Basketball looks like a lot of fun. When we see NBA All-Stars like Jrue Holiday dominate on the court and lead their teams to victory, we see the sport in its full glory, and if you’re anything like us, it inspires you to want to try it out yourself: It’s fast, chaotic, exciting, and maybe it even looks a little easy from the outside. But, of course, attaining that level of skill takes time, and it takes a lot of training, and there are a lot of ways to proceed once you’ve decided you want to give the sport a try. Whatever the reason you may want to know how to start basketball training, we’ve got a few tips to help you get started.

Four Tips to Start Basketball Training:

1. Learn the Rules
There are a lot of rules to the game, understanding them will make it easier to train. Double dribble, travelling, out of bounds, a foul… these are things that you need to know in order to play the game. Watch a few games on TV (March Madness is on right now – perfect time!), get familiar with what the refs are calling, and the way players move with the ball.

2. Start with the Basics
Although basketball is a team sport, we all have a uniqueness to our style of play. Jumping headfirst into a 5-on-5 game could be more than you’re ready for. Instead, head over to a basketball court and take a few shots, dribble around a bit, get your footing. Once you’ve hit a few shots, challenge a friend to a game of one-on-one and see how it goes. After a few games you may surprise yourself and be ready for the main court!

3. Go Easy on Yourself
Look, basketball is harder than it seems. If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying! Dribbling, jump shots, free throws, navigating the court – these are all harder than they look, and there’s a lot of technique to learn and hone as you go. Even the King himself, Lebron James, misses nearly 30% of his free-throw shots. Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice – the improvements will come. 

4. Start Exercising
If you want to know how to start basketball training, begin with exercise. Basketball will make you use muscles you didn’t know you had, and it’ll push them hard. Start walking or jogging on a regular basis, get into a good warm up routine that includes push ups, balancing, and hamstring stretches to put your body in a good place before you really push it on the court. Skipping and squats really help develop the muscles you need to keep playing!

Of course, there’s loads of good ways to start learning basketball, far more than we can cover in a single article. Dribbling drills alone could take us into tomorrow, and getting a feel for how you move with the ball is something only practice can truly teach. So, the most important tip of all – start practicing! And have fun with it.