the essential 3v3 & youth development experience
Everyone Plays, More
More playing time.
No more sitting on the bench or standing in lines. playmakers are constantly involved in the action due to smaller teams and more games.
More development.
increased engagement through small-sided games. more reps, more touches, less coaching, less teaching, and more learning.
More fun.
less strategizing to beat an opponent, more true competition. reduced pressure on the players from scoreboards, coaches, and officials.
The Playmakers Basketball League combines clinic-like instruction and league play designed and backed by the age appropriate research of ph.d. Brian mccormick.
Playmakers features a session-to-session teaching progression to develop the skills and teach the concepts that comprise what we refer to as Basketball Intelligence.
What is a playmaker?
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?
A player like Larry Bird stands out because of his intelligence at his size. Why?
Every player should aim to develop their basketball I.Q., as possessing a high basketball I.Q. is as important for a player without the ball, as it is for those with the ball.
A player with a high basketball I.Q. consistently makes the right play: he makes the correct pass, he anticipates the location of a rebound, and he finds the open spot for a teammate’s pass. He is in the right place at the right time. This is not luck or happenstance. When it happens consistently, it is basketball intelligence. These are the playmakers.
Playmakers: A Player’s Guide to Developing Basketball Intelligence and the Playmakers Basketball Development Leagues center on the tools that you need to understand different situations and tactical skills, so you can be a Playmaker.
“Last summer I ran a co-ed Playmakers Basketball Development League for 5th-8th grade boys and girls. The players and I absolutely loved it. Playmakers works because it combines the skills learned in a traditional camp with actual competition. The players not only learn the technical and tactical skills, but immediately apply them in 3v3 games in which they get plenty of playing time and ball touches. The curriculum makes planning each session stress-free, but also leaves room to tweak the schedule and games to fit your group. I encourage any coach that wants to do something great for the kids and not just have fun, but really learn the game to start a Playmakers League.”
— Joshua littlejohn | girls basketball coach, Cimarron, Kansas
Starting a playmakers league
The Playmakers League emphasizes learning and development through a game-play approach. Presently, players and parents have numerous recreational opportunities – leagues based on fun and equal participation, typically for beginners. There are also numerous competitive opportunities – teams focused on strategy, game preparation and winning. However, there are few true development leagues – until now.
The Playmakers Basketball League is based around three main ideas:
1. A focus on fun, learning and development.
2. Players need to play the game to learn the game.
3. Players develop in stages, not all at once.
Players learn by doing. The PBDL goal is slight improvements day-by-day in a fun, positive environment where players feel comfortable going outside their comfort zone and risking mistakes, while nurturing confidence and skill development.
The schedule is set up depending on the type of division you run, either two or three days per week: a weekday 90-minute clinic focused on tactical skills using random drills, and a weekend two-hour league and clinic focused on technical skills and more block practice.
Playmakers emphasizes instruction and learning, not rules and the score. During the six weeks, players play approximately 20 league games, plus many more competitive drills/games, but the emphasis is the learning and improvement. Nobody wins a trophy for going undefeated, and no coach stacks a team in his favor. Coaches work together and coach all the teams, not one specific team.
A playmakers league is a great alternative to running a summer camp or as an extension of a summer camp. playmakers is also makes a great fall league as preparation for the winter competitive season.
All the drills and progressions are outlined in the Coach’s Handbook and the lessons correspond to the concepts and skills covered in Playmakers: The Player’s Guide to Developing Basketball Intelligence, the book that each participant receives. The curriculum simplifies the process for a coach so that he can focus on managing his staff and teaching the players without worrying about being creative and devising new drills or progressing skills properly.
Playmakers is perfect for an organization looking to diversify its programs or for a high school coach trying to create a feeder program for his or her school.
to learn more about starting your own playmakers chapter Click Here to learn more about the age appropriate divisions click here.
If you are interested in learning more about starting a playmakers chapter & league at your school or organization, please click below and use the contact form to start the process.
“There is no doubt that 3 v 3 is the best and most fun way for kids to learn how to play basketball. Just organizing informal 3 v 3 games for the kids is a step in the right direction, but playmakers does so much more as it provides a guide for formalizing the rules of the actual competitive 3 v 3 league games, and also provides practice plans for two additional sessions per week in the ten week league. Each of the two practice sessions per week focuses on specific parts of the game and incorporates many innovative 1 v 1, 2 v 2, and 3 v 3 teaching tools. A strength of this program is the flexibility to mold it to whatever your gym situation is, and to any age group from 3rd graders through college players. Even if your community has not woken up to the benefits of 3 v 3, the information in this program is a great addition to Brian’s other excellent books, and will enhance your practices as you prepare your team to play 5 v 5. I cannot recommend playmakers highly enough.”
— Matt hester | Youth Coach, maine & former international pro, sweden & denmark