The Competitive Cauldron
More information about the competitive cauldron is available in The 21st Century Basketball Practice, which is available as a paperback and a Kindle. Also, below are three older articles that introduce the concept and its use in my practices with high-school players.
Planning a practice with the competitive cauldron
Why is the coach always right?
Tracking wins and losses in practice
Pareto principle and practice design
Motor learning for coaches
Our perceptions of coaching and what it means for player development
What are you practicing when you practice?
Developing, evolving, and improving a drill
For years, 1v2 was my favorite dribbling drill to overload an offensive player’s skill. The drill is simple: There is one offensive player and two defenders. The offensive player attempts to dribble to the basket at the opposite end and score, and the defenders attempt to trap and steal the ball. Read more
Stephen Curry’s pregame practice
Crowds arrive hours prior to Golden State Warriors games to watch Stephen Curry warmup. He is famous for his two-ball drills, and everyone wants to watch Curry shoot. Read more
Indecision with the ball
A friend sent me an email with the following drill:
How to develop an explosive dribble
Only allow one dribble to get to the hoop after grabbing the ball off the chair to develop an explosive, fast first step.
Why use it
Too often players look indecisive with the ball in a game – give them a lot of first–step repetitions in practice so they are better prepared to attack in game situations.
Set up
Place a chair near the 3–point line at the top of the key. Place a ball on the chair facing the player. The player is in a basketball position with knees bent and hands ready to grab the ball.
How to play
Snatch the ball off the chair and attack the basket. The player is allowed one dribble. If the dribble isn’t explosive enough, then the player isn’t close enough to the basket to shoot the layup.
When the dribble is explosive, the player plants off the left foot and surges toward the hoop completing a power layup.
Technique
Players quickly learn they must explode with the only dribble they are allowed or be forced to shoot 10 feet from the basket. Institute a penalty for a missed shot, which makes getting to the basket and creating a higher percentage shot all more worthwhile.
Fake fundamentals: Marketing or skill development
Skills, drills, and too much of a good thing
Getting it up at #NetsOpenPractice today. @dahntay1 @yungsmoove21 @ShaneLarkin_3 pic.twitter.com/QGVUBQmOoT
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 11, 2015
Who decided that a point guard has to be small? More importantly, what is a point guard?
We expect a point guard to be a leader and have a high basketball I.Q. Why don’t we expect or challenge all players to develop this game awareness? Why rely on only one player?
English soccer academies wait until players are 11 to play full 11v11 soccer; in Italy, youth basketball players participate in skill-oriented clinics at 6-years-old, but start competitive games at 12. In the United States, kids play 5v5 full court games and compete for national championships when they are 8-years-old.
The PBDL emphasizes learning and development. Presently, players and parents have numerous recreation options - leagues based on fun and equal participation, typically for beginners - and numerous competitive opportunities - teams focused on strategy, game preparation and winning. There are few true development leagues - until now.