Pro is not like Pro

There are quite big differences between Professional Basketball players and I am not talking about salary differences. It rather depends on the professionalism of the team that signs you.

There are more true professional teams on the men side than on the women side, which has to do with the fact that men basketball is still more popular than women basketball and therefore attracts more people, which results in more money.

Real professional teams have several professionals, a big coaching staff, trainers, cheerleaders, and everything you are used to from college. Usually those teams practice twice a day with the whole team or at least the professionals. You are able to go workout whenever you want, get treatments, have a car on your own, have game preparation by watching film and scouting reports, and most importantly everybody speaks English.

However, there are also semi-professional teams. Normally those teams have one, maybe two pros, and the rest are players, who don’t play for a living. They either study or have other jobs. Therefore, those teams practice only once a day and rather very late, when everybody is off of work or done with class. Also, all things you might expect aren’t there. You might don’t even have a doctor and need to tape your own ankles! Sounds crazy? Yea, I agree, but I can tell you that much…I have been there and I have done it! Sometimes those teams also lack discipline and even though practice is scheduled at 8pm, some players just walk in the gym at 8.10pm or don’t show up at all! However, this can’t concern you! You are the professional, who gets paid to be there for every practice and to be there on time!

So once you signed your first professional contract and you might think this is going to be better than college…it might be, but the chances are higher that it won’t be because chances of being signed by a semi-professional team are high!

That means you need to expect that you might practice just three times a week, that there won’t be a trainer to take care of you before the practice or that you won’t get any practice jerseys or sweats. You might be the only one in the gym an hour before the game, while the rest of your team slowly arrives 20minutes later or you have a game with just 7 players, because two decided to go on vacation. There won’t be a scouting report or video session that tells you if the player you going to defend is a penetrator or shooter, but you are still expected to perform and that even better than in college. Especially if you play in a semi-professional team, you have to kill! You are the only pro and you are paid to be the best player on your team. There won’t be any other player, who can step up and score 25pts that night, and even if so, you are suppose to be the top player and not some unpaid teammate! That’s why the pressure in a semi-professional team is higher.

On the other hand, you won’t have as much conditioning practice as you had in college. Now you might think “my dream came true!”, but that isn’t the whole truth. Coach just doesn’t have time to work on your conditioning with only three or four times practice a week. You will be asked to do it on your own or better you won’t have any other choice, if you want to be the superstar of your team averaging a double-double each game.
Practice can be hard at times as well since some players might miss practice for different reasons. Those teams lack discipline in general, but you can’t forget the fact that those players play Basketball just for fun and might don’t care as much as you do!

Also, in a semi-professional team aren’t too many team bonding activities outside of practice because most of your teammates won’t have time to do anything, which will leave you to yourself most of the time. This can be quite depressing and unsatisfying, if you are left in a place with the next biggest town miles away, and no car or any other possibility of transportation. Sometimes you won’t have a phone and need to get the internet set up on your own, so you should b prepared for things like this.

Also, think about those things when you pack. If you play in a semi-professional team you won’t have practice gear or basketball shoes provided, which means take it with you! Basketball shoes are way more expensive in Europe. Just make sure u don’t expect the wrong things, so you won’t get disappointed and will be able to have a good season in a semi-professional team because if you have a really good season, you will be most likely signed by a higher professional team the next season!