So, I saw this thing online about these Cerrado Lesplan basketball coaches sharing easy tricks. Always felt kinda clumsy dribbling, right? Figured maybe some simple moves wouldn’t hurt to try. Packed my beat-up sneakers, found an old ball rolling under the couch, and drove over to their spot Saturday morning. Place was just a regular gym, nothing fancy.
Getting Started (And Feeling Awkward)
Walked in, saw some folks already bouncing balls. Grabbed a spot near the back. Coach Maria started us off. First thing? Just dribbling. Not running or anything, just standing still. Sounds dumb easy, but hold up. She wanted us staring straight ahead while dribbling beside our leg. Instantly started lookin’ down! Like, my eyes just wouldn’t listen. “Trust the feel,” she kept yelling. Felt super weird. Dropped it twice.
- Head Up Disaster: Dribbling without looking? Yeah, that ball turned into a greased pig.
- Killer Crossovers (Well, Kinda): Next up, basic crossover. Step one side, slap the ball across. Mine either flew away or just kinda died at my feet. No in-between. Coach Joe came over, showed me slow motion. “Smaller steps,” he grunted. “Don’t slap it, guide it.” Tried that. Still messy.
Trying the “Easy” Trick
Then Coach Joe showed the main thing: a simple hesitation dribble drive. Supposed to be easy! It went like this:
- Dribble towards the pretend defender.
- Suddenly stop the dribble hard, like planting your feet for a second.
- Lean forward slightly like you’re freezing.
- Then explode forward past them while pushing the ball out.
My first try? Stopped the dribble, planted… and almost fell on my face. Exploded alright – straight into stumbling. Had zero control. Coach Maria saw me flailing. “Less freeze, more feint,” she corrected. “Don’t stop completely! Just hesitate.” Tried again. Still mostly stumbled.
Frustration Meter: High. Everyone else looked smoother. Felt like my hands were made of stone.
Glue and Grooves (Sort Of)
Kept at it. Honestly, almost gave up after tripping over my own shoe lace trying to “explode”. But figured, drove all this way, gotta get something. Slowed everything down. Way down. Did the steps like I was wading through mud. Didn’t worry about speed, just about making the right motions.
- Dribbling Drills: Went back to the stupid standing dribble. Eyes front. Dropped it way less after twenty minutes.
- Hesitation Baby Steps: Did just the little stop-and-feint part, no drive after. Over and over. Started feeling the rhythm: dribble… slight pause… slight lean. Felt less like a trip hazard.
Tried putting it together super slow. Still clunky, but… managed to get past my imaginary defender without tripping! Coach Joe gave a thumbs up. “Better. Glue those moves together slowly first.”
Leaving Sore, But Less Hopeless
Finished the session sweaty and my knees creaking. Honestly? Felt embarrassed half the time. Way harder than the flyer made it seem. But after grinding at it, repeating the awkward steps slowly… kinda saw how it might work eventually. The standing dribble finally clicked near the end. That hesitation thing? Still needs weeks of work in my driveway.
Biggest takeaway? “Easy” tricks need practice just like the hard ones. Slow it way down, glue the steps together piece by piece, and maybe, just maybe, you stop looking like a baby deer on ice. Threw the old ball in the trunk. Gonna bug my neighbor to guard the trash cans tomorrow for practice.
