April 02, 2020 | Tagged Coaching
Changing the Basketball Landscape of America
NBC Camps wants to transform the basketball landscape. We want to help educate parents on how basketball talent is developed. We know the current basketball model is not working primarily because of the misconceptions people often have about how kids get better at this game. Games and tournaments have become the primary way people help their child improve. But games only reveal what you know. The body can only do what it has practiced over and over. In reality, games are one of the slowest ways to transform your basketball skills.
The lack of individual skills of upcoming American athletes is apparent, and NBA and college coaches are alarmed by the lowered skill levels coming out of U.S. school programs. NBA programs project 30% of the league will be foreigners because of the decline of fundamental skill level. At NBC we strive to change this trend as an American culture.
College coaches, specifically, are asking for their kids to elevate their fundamental skill level. This has resulted in a revolution in college basketball training. Players now have individual workouts throughout their college career, where coaches return players to the basics of ball handling, shooting mechanics, understanding of the game, and elimination of turnovers. They also want athletes who can read and react. One college coach told us she has players who have been in team programs such as AAU, Select, etc., and they are so scripted they can't make choices based on organic play. Changing the “Games as Primary” mentality for teams will help programs go back to allowing more unscripted play.
How do we change the basketball landscape?
First, parents it's time to get off the club team spiral. Take the 7 hours sitting in a van to get in the gym, get to camp, get to clinics, get accountability programs. Traveling is fun and for many families it's a way to travel with your best friends. Keep traveling, by all means, but instead of 40, 50, or even 60 games per summer (and some kids play 70 or 80), how about cutting it in half. Game action does not build individual talent. Game action shows what talent you've worked in your own individual time to achieve.
Second, athletes need to understand what talent development entails. Kids need to have an accurate assessment of their ability and potential. Helping kids outline ways to improve is crucial.
Third, balance the competitive team cycle. The best players play on the best teams and crush everyone else. This not only creates a few good players but it also stops the competitive cycle. The more competition the stronger everyone becomes. We need ways to create more talented players and teams. Many great athletes don't dominate when they are 12 years old. They need time to develop. Coaches and programs need to help create opportunity for this important development. In other words, instead of having one or two great teams in an age group, balance the great players among many teams and the league individual and competitive team levels will rise.
How about you? Join the movement to rebuild the broken basketball model and help NBC Camps and other programs work to create outstanding basketball players and teams committed to the discipline and sacrifice it takes to be great.