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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