Crushing The Quarantine: Part 1
It feels like we’ve been locked in for a while now. Gyms have been closed and games have been stopped. Here in Michigan, our high school basketball players are known for their grit and toughness so there are players dribbling…
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Continue ReadingIt feels like we’ve been locked in for a while now. Gyms have been closed and games have been stopped. Here in Michigan, our high school basketball players are known for their grit and toughness so there are players dribbling in the basement, running, and playing on a hoop in the driveway. Our Michigan high school athletes aren’t just maintaining, they are GETTING BETTER. Let’s look at some players and what they are doing in order to crush the quarantine. We will look at a workout they’ve done at home, areas they are trying to improve, and a quote from each athlete.
Cole Pardon Cole Pardon 6'5" | SF Brandon | 2021 State MI
2021, SG, Brandon High School
SKILLFOCUS:
Strength
Athleticism
Control of the ball
WORKOUT:
Pardon has focused on his strength by lifting weights 4-5 days a week. He runs 3 miles 2-3 days a week. Pardon also does hill runs and plyo box workouts on alternate days. He has also been sure to get shots up at home.
QUOTE:
“Quarantine has given me extra time to work on my body, individual skills, and study film of high school, college, and NBA greats.”
Jy Smith
2021, CG, Avondale High School
SKILL FOCUS:
Ball handling
Lower body strength
Pull up jumper
WORKOUT:
Smith has worked on his lower body strength by doing squats, weighted calf raises, and at least 2000 jumps on a weighted jump rope. After that, he focuses on his ball handling, specifically his dribbling speed and making his moves more efficient. Smith then finds a hoop where he works on developing a quick pull up jumper.
QUOTE:
“This quarantine is going to give me a greater advantage than my peers, because I work hard everyday and I’m pushing myself to accomplish my goals for next season. This quarantine opened my eyes on how much better I have to get.” – Jy Smith
Owen Varnardo
2022, SG, Western Michigan Christian
SKILL FOCUS:
Shooting
Ball handling
Conditioning
WORKOUT:
Varnardo begins at 7AM. His routine goes through pushups, chair dips, squats, crunches, and multiple types of calf raises. He has a gym available to him, so he spends about an hour and a half there everyday. Varnardo has been making about 400-500 shots per day while also spending 15 minutes exclusively on his ball handling.
QUOTE:
“I know I’m becoming a better player due to the quarantine because it allowed me to have time to go back and watch film of my games during my high school season. Film does not lie and I saw the areas I needed to improve in. So when I go to the gym, 6 out of 7 days of the week and work on the areas I lack in, it is hard not to get better.” – Owen Varnardo
Nic Yorke Nic Yorke 5'9" | PG Millington | 2022 State MI
2022, G, Millington
SKILL FOCUS:
Athleticism
Ball handling
Finishing at the rim
WORKOUT:
From 8-9AM, Yorke does a high intensity interval workout with excercises such as push ups, lunges, and power jumps. From 2-3PM, he focuses on ball handling. The first 20 minutes are spent on stationary drills, then he moves to in game moves. At 4PM, Yorke shoots for an hour. He spends the first 15 minutes on form shooting, then works his way to mid range, free throws, and three pointers.
QUOTE:’
“I’ll be a better player when this is over because I’m trying to outwork everyone, when a lot of people are trying to take time off.”
– Nic Yorke Nic Yorke 5'9" | PG Millington | 2022 State MI