As a freshman, I screwed up by not doing things the right way. The coach would bench me, yell at me, and embarrass me. It was tough and I didn’t know what I was doing wrong.
I almost quit.
Almost. After I followed these 10 point guard tips, I fought my way back into the starting line up, proving everyone wrong. Now I run as the starting point guard.
What are these tips?
1. Work on the Fundamentals
The difference between a street baller and a true varsity player is that the varsity player has solid fundamentals.
Work on your dribbles. Work on your chest passes. Work on your bounce passes. Work on dribbling with your head up. Work on moving your feet. Do drills to improve your first step.
At the level you’re playing in varsity, fundamentals are key to helping you keep up with the game.
2. Practice
From high school to varsity is a huge jump in skill level. To get to that level, practice hard and long. Spend 3-4 hours everyday hitting the courts shooting, dribbling, running, and training.
Also, don’t be late for practice – make it a priority. Being on time will count as putting your hours in – with increased discipline comes increased skill.
3. Read and Study New Point Guard Tips Everyday
Albert Einstein studied, day and night, theories of chemical reactions before actually performing his experiments. He’s now the most famous scientist in the world.
Just like Einstein, study your basketball day and night. Read all the articles on this site. Bookmark this site – new point guard tips are posted everyday.
In Varsity, it’s about understanding concepts, plays, and new ways to improve. Learn these concepts from players, on-line, wherever. Be a student.
4. Ask a Veteran Point Guard
What better way to get great tips to play point guard in varsity than from someone who IS a varsity point guard?
Ask the point guards what advice they have. Ask the centers and forwards what type of point guard they would like. This will give you a ton of practical advice that you can work on right away.
5. Be a Team Player
You may have been an all-star in high school, but you might not in varsity. Understand that you’re a freshman and you have much to learn.
Don’t get upset if you’re not starting. Don’t get upset if you’re not on the starting unit. Take one for the team. The coach will appreciate your trust in his decision and will eventually trust you back to play starting.
6. Play with Passion, Desire, and Motivation
Nothing is worse to a coach than a freshman who comes in slouching in, walking slowly, and not smiling. You’ll notice that in pick-up basketball, nobody really plays with a fire in their eyes.
That’s because those with the fire are rightfully on starting lineups at their team. Give it your 110% every night with every chance you get. This is the varsity way.
7. Work on Your 1-on-1 Game
The quickest way to be varsity material is to play non-stop 1-on-1. Playing 3-on-3, 4-on-4 basketball does not give you enough hands-on time.
Playing alone doesn’t give you the pressure required. Your 1-on-1 game is really important to boost your shot, dribbles, and layups. In Varsity, all players have a great 1-on-1 game.
9. Keep Your Grades Up
I almost got kicked off my basketball team because my grades were failing. At first, I didn’t understand why, but now I realize it was a good decision.
Be a smart player – coaches love a player who has good grades. It shows that you’re a well-rounded athletes, and will trust you more to play on his team.
19 comments ↓
what tips do you have for a 10th grader that is about to start to play basketball next year and i’m messing in my grades pretty badly
For me, i used to mess up my grades because i was slacking off. I was so used to just chilling with my friends after school, watching TV, playing basketball and bumming - i studied maybe half an hour at most.
But when the coach kicked off one of our centers on the team and threatened to kick me next if my GPA didn’t improve, i had to change the way my life worked.
i had to sacrifice my bumming around. i shut the world out - after playing 2 hours of basketball from 4-6pm, i went home, ate dinner, and shut my door, turned on some music, and studied until I had to sleep.
i read through textbooks - made notes (this makes it more fun and enjoyable), and then did the assignments. I asked ppl in my class to study with me, and paid more attention in class.
I had to really push myself to tell myself it’s going to be alright - I’m doing this for basketball.
Same for you - if you want to get good grades, then commit to it. Tune the world out. Go to the library and sit there, bringing nothing but your books, a pen and paper. Don’t let things distract you and most of all focus.
Without good grades - there’s no point in even playing basketball.
Hope that helps,
Adam
I am a Varsity Player and I am just now taking over the point guard position that has been run by the best of the best since like 1994! I am pretty good about fundementals but Im not so great at knowing where to carry the ball. I usally drive and then pass but its like i get nervous to shoot. I really deserve MVP and basketball is all i do..so can i have some tips?
Dont worry, im a newbie too. im only in seventh grade and i play as varsity point guard.
Here’s some things my coah tells me to remember:
- Use your pivit foot when you have stopped dribbiling
- Call the play at the foul line, NOT the half court line
- When you recieve the ball, cath it and defend it if there are a ton of players on you (someone HAS to be open!)
- bounce pass and chess pass
- think sratgeically, dont just throw the ball to whoever is open!
- LOOK UP FROM THE BALL AT ALL TIMES
yep, i know you may know this crap already but it helps to look over them, see if your doing all of this correctly.
hope it helps! good luck!
