to handle the academic workload as well.  Apply to as many colleges as possible.  Junior colleges have basketball programs, too.