Q: Sometimes younger basketball players forget the game's rules. If you don't know the rules by heart, you will cause problems for your team. A good way to master the rules is by joining a club team when you're young or in the summer in between seasons. If the team on offense has the ball behind the mid-court line, it has 5 seconds to move the ball over the mid-court line or it loses the ball. Knowing a rule like this helps you prevent turnovers. The offensive team can't bring the ball back over the mid-court line once it gets the ball over the mid-court line, or it loses the ball. These are the kinds of rules that smart basketball players know. You need to understand everything you can about your position and about court strategy. You are going to get more playing time if you are a strategic player in addition to one with strong technical skills. You can find many training videos on YouTube. Study your past games and those of the competition. What worked? What went wrong? After a game, sit down with your coach. Together, try to come up with one area that you need to improve. Then, work on that area in practice. Find a mentor. You can ask a basketball coach or find a good basketball player who'd be willing to teach you. Different coaches have different philosophies and systems. Figure out yours so you can adapt to it. Maybe they don't want point guards to get more than three turnovers in a game. Whatever their own personal rules are, it's helpful if you learn them. Watch professional and other high-level games to see how the best play the game. Use what you learn in your own game. Don't focus solely on scoring. One mistake young players make is they put all the emphasis on scoring. Focus on how you can add value to your team. Maybe you are a great passer, for example. If you're not good at being a three-point shooter, don't try it much. You should give up the ball to the teammate who's better at that role. Maybe you are a great catch-and-shoot player. Then focus on that. If you are a center, you want to spend your time practicing rebounding and post drills, not dribbling. So figuring out your role also helps you pick the right training exercises. Basketball is a mental game, not just a physical one. Some experts say the mental aspects of the game are 70% of it. Coaches look for players with mental toughness. Provide 100 percent effort. Basketball is a game of dedication and persistence. Don't be afraid to be criticized, either. It's how you will learn. Coaches want players who are passionate, determined, who want to get better and who will work hard to do so, and who have the will to prepare to win, not just the will to win. Be aggressive. Coaches look for players who are aggressive and focused on the court and off it. They want someone who will dive on the floor if there is a loose ball and is constantly applying pressure to other players when acting as a defender. Basketball consists of two teams, each containing five players each, who try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop that is 10 feet off the ground on each end of the court. Great players elevate their teammates' play when they are on the court. To be a good team player, pass more often, run for an open space to help that teammate being surrounded by the opposite team, help block, help with rebounds, etc. People will like you and will return you the favor!
A: Master the rules. Study the game. Understand your role. Be mentally tough. Remember it's a team sport.

Q: Staying hydrated is a great way to keep your lips moist, smooth, and wrinkle-free. Drinking water also has many other benefits, including clear skin. If you notice your lips are looking more chapped than usual, drink some water or use Vaseline or another petroleum jelly. There are other ways to stay hydrated as well. Snack on water-rich foods, such as watermelon or cucumber. Sports drinks and coconut water are also great options. Avoid drinking from bottles, when possible, as this can cause fine wrinkles around your mouth. Bottles with a nozzle-tip should be fine, however. The easiest way to do this would be to cover your mouth with a scarf. If it is too warm for that, or if you simply don't like wearing scarves, consider using some lip balm or petroleum jelly (i.e.: Vaseline) instead. Acidic foods include things like oranges, kiwi, orange juice, and lemonade. Not only can these foods sting your lips, but they can make any current flaking worse. Salty foods may also dry out your lips because of the fine, salty coating they leave on your lips. This does not mean that you have to give these foods up forever; once the flaking stops, you can try slowly reintroducing them into your diet. The more you mess with your lips, the drier and chapped they will become. Biting your lips too often can scrape away the delicate skin, leaving it chapped. Saliva, although moist, actually dries out your lips, especially if you applied lip balm. If you like to wear flavored lip balm, switch to an unflavored one so you won't be tempted to lick your lips. You can also apply petroleum jelly instead. It doesn't taste good and may help you break the habit of licking your lips. It is very tempting to pick at the dry, flaky skin, but this will only make things worse by slowing down the healing process. Instead, apply a natural, hydrating lip balm instead. Make sure that you use one that is labeled for chapped lips.
A:
Drink 8 glasses (1.9 liters) of water daily. Protect your lips during cold or windy weather. Cut back on acidic and salty foods. Break the habit of biting or licking your lips. Do not pick at your lips if they are chapped.