HowToDoThings.com Recent Team Sports Articles

How To Increase Your Vertical Jump

Mikey — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:54:43 -0500

Vertical jumps are most often thought of for basketball players and other athletes who want to be stronger, better players. If you want to jump higher, you have to practice. If you want to actually DOUBLE your vertical leap, check out Luke Lowrey's vertical jump program, which was featured on ESPN.

Follow these steps and you will be able to increase your vertical jump.

Materials:
Way to measure the height of the jump (either a tape measure, markings on a wall or chair/table height)
Good fitting workout shoes

How To Score a Touchdown

VewdoRick — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:06:43 -0500

How To Serve a Volleyball

djackson — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:40:23 -0500

Every rally in volleyball begins with the serve. The volleyball serve is a very important skill to learn. The serve is how you put the ball into play, which may lead to giving your team an advantage. How effective you serve results in whether or not you're able to give your team an advantage to win the rally. Once developed, float serves can make it extremely difficult for opponents to pass and run an effective offense. Serving should be seen as an opportunity to put your opponent at a disadvantage and is a volleyball skill that shouldn't be taken for granted.

The Float Serve

How To Hit a Baseball

jjetts4 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:17:34 -0500

Hitting a baseball is the single most difficult task to do in all sports. You can fail 7 out of 10 times and still be considered one of the greatest to ever hit a ball.

There are some basic steps though that all hitters must follow in order to be successful at this.

How To Be an Astros Fan in 2008

kcarrillo — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:17:40 -0500

With baseball season almost upon us, die-hard fans need preparations to root for the long stretch ahead. As a die-hard Houston Astros fan, I wanted to put together a help list to make your planning easier for the upcoming season.

How To Make Basketball Drills Fun and Enjoyable

haefner13 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:23:00 -0600

You want your players to practice hard, develop skills, and become better basketball players.

But you also want them to have fun. Unfortunately, skill development can be monotonous and NOT very enjoyable!

So what do you do?

You can make almost any ordinary basketball drill fun. Just use your imagination.

How To Start a Fantasy Football League

Alex44k — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:33:07 -0600

Are you looking to play fantasy football for the first time? This article will tell you how to sign up to play for free, and how to create your very own league with the specifications that you want! There are many sites one can use to create a fantasy football league. Some major free sites include Yahoo!, CBSSportsline, and ESPN. These sites are "the big three" of fantasy football. On each you can join a league for free, and create your own league.

How To Coach Basketball Successfully

haefner13 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:38:40 -0600

Coaching basketball is a highly visible profession. Coaches usually have fans directly behind them and are subject often times, throughout a game, to raucous and loud-mouthed comments, including (particularly at the younger levels) those coming from parents and/or other family members. Coaches must learn to "turn a deaf ear" to frequently abusive, questionable fans. This is much harder to do than to say.

No question, coaching basketball, as competitive a sport as it has become, is not for the faint hearted individual. Yet ask any coach around, particularly youth coaches, and rarely do you hear words other than something similar to, "I can think of nothing else I would rather be doing than helping a youngster fulfill an athletic dream. This is reward enough." Let's look at some of the ways that you can prepare yourself as you decide to enter the arena of "coaching basketball."

How To Execute the Trivela

hrmbrasil — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:37:03 -0600

I’ll explain this very well known kick so that it’s easily understandable. The Trivela is a kick using the outside three toes of the foot. Useful in a lot of situations, this shot will surprise your opponents.

Choose a target and a good ball. Balls without much weight are better for beginner’s training because the ball will reveal a much more pronounced effect.

I'll work with the right foot in this article.

The kick: You should be positioned in front of the ball, 1 or 2 meters distant. You'll run to the ball and kick, making the following movement:

How To Form a Good Soccer Team

hrmbrasil — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:15:03 -0600

Know the characteristics that the soccer players should have. Know how to find the right guy for each position as you form your soccer team.

Find eleven men (at least) willing to play soccer.
Know formations of soccer and choose one. In this example I’ll use the more common (4-4-2). Just to explain, the formation is as follows:

GK

RSD CB CB LSB

DMF DMF

OMF OMF

FW

CF

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How To Choose the Right Basketball Drills

haefner13 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:18:45 -0600

There are thousands and thousands of basketball drills out there all being done by coaches for different reasons. Some drills make players better as individuals, some make teams better and, I am convinced, some are done only because someone else said it was a good idea.

