Playing at a competitive level in basketball requires players to be well coached, athletically trained, and well conditioned. For athletes to get into shape, conditioning should begin two months prior to the first competition. To keep this high level of fitness throughout the season, fatigue should be monitored and conditioning performed at intervals between games.
Wind Sprints
Athletes should line up on the base line. On the coaches whistle, they will run to the opposite baseline, touch the line with their hand and sprint back. This is one wind sprint. Running multiple wind sprints before resting (four to 10) can provide optimal basketball conditioning. Tell athletes to touch each line with the opposite hand to work the change of direction on both legs.
Suicides
Suicides are very similar to wind sprints. Athletes once again begin on the baseline. The girls sprint out to the closest free throw line, touch the line, and sprint back to the base line. They then touch that line and sprint to mid court, touch that line and sprint back to the baseline. They then sprint to the far free throw line, touch it, and sprint back to the baseline. They then sprint all the way to the opposite baseline, touch it, and run back. This is one repetition. Once again, tell the athletes to face the same wall when touching the lines.
Wall Touches
This helps condition muscles used for jumping. Have all your athletes line up along a wall with spacing between them. Have them choose a spot on the wall out of their reach. The athletes then jump repetitively, trying to touch that spot for 30 seconds. As time progresses, the girls may hold a medicine ball above their heads or use ankle weights or a weight vest to produce a resisted response for wall touches.
"T" Drill
A single girl begins at center mid-court. She jumps maximally and upon landing sprint to a foul line. When she reaches the line, she breaks down into a defensive position slide to the right side of the line, back to the left side of the line and to the middle again. She then sprints back to mid-court, jump maximally again and repeats the same procedure on the opposite foul line and return to the middle.
40 in 2
The girls divide into equal lines on each side of the court under the basket. The player in the front of each line will dribble the ball to the opposite end and try to make a lay-up. Make or miss, they rebound and pass to the next person in line on that side. This continues for two minutes, in which the girls try to make 40 lay-ups. For a 12-girl team, each girl goes at least four times during the drill.
Conditioning Circuit
Twenty-minute conditioning circuits are a great way to train a team of girls in the preseason. Girls alternate between a cardio exercise (stationary bike, treadmill, or an elliptical) and a basic conditioning exercise (push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, jump rope, wall touches, wall sits, med ball chest passes, etc.). The idea is to keep the heart rate of the athletes elevated. If you have a large team, half of the team can start with cardio and half with conditioning exercises. At the end of each minute, groups switch as quickly as possible going for a minute. This goes back and forth for 20 minutes. Elite athletes should be able to complete two to three, 20-minute circuits.
Around the Court
Players begin at a corner of the court. The first girl sprints from baseline to baseline. When she reaches the far baseline, she faces that wall, breaks down into a defensive position and slides to the basket. When she reaches the basket, she will jump and try to reach the backboard. When she lands, she faces the opposite direction and continue sliding to the side. When she reaches there, she repeats the process on the opposite side.
