Stephen (Steve) Sangree

Monday, April 23, 2018

Simple Tips for Avoiding Basketball Injuries

Stephen Sangree is a senior studying business and marketing at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). An active student, Stephen Sangree also devotes time to playing basketball and has competed in college.

Taking steps to prevent injuries is vital for all athletes, including basketball players. Here are some important precautions basketball players can take to protect themselves from injury.

Basketball players should undergo a physical examination before starting a new season and prepare themselves physically beforehand, since injury rates increase in athletes who are not adequately fit. Activities such as strength training, agility workouts, and aerobic conditioning can help athletes achieve an optimal fitness level for playing basketball.

Before every practice or game, it is vital to adequately stretch all muscle groups. Also, after a workout, a player must properly cool down.

Some sports medicine professionals recommend that basketball players take a break for at least one season each year from basketball, which can help them to avoid overuse injuries. Younger players can cross-train and play a different sport in the spring or summer. All players should also strive to recognize when their body needs a break from training and decrease the intensity of their workouts if they experience pain.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

NJ Resources for College Players

The summer is a great time to work on getting better in basketball. Living in NJ, we are lucky to have many places and coaches that can help you improve your game.

I spend a lot of time at LifeTime Fitness in both their basketball gym and their weight room. There is usually one night a week when college players show up for pick-up games. Be sure to talk to other players to find the best day to show up.

To get some high-level competition, look for a pro-am or college summer league. The league I played in at Princeton played games two evenings a week. Another summer I played in a league at the Meadowlands where we played once a week. This is a great chance to work on your game and meet other college players.

Monday, February 12, 2018

NJ Hoops for High School Ballers

One of the questions I am always asked is how to get better at basketball. We are really lucky to have so many great programs in our part of the state. Some of them operate under the radar so here is a list of some great programs that I have been part of – either coaching or as a player.

For a high-schooler, I strongly recommend the Excel Basketball Camp (Click here). Usually it is in the first two weeks of August in New Providence. They focus on fundamentals. I have been coaching with them for several years.

Another Jersey powerhouse for high-schoolers is Hoop Group, in Neptune (Click here). They run lots of different camps including a 4-day camp to showcase academically strong basketball players to college coaches. I would highly recommend it for sophomores and juniors that want to play ball on the college level in a D-1 or D-3 program. It is a great way to make connections with coaches and other players from all over the country. I went to two sessions during my junior summer and got a lot of great contacts.

When you are not playing in your high school b-ball season, I recommend Hoop Heaven (Click here). They have a number of locations and it is a great way to stay in shape and find some good competition. Shout out to my coaches at Hoop Heaven.

To stay on top of what’s going on in basketball, find a blog or website that covers action in your county. It is often a lot more detailed than what you find in the paper. When I went to Morristown-Beard high school, I followed the Morris County Varsity Boys Basketball blog (Click here). This blog gives a good rundown on each team in the county and often has cool pics (Click here).

About the author: A business student at The College of New Jersey, Stephen Sangree has worked as an elite assistant recruiter with Hoop Group and as a counselor at Excel Basketball Camp.