Coaches go to clinics, speak to other coaches, subscribe to professional publications and read hundreds of technical articles in search of the perfect drills. But which ones are right for your team?

With all the information out there it is very easy to get confused. It is also very easy to sort it out if you follow some simple steps:

How To Teach Basketball Plays

haefner13 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:58:00 -0600

Coaches are expected to teach their teams good plays, and teaching your team how to benefit from running a set play is an important part of being an effective coach. Plays are different from offensive motions, in that they are intended to produce specific shot opportunities within a relatively short time span. While good basketball plays include a series of options, they also focus the energy of all five players in very specific ways that result in quick decisions leading to good shots.

How To Play Basketball: Man to Man Defense

haefner13 — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:06:44 -0600

Basketball defense is incredibly important because it gives you more control and helps you win more games.

As a coach there are a lot of things that you can't control in the basketball world, but defense is something that you can keep consistent day in and day out. For example, sometimes you can't control how well your players shoot the basketball. Sometimes they're going to have bad shooting nights, and sometimes they're going to have good shooting nights. But defense is something you can control.

When you happen to have a bad shooting night, your defense is there to keep you in the game and give you a chance to win it at the end. That's the reason that all the great teams play tough defense.

This why is almost every successful NBA and college coach constantly harps on defense!

How To Win in HORSE

coachrb — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:38:01 -0600

As a kid I played this game for hours on end. HORSE is a game of strategy rather than a game of athletic ability. Anyone can play this popular game and have fun and success. The more you play the more creative you will become. There are hundreds of shots that can be invented just by using a little imagination. At this point, HORSE becomes much more than a contest to determine shooting ability. Let loose, have fun, and play to win.

How To Run the Bases

FrankHadley — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:19:02 -0600

Running the bases is a key part to winning baseball games. It’s also a lot of fun. But in order to be successful on the base path, lots of practice is required. You must understand that being a successful base runner does not just mean being fast; it takes knowledge of the bases and how to effectively move your way forward 90 feet at a time. These tips will help you better understand the art of running the bases.

How To Buy a Baseball Glove

FrankHadley — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:32:56 -0600

Baseball is considered by some to be the thinking man’s sport. It is very complex, and involves 9 different positions that require very specific skill sets. Purchasing a baseball glove is an important and often-overlooked part of the game. The glove is the most essential piece of equipment you’ll need to play ball. It is an extension of your hand, and depending on what position you play, the glove you use will vary greatly. Many people neglect to notice this and end up with a glove that doesn’t suit their needs.

How To Develop Your Wife's Interest in Football

teacher — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:30:47 -0500

When I met my husband ten years ago, I discovered that he not only enjoyed rooting for our local football team, but was also a dedicated fan of the game. At first, I joined him at the games but did not sit with him to watch games on television. I always asked him about the final score out of polite interest for something that he loves, but I saw no interest in the game itself.

In fact, each time we attended a home game, I was more interested in looking at the sexy appearance of some of these players dressed in tight pants and wearing shoulder pads that made them look even more muscular. Of course, hot dogs were also part of the highlights for me. What transformed me into a hardcore football fan? Well, in two words, MY HUSBAND! Let me tell you how he did it.

How To Get Your Wife to Like Football

TurkAlbert — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:49:04 -0500

A lot of wives out there assume our excitement means football is barbaric, simple, and boring. Many men, in turn, believe their wives can't get into it because of its violence, and its brutality... The reality of it is, when you look at the things women watch on television, especially crime dramas such as the CSI series, this popular notion is immediately dismissed.

It's all psychology, folks. The reason women like CSI and hate football is because they associate CSI with unwinding and relaxing in front of a television after the working hours. Football, on the other hand, is this devil's sport that's played during the day when the men should be doing something else. We are either too lazy, or we're too loud, while they are either cooking, cleaning, or doing something entirely different, because they can in no way relate to their husbands.

How To Play Basketball: Offense

haefner13 — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:43:47 -0500

Basketball is a team sport; a team sport comprised of players who must all have talent and skill to contribute in order for the team to reach the highest level of success possible. An effective offense requires players to be able to sprint, stop, and pass and shoot a basketball. Basketball coaches must use basketball drills that are both productive and reinforcing of these skills. The old adage holds true, "Player's will play like they practice." Continually practicing drills and offensive plays that will be used in game situations is essential for success.

