How to Help Prevent Injuries on the Basketball Court

One of the biggest fears among athletes is injuries.  When it comes to sports, being 100% physically healthy is a huge advantage over the competition.  In most cases, getting hurt in basketball is out of our hands.  You might have stepped on a person’s foot and rolled your ankle or you get an elbow to the head on a layup.  Whatever it is, injuries are part of the game and I’m here to tell you that you cannot help avoiding them but you can make sure you do everything possible to prevent them.  The following tips should be taken seriously in order to help prevent a serious or chronic injury down the road that will put on the sidelines.

Stretch before and after a game or practice (as much as you can)

This is the most important thing you can do to prevent injuries.  I understand that it is a tedious task and you just want to pickup the basketball and shoot.  Stretching prior to any physical exercise is key because it allows your muscles to stretch and warm up a bit.  When your muscles are tight, the elasticity is tougher which can cause tears and such.  Another important and overlooked time to stretch is after the workout.  You muscles have been working extra hard and you need to reward them with a good stretch.

Check out this article on how to stretch both your lower and upper body (article).

Warmup

There’s a reason why layup lines exist.  It is to help you warm up your muscles and ease into practice or a game.  You should take this time to jump, run, move your arms, twist,etc.  Don’t go 100% here, instead use it what it’s made for…warmup!  As warmups progress and you got some runs in, then step it up a notch and play at game speed.

Where Mouth Guards

It’s inconvenient to wear a mouth guard but when I was in high school, I was required to wear one and I’m very happy I did.  I swear, a couple times I would of lost at least two teeth if it wasn’t for my mouth guard.  Let’s face it, getting an elbow in the chops hurts no matter what your wearing.  A mouth guard won’t make it any better but it will save on your dentist bill and future relationships.

Wear appropriate attire

I see many basketball players don’t wear the right shoes or shorts.  When it comes to shoes, make sure the soles aren’t worn out.  Many basketball players slip and injure their arms and/or ankles because their soles don’t have any grips.  In addition, make sure your sneakers are high tops that are tied tight.  Stay away from low cut sneakers as this doesn’t support any awkward ankle movements.  As far as shorts go, there is one suggestion…don’t wear baggy shorts that go past your knees.  Too many players can tripped up in their shorts because they are too large for their own good.

Final Thoughts

It’s really hard to prevent any injuries unless you play scarred but you can help yourself with the above tips.  I’ve had my fair share of injuries in my playing days but nothing too serious.  I took precaution before hand so I can play all out during my games.  Eventhough I was a scrappy player, I always witnessed other players getting hurt because they all they wanted to do was play from the get go.  Do all the prep work for your body to be at it’s optimal peak and go out there and play basketball w/o worrying about a sprained ankle.