I just tried out for the freshman basketball team at my school and after 2 days they asked me to try out for varsity and i worked my hardest! after yesterday (which was the day we found out if we made it) my coach told me because of how hard i worked out there he wants me on the team. So make sure your always working hard no matter what cuz even when my legs were shaking i still busted my ass out there for the coach and the team!
there is a freshman team at my school butwheni tried out fresman year, i was one of three girls to make jv/varsity. we had no seniors last year but there are 6 this year. 5 of them are guards. i used to be told tha i was the only true point guard on the team other than our varsity starter. that was very encouraging to me so i worked hard all season and from the tme the season ended until this year (my sophomore year). My coach directly told me that i had improved greatly but in our first game tongiht , i didnt even get in the second half of JV. JV!! im a team player so i understand the coaches do whats best for the team as a whole. i just wish someone would explain to me how i wnt from getting so much praise so barely playing 2 full quarters in our first JV game of the season. and the best part is i strted .. and i played really well, esp in the 2nd quarter. they just neever put me back in. we are told every practice that a true leader has yet to emerge.. but it makes no sense when i used to be that leader. i need some tips on how to improve my skills as far as runnign the floor goes. i am a pretty good bal handler and im not afraid to drive. i usually make gret passes and always see the good look, but latley ive been criticized for not doing those things. some tips would be great, thanks. : )
I know how it feels to fall back down.
I went from almost making the varsity my sophomore where I actually got to play in few of the varsity games to going back to being on JV this year (junior year). The feeling was horrible. I was embarrassed for one part, but also devastated and felt like quitting, yet I knew that it wouldnt solve anything. I know that Im and good shooter. My handles are not too bad, and I am able drive to the basket at times. I know that Ive shouldve made varsity for sure this year, yet I didnt. And because I didnt, I need to earn back my spot on varsity. I know its going to require tremendous work, but I know that working hard is what it takes to be on the team. . Im going to prove the coach that I shoudve been on the team because I will become the best. Despite all the obstacles and pain I will go through, I will not give up. I do not believe in failure..I may have failed to make varsity, but Im not done yet. I am not going to give up. I will make this dream come true.
In response to bob, if your shot isn’t suffering but your handles are not equal to them, I would spend an hour or two a day indoors or outdoors just working on dribbling. Do drills with two balls, stationary, moving, be creative to make it fun and your game will improve tremendously. In order to be a great point guard, you should be able to have the ball on a string. If your shot is already strong, youll be a pretty complete player. Keep working.
greate, im waiting for mroe tips and some of your expiriences!!!!!!
More of that, pleeeeaaaaassseeee
i’m a freshman for my senior team and it is my first time playing as a point guard I’m scare man. how do i in press the coach. And I’m a starter.
I just finished my 7th grade basketball season. I was the point guard coming off the bench. My shot is decent, my dribbling is too, but I don’t know what decisions to make bringing the ball up. Should I pass the ball or drive? I don’t feel comfortable passing because my passes are very weak and off. How can I improve that?
Thanks for the tips on being a point guard it helped me alot.
Thanks for the tips on being a point guard becaus my shots where way off. So now I am back on top of my game.
Well I’m only a 8th grader but im starting point guard at my school.I can shoot,pass and dribble,but i feel that i can improve tremedously what can I do.
I am a second year university student whose played ball his whole life. I captained my highschool team and placed 3rd in our provincial tournament getting the bronze, the first time our school had gone to provincials in about 20 years. I just went home 2 days ago to watch my little brother and his friends carry the team to gold… so now after about a year off I am taking basketball seriously again. I am in mens league which I had been kind of shrugging off to the side because the team are just half asses. I’m 6 foot and always played PF in Highschool, now I have to transition to PG for this team, my goal is to bring up my game and try out for varsity next year, I’m in an engineering degree so I will still have 3 years left, with enough work I think I can make a SG on the bench. I just want to be back with a team lifes not the same without ball. I need some advice and tips on what to do, I am dedicated but i need to find some way to transition the skills i learned downlow to uptop, some drills to practice and some general advice it will al be appreciated. Drop it to me in an email at f505l@unb.ca thanks everyone.
what tips do you have for a point guard thats having trouble fighting around a full court press. i always end up turning it over and end up on the sidelines.
i just started playing basketbal this year and my coach told me i’m starting pointguard. i can dribble shoot pass, and im faster than the whole team. but as i said im new to basketball so i don’t know the strategies and all too good. how much of an impact will this have on my game nad how can i improve?
hey i play PG and i thought what you said was Pure gold so many point guards are starting to focus on scoring and and1 streetball moves and also what your doing here has helped me and many other players that were not sure about where to go with their practice and training keep it up
can u give the tips
i’m always sitting on the bench
but i know my skill is better than the first team player
i’m always late to passing,and look at the ball when dribble?
how can i solve it
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