How To Practice Basketball

haefner13 — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:06:56 -0500

If you are an athlete, then it is a pretty good bet you have heard the famous basketball saying, "You play like you practice." This statement is absolutely 100% true. Productive basketball practices are critical in order to play successfully in game situations. So what is the best way to practice basketball? Unfortunately, there is no hidden formula. However there are better ways to practice in order to reach your potential as a player or coach.

How To Kick a Soccer Ball

blasttheball — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:04:42 -0500

In previous articles I have discussed how difficult it is to make the transition from the soccer toe kick to striking the ball with the laces or the sweet spot. Without a visual demonstration it is a hard process to teach. What I want to address today is the confusion of just what we mean by the “laces”.

Every soccer player in the world started out kicking a soccer ball with their toe; this is our natural striking point. Curing the “bad soccer kick” takes a step by step process.

What do I mean by the “laces”? When people talk about the laces they really are referring to two different kinds of kicks. Keep in mind that these kicks are completely different.

How To Become a College Basketball Coach

coachrb — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:51:55 -0500

The big world of college basketball is alluring to those sitting at home. The coaches are dressed sharp, well paid, and most are household names. Fame and fortune occasionally accompany the college head coach, especially at the highest Division I levels. Many times I'm asked how a young coach can enter the doors of college basketball coaching.

Coaching is a profession that offers many opportunities for young people after college. Over the years I have collected my thoughts, ideas, and proven methods and helped more that 85 coaches enter college coaching. If you are interested in this type of coaching career, this article is for you.

Here is a three-step approach for stepping onto the path to college coaching. Each one of these steps contains many smaller steps, but this will give you a good idea what the "bigger picture" looks like.

How To Play Indoor Soccer

ralexander — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:38:09 -0500

Indoor soccer is a fast-paced game that incorporates many parts of outdoor soccer, yet introduces a few new twists as well. Traditional soccer provides people with an excellent opportunity to exercise, and indoor soccer only increases the exercise potential. Learn the basic rules now so that you don't miss a chance play in this quick and highly enjoyable version of soccer!

How To Get Recruited for College Basketball

haefner13 — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:17:45 -0500

There is no question about it. If you want to be recruited to play basketball in college, you have to ascertain and earn every advantage possible. Competition for only a certain number of spots on each college team is fierce. With college athletic department budgets as they are, many players are often asked to play two and sometimes three different positions on the floor at various times. It is critical that you possess the ability to consistently demonstrate excellent basketball fundamentals as well as display the capacity to be able to adjust and play whatever basketball position you may be called upon to play.

How To Dribble a Soccer Ball/Football

JPereira.Owns — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:22:42 -0500

Dribbling is the art of flummoxing opposition players using quick feet or a variety of football moves usually seen in Nike ads. To become an exceptional attacking player, one must be able to beat opponents--the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho are all perfect examples of this. Ronaldo’s trademark move, the step-over, has left dozens of defenders all across the world on their backsides, with both experienced campaigners and those just starting out in the game deceived by the move perfected by the Manchester United winger. Other famous moves include the nutmeg, where a player places the ball through an opponent’s legs, runs around him and collects the ball. This is known as one of football’s greatest embarrassments.

How To Hit a Baseball or Softball

neeks123 — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:00:04 -0500

Most people will tell you that batting is the hardest thing to do in sports. This may be true. Making contact is hard by itself, and seeing people smack it over the fences puts us in awe. But if you want to become a batter, here are some tips on how to bat:

How To Help Your Child Get Ready for Little League

Staff468 — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:33:00 -0600

Little league is just around the corner! Before you bring out the chewing gum and sunflower seeds, help your child prepare for the challenges of the game by practicing key skills and instilling confidence.

Don't just focus on one field position. Little league teams might have three people who all want to play first base, but only one will be chosen as the main first baseman. It's good to cultivate the skills of your child's favorite field position. (Even if the coach chooses someone else as this year's first baseman, next year's team might present new opportunities to pursue the position. And besides, reserve players are often subbed in when a child is unable to play.) But make sure you practice the skills of different positions as well - on a competitive team, there isn't any guarantee that your child will end up in his or her desired part of the field.

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How To Develop Dribbling Skills

Daniel452 — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0600

Dribbling is a vital skill for any player to learn. A good dribbler can maintain control of the ball even under pressure. Statistics show that teams that have a greater percentage of possession usually win the game. To become a better dribbler, you have to consistently work at it until it becomes second nature. Dribbling is like a foreign language: The more you practice, the greater your fluency.

