Written By Will Johnson July 8, 2025
In today’s era of highlight reels and social media mixtapes, many high school hoopers overlook one of the oldest—and most effective—tools for improving 
their game: film study. If you’re serious about getting better, earning that scholarship, or just dominating on your team, you need to treat watching film like a workout. Here’s why watching game film is non-negotiable if you want to level up your game.
Every player wants to check the box score; they want to know how many points they scored. The box score doesn’t show everything. Stats are cool. But film never lies. Watching yourself play gives you a full view of missed rotations, lazy closeouts, poor shot selection, and missed opportunities to pass. You start catching things you didn’t even notice in real time. You learn your habits—and your bad habits, too.
Basketball isn’t just about athleticism—it’s about making smart decisions. Watching game film helps you understand different defensive schemes (zones, traps, switches), recognize how teams scout you, learn spacing and timing, and know when to attack and when to pull back. The best players think two steps ahead. Film helps you get there. Film lets you slow the game down. You get to replay a turnover and ask, “What should I have done here?” You might catch a yourself seeing why you missed a layup due to bad footwork. You get to study your defensive stance and angles. Self-correction leads to self-confidence.
Film is a great way to track your progress. Imagine starting watching film as early as a 9th grader. Imagine how much you can see yourself grow from then to being a senior. You would be so far ahead of your peers. If you have a desire to play at the collegiate level, you’ll already built real portfolio to show scouts and coaches. Overall, film let’s you document your grind.
Film study is a huge part on why we are called Between The Game Sports. It’s not glamorous. It’s not loud. But it’s what separates the good from the great. Go ask your favorite athlete, “Do they watch film?” If they are great, I guarantee t
hey will tell you “YES”. So next time your coach says, “We’re breaking down film today,” don’t groan—lock in.
Because that’s where the real learning happens.
