Find a Pickup Basketball Game
Typically, information about these playing opportunities is communicated through word-of-mouth, local knowledge, flyers at gyms and playgrounds, and sometimes through local advertising channels. As an individual, knowing where to look or who to talk to in order to find these playing opportunities is often a challenge, as there is no single repository or trusted source for this information.
Steps
- Equip yourself with a basketball, and go to the nearest outdoor basketball court that is located in a residential area where you can be seen by the occupants of the homes near the court. Began to shoot around, and you stand a very good chance of drawing some ball players out of their homes, and into a game of hoops.
- Identify locations near you that have open basketball courts, such as a local park, a city recreations center, or a school gymnasium.
- Don't ask some older stranger to play or he might probably harm you.
- Visit the targeted location during a popular time of day for pick-up basketball, such as a weekday evening or weekend morning.
- Assess the quality and type of play, if people are playing, to make sure it matches your experience level. But, on the other hand, playing with people who are better basketball players than you are, it is extremely good practice but still a challenge.
- Ask the players at the court "Who's got the next game", and either ask to join or declare that you'll play the next game.
- Warm up, make sure you stretch both your arm and legs.
- Have fun, and good luck!
Tips
- Bring your friends -- the success of any pick-up basketball game depends on having enough people to play a game. At a minimum, 6 people on hand allows you to play a game of 3-on-3.
- Know the rules: Is it win by 1 or win by 2? Is it make it take it or not?
- Have a good attitude. Don't be a poor sport, have fun!
- Make new friends with the people you played with. Then you all can decide a day for all of you to meet up and play ball again.
- Be nice to your teammates even if they are not very good at basketball, everybody is good at something.
- Play at your full potential. Some people don't forget easily if you perform poorly, don't play your best, ball hog, miss easy layups/shots, etc.
- Be healthy! Eating healthy foods and drinking water will make you feel great, and will help you perform at your best in games. Being healthy will make you perform better in academic and physical activities.
- Make friends with a local gym member or college student and see if they'll invite you to use their facilities and can clue you in to the best game times.
- Once you've found a potential game location, visit at different times of day to see when people may or may not be playing.
- Make friends at playing court, ask for other places they visit...
- Use internet and mobile tools like to find local basketball games.
Warnings
- Some games are more physical than other games. If the players in a certain game don't play a style that suits you or may put you in harm's way, then sit out.
- Do not try to play pickup basketball in dangerous neighborhoods.
- Do not gamble money on winning or losing, it destroys the sportsmanship.
Things You'll Need
- Basketball
- Basketball Shoes
- Towel if you get sweaty fast
- Water and/or liquids that provide electrolytes, most prefer Gatorade
