SECTION 2 THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF THE GAME After 18 years of developing players, I have come to find that there are certain key elements to any area of basketball. Any offensive skill, defensive skill, and really anything that happens on the basketball court comes down to a few common components that I really believe we as trainers and coaches must address to get the most out of our players. Throughout this program, in both our on-court and off-the-court training programs, we will address these issues. You can find every fancy terminology in the book, experiment with every gadget and unique training tool out on the market, and all will point back to these key areas. In our evaluation section, we will define how to actually measure these areas and determine in which areas your players need improvement. But after 18 years, I have come to the point where I can watch a player play or workout for 5 minutes and have a 90% accurate assessment of which of these areas are weak and need to improve. As basketball coaches and trainers we should all know how a player is SUPPOSED to move and look out on the floor on both offense and defense. I have said many times that the goal of this program is not to simply give you drills to do with your players, but much more importantly, give you the insight into player development that will allow you to recognize weaknesses, create programs, and deliver them to your players to improve their games and/or your team. Not enough coaches and trainers go back deep enough to understand WHY a player is weak in a certain area and, as a result, are unsuccessful in creating a program for that player that actually gets him or her better. My goal is for everyone developing or coaching players is to give them such a deep understanding of the essential components, that they can quickly identify weaknesses and be able to create and administer a program that produces quick and effective results. IMPACT BASKETBALL CERTIFICATION COURSE MANUAL 1 SECTION 2 - ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF THE GAME ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS Fundamental Skill Development never “mastered” fundamental skills. These skills need to be constantly worked and improved - even for the best While this might seem obvious and “old-school,” this of the world. I often ask young players who have a hard is an often-overlooked area. Even with the dozens of time going to their weak hand, or can’t seem to make players we train each year to prepare for the NBA Draft shots in games, “How much time did you spend this week (many who have played at the top college programs), we focusing and working on that area?” The answer is usually find the glaring need to return to fundamentals. Without “Not enough.” As someone who has coached at the going into each area as we will in our on-court skills highest level, I understand that there are many things you section of the course, players need constant work on the have to get through with your team - offense, defense, basics of the game. Ball-handling, passing, shooting, and press breakers, etc, but when you really break it down as footwork throughout all movements need to be mastered we have at Impact, without players who can execute the and sharp to accomplish anything. fundamental skills, all these areas will simply not be good enough. It is a challenge, but our goal here in this course In my years of coaching, I realized that if we drew up is to give you the tools to “get it all done” effectively and a play for screening action on the left side of the floor efficiently. and the ball handler on the right side can’t throw a left handed pass, no matter how open the play was, he could As simple as it sounds - players can’t better without not deliver the ball against pressure because he would improving their skills. It is an essential component and, have to throw the ball across his body. In the same play, what we feel players must focus on to have a chance to how can the play work if the cutter, who is open if and get better. when he receives the ball, doesn’t have good footwork to square up and get his feet set to shoot the ball? If you Body Control, Position, and Balance have a play that sets a great cross-screen for your post player but your guards cannot handle the ball or feed Maybe the first and most often heard comment I get the post or your post player does not have the proper when people come in to our gym and see the NBA guys footwork to catch the ball and execute a move, you will workout and play is “Wow, I can’t believe how they can also find yourself in a bad spot, and a failed play. These control their bodies and movement.” This point they are a few of a thousand examples why even the best make is critical. The best players have the best balance coaching and diagramming plays will fall short of success and body control on the court. This ties into everything if your players are not skilled. we do in this program - on and off the court. In our skill development section, every move, every shot, and Our on-court skills section goes into detail on each skill dribble, must be done with control and balance. area. We will go through the details of each skill, the drills to improve that skill, and how to structure those drills The most critical aspect of almost any movement in as well. Later, in our Drill-Sequencing Section and also the game is good balance. In 2012 when Dion Waiters in our Performance Training Integration Section, we will showed in Las Vegas for me to get him prepared for the give you the tools to put it all together into one training draft, my first comment was, “He has unbelievable body program. control and balance.” And, 3 months later, Dion became the 4th pick in the draft and was 1st Team All-Rookie in One of the things I have learned about player 2012 - 2013. Now we all don’t have many Dion Waiters, development from being with players Chauncey Billups that I understand, but it is an example that as coaches and Kevin Garnett for over 16 years is that a player has and trainers, we must make sure that the basics skills IMPACT BASKETBALL CERTIFICATION COURSE MANUAL 2 SECTION 2 - ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF THE GAME of body control and balance are in place if we expect Lying beneath all of these points is the ever-famous our players to reach their potential. His ability to stay on basketball coaching point of “GET LOW.” As I have studied balance in a variety of basketball situations, allow him to the game and player development I have certainly be a very versatile and effective player on both ends of concluded that nothing in basketball can be done well the floor. from an upright position. Nothing at all! Shooting, dribbling, passing, defending, rebounding - all are done Using another example - I have watched many players much better when the player, as we say, “starts low and come in to train and noticed that on almost every shot, stays low.” Coaches and trainers everywhere have their they lose their balance, causing them to fade back or players doing wall-sits, and are constantly screaming to the side and decreasing the accuracy of their shot. our “STAY LOW.” The easiest analysis I like to use is when I have also seen players go to make a strong dribble a player is upright he is like a stretched out spring - move and fall off balance, putting them in a bas position basically powerless and worthless. But when he sits down where they cannot shoot or pass. As a trainer, my initial in that proper stance, on both sides of the ball, and keeps thought would be to make a coaching point to the his wide base, he is that same spring, mashed down and player to “Stay on balance.” But after years of seeing this, ready to explode upon release. The most important point I began to realize that many of those players did not to consider here and understand is that there are some have the physical tools, or proper body control, to keep players who CANNOT get as low as you would like them their balance no matter how much I corrected them. It to get. This has to be trained. An athlete in poor condition needed to be trained into them. Certain muscles needed with limited flexibility, tight hips, and no hamstring or to be developed and sometimes flexibility needed to be glute strength CANNOT get low - no matter now load improved. This is done both on and off the court - and you tell them. In this course, we will put you WAY ahead our drilling section will focus on this in almost every of the next coach or trainer by giving you the tools and repetition, while the Performance Program will also drills to allow all your players to play low on both sides address some of the muscle imbalances and, without of the ball. You will be AMAZED at how much better they over-complicating the system, allow you as a coach or become and how much better your team gets when this trainer to install 2 - 3 exercises that will improve your is accomplished.