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If you were to walk in on an Edison High basketball practice at a particular
time of day you might be surprised at what you were
witnessing – sometimes it appears the Chargers
are gearing up for a version of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Rick DiBernardo, the 6-3, 214-pound All-CIF linebacker,
a butterfly? Richard Chang, at 6-5 hopping around like
a one legged frog?
Well, it may look a little goofy, but the
result of such antics are paying off in a handsome
way these days for the Chargers, who are embroiled
in the Sunset League basketball race with an all-junior
lineup.
IT’S ALL DESIGNED to put the
Chargers on a little higher level than the competition
and the time invested appears to be paying dividends.
The surface issue is dunking the ball, something Chang,
DiBernardo and even junior varsity player Jeff Washington,
at 6-1 seem to be able to with authority – an
igniting issue in a basketball game.
But there’s more to this than dunking –
and Edison assistant basketball coach Mike Rangel, the
varsity volleyball coach, explains:
“It makes for a stronger rebounding
team. Chang is our tallest and to stay with
teams like La Quinta, Ocean View, Tustin and others,
we have to jump higher. And it provides timing. In full
extension, the key to rebounding is timing.”
“And,” continues Rangel, “it
increases your shooting range. Jumping propels
the ball to the basket.”
“We Stress Quickness,
turning your horizontal speed into a vertical lift.
I call it stopping on a dime. You run and boom, in one
spot you go straight up. The key is how quick you can
take off.”
Rangel says the Chargers have the added four-to-eight
inches of jumping ability per player and Chang,
Edison’s Mr. Dunk, is at the top of the list.
DiBernardo could barely dunk a volleyball into the net
last year. DiBernardo, at 6-3, is now the team leader
in rebounds (averaging about 11 per game).
An Edison High Product Rangel says
he became especially interested in the ability to leap
higher when he came into contact with Cuban and Brazilian
volleyball players while on a volleyball scholarship
at Long Beach State.
“These guys had 40-inch vertical jumps and it
became one of my goals, to be one of the highest jumpers
in the country,” says the 6-2 Rangel. They showed
me some jumping techniques and a lot of things I know
we haven’t used, because high school kids are
not ready for it.”
While the Chargers like their system, not everyone
buys the theory.
Corona Del Mar High basketball coach
Jack Errion, who has been a head coach for over a quarter
of a century, says he discourages dunking the ball.
“For players without natural ability it may
be too much strain on their knees” says Errion.
“I discourage fooling around with it.”
“It’s rather effortless for Mark Spinn
(6-6), and Steve Moore (6-3) can do it but don’t
let him. His knees have bothered him before.”
Rangel says the knees are something to consider and
ice is sometimes a daily habit.“The key
is warming up properly,” says Rangel.
“You have to stretch out really good.”
AMONG THE TECHNIQUES employed by
Rangel are jumps off one leg, two legs and a bunny hop.
When they began all dropped in their ability to jump
by three-to-four inches, then the height slowly became
better and better.
“There’s no doubt about the value,”
says Rangel. “Every kid on the varsity
and junior varsity has improved his jumping ability
at least four inches.”
“A lot of football players have come out to
get on this program, too such as Troy Seurer, Greg Stein
and Paul Reinbach.”
“The most important thing for a defensive back,
aside from sheer speed, is jumping ability.”
“It’s important that people realize
the key is movement in your back and your stomach. It’s
a combination of calf, quad, lower back and stomach,
all exploding up in a very nice rhythm.
“Washington – he can go up so fast it’s
almost scary.”
Dunking the ball isn’t entirely unique to the
game of basketball, but ever since the rules have allowed
the trick it has been especially crowd pleasing and
at times, served as a vehicle for momentum.
For a long time it wasn’t within the rules,
when UCLA came up with a recruit out of New York named
Lew Alcindor, who dominated his opponents so well, it
was ruled illegal.
But the luster of the dunk is back, and the side benefits
make for better rebounders, according to many.
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