How To Differentiate Between Baseball and Softball

Grace170 — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:39:00 -0600

True or false-the only difference between softball and baseball is the size of the ball? False! Although the two sports are very similar in nature, there are several key differences. Here they are:

Equipment: Balls. Baseballs are 9 inches in circumference. Softballs are 12 inches in circumference. Softballs are also less dense than baseballs. Additionally, baseballs are white, while softballs can be white or neon yellow.
Equipment: Bat. Baseball bats are a maximum of 42 inches long, where as softball bats cannot be any longer than 34 inches.

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How To Shoot a Basketball

Daniel452 — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 02:46:00 -0600

Scoring is the ultimate objective in basketball. Good shooters spend endless hours on the court perfecting their shots. Basketball players of all ages should practice their shooting constantly. As with any aspect of basketball technique, practice is important. I like to use the pneumonic device BEEF to remember the important aspects of shooting technique.

How To Rebound

Daniel452 — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:54:00 -0600

Rebounding is a very important fundamental of the game of basketball. It takes a good understanding of the fundamentals of rebounding and a lot of hard work to become a good rebounder. By developing this aspect of your game, you help your team increase possession and obtain more scoring opportunities. Rebounding begins with anticipating the movement of the ball and being in the right place at the right time. In the end, however, what really makes the difference is the mental component: you must desire the ball more than your opponent and work harder to get it!

How To Choose Basketball Shoes

Daniel452 — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:54:00 -0600

Basketball shoes offer a combination of durability, support, stability, traction and shock absorption. The specific requirements for each feature varies from player to player. In general a basketball shoe needs to be able to handle the abrupt starting and stopping, vertical jumps and lateral movement that occur in the game. You can determine the best shoe for you by determining what type of player you are. Are you a power-player, all-around player or a fast player?

A power player wants shoes with excellent cushioning and stability. This shoe tends to be heavier as it provides this. You are sacrificing speed for better movement on the court. As a power player, this loss of speed is very insignificant to you.
The all-around player will want shoes with moderate ankle support and cushioning. These are the most common types of basketball shoes and the ones you will most likely end up with.

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How To Pass a Basketball

Daniel452 — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:02:00 -0600

Basketball is a team sport, and passing an important fundamental. Passing is the action of moving the ball to create scoring opportunities and denying the defense of the ball. Passing calls for self-sacrifice for the greater good of the team. Some players become known for being unselfish with the ball by passing a lot and racking up many assists. A player is credited with giving an assist when he helps another teammate score. Passing is an important component of good offense. As in any aspect of basketball, correct technique is important in making a good pass. An effective pass is a combination of good timing, speed, and accuracy.

The following concepts apply for all passes:

How To Play Volleyball: Perimeter Defense

eykao — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:14:00 -0600

When playing competitive indoor volleyball, one defensive system is called Perimeter Defense, since your backrow players hug the perimeter of the court to dig an attack from the opponent.

How To Play Basketball

Grace170 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:07:00 -0500

Although basketball was invented over one hundred and fifteen years ago, the sport lives on today as one of the premier activities of people worldwide. Though the game has changed, the fundamentals-how to play basketball-have remained constant. Here is what you need to know if you are interested in learning how to play basketball.

How To Play Hockey

Jacque358 — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 10:31:00 -0500

The rules of hockey may at first seem complex and confusing. By understanding certain calls such as offsides and icing, however, one can easily master the basics of the game.

To win the game:

One team must score more goals than the opposing team.

To score:

A goal is scored each time the puck goes past the goal line of the opposing team's net.
A goal does not count if it is purposely kicked in by the foot, thrown in by the hand, or hit in by a high stick.
A goal accidentally deflected off of a player does count.

The setup of the players of the game:

How To Shoot Free Throws

Patrick256 — Thu, 04 May 2006 12:20:00 -0500

Shooting free throws can be the easiest way to score points and lead your team to victory, or it can be stressful and embarrassing. Poor free throw shooting can even cost your team the game! The most important factor in free throw shooting is consistency. To obtain consistency, a player must rigorously practice his form. By doing so, the free throw shooter will gain confidence and will see an increase in the number of free throws he can make. The free throw form should mirror the form used for shooting jump shots.

Position your feet shoulder-width apart. The dominant foot should be positioned right behind the free throw line, while the other foot is positioned a couple of inches behind the free throw line. The dominant foot matches your handedness. If you are right-handed, then your right foot will be dominant at the free throw line.
Your legs should be slightly bent at the knee.

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