Jr. NBA players learn health tips from pros
LAKE BUENA VISTA – When health experts from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente on Tuesday morning asked a group of 160 teenage boys and girls if they had suffered ankle or knee injuries in their careers, two-thirds of them raised their hand.
It was a shocking revelation — even to those who have played basketball for decades.
“That’s a pretty high number, but in a way, it doesn’t surprise me,” said Jennifer Azzi, a former WNBA player and University of San Francisco women’s basketball coach.
She was one of many speakers at the Jr. NBA World Championship’s “Developing the Total Athlete” educational series at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. The session covered nutrition, rest and recovery, injury recovery and injury prevention.
“I think the level that they’re playing at now, especially since we have the elite 13- to 14-year-olds from across the world … the chances of them having (an injury) because they play pretty hard is pretty good,” Azzi said. “But they need to understand that I wouldn’t suggest heavy weights or anything by any means at this age. But they are old enough now to start training, training their bodies.”
Youth from around the world, including the Asia-Pacific, South America, U.S. and more, focused on the speakers during most of the 45-minute session. The experts discussed hydration and the importance of avoiding excessive sugar before branching into nutrition.
Questions such as: “How many of you think about what you did before a game?” and “How many of you eat fruit after a game?” were posed to the group.
The pros then chimed in about their favorite pregame meals and at what point in their careers they changed their diets, noting whether those eating shift made a noticeable difference.
“Mine was grilled chicken, some pasta and some vegetables,” said Azzi, who changed to healthier eating habits while starring at Stanford and winning an NCAA title. “In high school, it was hamburger and fries, anything I could find. My parents didn’t have a lot of money. It’s not like I came home to this amazing food or meal or anything, I had to go fast food and kind of figure it out. We ran to the Coke machine after practice.”
A short video on rest and rejuvenation featuring Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry drew lots of attention. Experts stated athletes who sleep less than eight hours per night are 1.7 percent more likely to get injured and those who do sleep well can see on average of a 9 percent improvement in free-throw shooting and 3-pointers.
The session ended with a discussion of injury recovery and injury prevention, noting foam roll exercise, dynamic stretching, ankle and hip mobility and more. The youth then went through a series of stretching exercises before getting dismissed.
The educational series segment was well-received by many, including USA South Team FOE coach Brad Niemann, whose Dallasbased team is undefeated this year and considered one of the tourney favorites.
“I played college basketball and I had none of this training growing up,” Niemann said. “What we’ve learned in the medical field, it’s [become] so advanced over the years. The ability for an athlete to prepare, train and recover, I think, is essential. It really does separate, in my opinion, those who have great talent versus those who can progress over their career and really separate themselves. I don’t think it comes down to skill. I think it comes down to the ability to manage the body.”
Educational sessions and pool play continue today at Disney.
Sixteen international teams and 16 U.S. teams are competing for the world championship during a tournament that will conclude Sunday at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports.