Basketball
Basketball is a rapid explosive sport pushing the body to its limits in a combination of horizontal and vertical movements, often at high speed with reduced body control. Successful players will certainly need to look at all areas of fitness in order to be at the pinnacle of the game. A well structured flexibility / stretching program is essential, not only to reduce injury, but also to improve a players ability by allowing a greater range of movement and thus increasing both attacking and defensive capabilities.
For a non-contact sport, basketball ranks as the fourth leading cause of injury in organised community sport within the USA. Sprains and strains on the ankle and knee are the most frequent injury, along with the lower back, hand and wrists. Correct footwear, clothing and a safe playing surface will all help reduce injury.
The warm-up phase should begin with 5 minutes of mobility exercises to lubricate all the joints before moving on to more active movements such as skipping, dribbling up and down with a ball, and light passing movements, for a further 10 minutes.
Stay warm throughout the stretching period with suitable clothing, and then perform the static warm-up stretches, followed by the dynamic movements.
After your complete warm-up, perform these sports specific stretches prior to the game.
Once you have fully stretched, time should be spent on mind-body connection and hand eye drills. This simply means practising your passing and shooting skills in order to make the central nervous system and your body's proprioception more effective from the start of your game.
Throughout a basketball game, players are often substituted and then brought back into the game at literally a minute's notice. For this reason its essential to stay actively warm and where possible continue to practice any shooting, passing or ball handling drills. Sitting watching the match will give your team support, and allow you to watch your oppositions weaknesses, however it is here that you will rapidly cool down and become less effective. Stay active if your forced to take a seat, otherwise use your rest time to correct any mistakes you are making within the game.
The cool down and stretch period should be a gradual process to reduce the heart rate steadily. Remove any surface sweat and apply warm clothing before performing all the static cool-down stretches holding the stretch for 15 seconds then take a deep breath in, and on the exhale aim to increase the stretch for a further 15 seconds.
PNF stretching with a partner after the game and also regular massage can both help maintain a good range of movement that the game requires.