Puresweat Workout: Unseen hours in the gym
During the period between AAU and the start of the season players have the opportunity to improve their skills. The best players try to learn new skills or perfect/expand skills they already possess. Puresweat trainer David Ruckman has been a…
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Continue ReadingDuring the period between AAU and the start of the season players have the opportunity to improve their skills. The best players try to learn new skills or perfect/expand skills they already possess. Puresweat trainer David Ruckman has been a big part of this journey for many girls in Southern Illinois. I was able to observe another one of his sessions this week. In this article I will discuss a few of those players and what they are doing to improve their game with Coach Ruckman.
Coach Ruckman worked with a group of 4 players this night. Two are guards, one is a wing and one is 4/5. The focus of the night was ball handling, passing and finishing at the rim. The girls were coached to use multiple ball handling moves to change direction and clear space. In addition they worked on various finishing moves to expand their options around the basket.
The players I observed were:
- Amelia Bell is a 6’0 2021 4/5 from O’Fallon. Amelia is really working hard to improve her game away from the basket. She is improving her ball handling and ability to move without the ball. As a post most of her life she has been restricted in her movement in the half court. With a wide array of bigs on her team Amelia should get opportunities to use these skills during the season.
- Reese Bennett is a 5’8 2022 guard from Belleville West. Reese was working with Coach Ruckman for the first time. She is an athletic player that can get downhill fast. Reese handles the ball well and gets to the rim. She did a good job of trying to expand her finishing moves through the training. Reese is a player that should have a big jump this year after gaining valuable experience in the SWC last year.
- Alanna Brooks is a 5’7 2021 guard from Mascoutah. Alanna had an excellent summer with her Evolution Elite 17u team. She is ready to help the Mascoutah team in their rebuilding process. Alanna has worked hard over the last year with Coach Ruckman to improve her shooting and ball handling. She is a now an up and coming point guard that can help her team in many ways.
- Sophie Thomas is a 5’8 2022 wing from Breese Central. Sophie a strong competitor that worked very hard in this session. This was my first time watching Sophie play. She has a strong build and is an athletic player. Sophie plays in a strong program that teaches good fundamentals. She will definitely be a player to recon with over the next three years.
I love these sessions as the girls prepare for their season. Not only are they getting great instruction but they are rounding into shape. Most girls don’t play as many minutes or practice as much in the summer. So, they need this work to be ready to go in November. I look forward to seeing more players working with Coach Ruckman.