Hi my name is monroe brooks I am a sophomore in high school I am about 6'5 6'6 and I play basketball football and volleyball. I am a really good football player I play defensive end. My basketball skills are really good to I play the 2,3,4 and 5 spot. I have a few problems thought I'm not a really good ball handaler and I am not that thick I am like skin a bones a little bitt I am really strong I can bench 170 I can squat 315 and I can power clean 200. Strenth is not a problem I just need to work on some of my basketball skills can someone out there please give me a diet I can go on to get bigger not fatter but bigger in mucel mass. And can you give me some basket ball work outs I can do so I can jump higher and run faster and shoot better please give me some help me please.

You Said:
I really need somebody’s help. I am a 6'5 15 year old male. I play basketball, football, and volleyball.

I Said:
Let us see, at 15 years old you should be in about the Eighth Grade. Six-feet-five inches tall… Wow that is tall and you should grow more over the next few years. Being that tall in the eighth grade gives you a birds-eye-view of the court and makes you a better passing target for your teammates. Playing several sports will help round out your athletic ability. I am a big fan of playing multiple sports. Just make sure they do not work against each other. For example, some positions in football require you to really bulk up, but all but the center position in basketball requires a more slender and toned body. If the positions you play conflict in this way, I suggest that you make a decision which sport, you want to pursue more and eliminate the other. Another option is to find out if you can switch positions to something compatible. I think Volleyball is a good off-season sport for Basketball. The only thing you want to do during Volleyball season is work on your stamina for running up and down that basketball court. Do not overdo it; just keep your stamina in reasonable condition.

You Said:
Well I really need help in basketball. I am an OK player. I can shoot a three-pointer. I can get the ball down low and score, or I can shoot a long two-pointer and hit it.

I said:
You seem to be a solid scorer down low or at long range, yet you mention later that you do not handle the ball as well as you should. Right now, you would make a good Big Forward or Small Forward. You have not mentioned your weight or strength, so I can not comment on whether you would be a good Center.
Tell me if you are a good rebounder. Can you post up or do you flash to an opening down low? Can you set a screen? How is your shot-blocking ability?

You Said:
I really am not coordinated.

I said:
Do you mean that:
1- You do not run well?
2- You do not dribble well?
3- You do not catch the ball well?
4- Or do you not do some other skill well?
Just tell me and I will help you.


You Said:
I am a little slow and I really can not jump that high. I have a 21-inch vertical jump. If I am not mistaken, at six-feet-five-inches tall with a 21 in vertical, you probably can not dunk the ball, but you can touch the net. Am I right? If you had about a 28”-30” vertical jump, you could probably dunk the ball.

I said:
Several factors can cause a short vertical jump:
A. You are not strong enough to jump higher.
B. You are not coordinated enough to jump higher.
C. You are too heavy to jump higher.
D. You are too short to jump higher.

I think we can eliminate item D right away. I do not know if you are too heavy (Item C). So you decide. Here is a way to figure out how much you should weigh:

1. Extend your arm in front of your body bending your elbow at a ninety-degree angle to your body so that your forearm is parallel to your body.
2. Keep your fingers straight and turn the inside of your wrist towards your body.
3. Place your thumb and index finger on the two prominent bones on either side of your elbow, and then measure the distance between the bones with a tape measure or calipers.

Height Elbow Measurement
6’to 5” 2 ¼” to 2 ½”

4. Compare your elbow measurement to the chart above. The chart lists the elbow measurement for a medium frame. If your elbow measurement is less than the number of inches listed, you are a small frame. If your elbow measurement for that particular height is more than the number of inches listed, your are a large frame.
5. Then use your frame size to find what you should weigh with the chart below.

Small Frame = 118 – 134 lbs.
Medium Frame = 127 – 143 lbs.
Large Frame = 137 – 164 lbs.

If your weight does not fall within your frame size, you have to either gain or lose weight. Check it and tell me how it turns out. If it is too confusing just give me the elbow measurement and I will do the rest.

If you are not strong enough (Item A) or not coordinated enough (Item B) I can help there too.

All we need to do is figure out why you cannot jump very high and work on it.


You Said:
I do not finish lay ups some times.

I said:
Why do you not finish lay-ups? Do you get blocked or just miss the shot? I can help you as soon as we discover a reason.


You Said:
I bring the ball down the court a lot and I cannot dribble that well.

I said:
It sounds like you may have some ability as a Guard. You may find later in your career that you want to be a Shooting Guard (#2), which requires better ball handling skills with great shooting skills. Division 1 colleges love tall guards. If you really want to learn from the best, find the videotape set by "Pistol" Pete Meravich. He was one of the best ball handlers ever. If you cannot find it at the library, buy it. If you cannot afford the tapes, buy his book. You can find it by doing a search by author using his name.


Play hard, Play fair, and learn from your mistakes.
Oldcoach

Hey,

As the other person said, you are very tall for your age, and could easily be a very athletic, dominant wing or low post player. What you need to do is work on your fundamentals, and increase your athleticism.

I am going to help you with the athleticism.

If you are still interested email me back at

[email protected]

You will be surprised how well this will help your basketball game, as well as volleyball and football.