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ALSO:Commonwealth Games preview
Preventing overuse injuries
Winning a National Championshipas a player/coach
D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 5
V o l u m e 1 2 I s s u e 4
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION
Building a team aroundgood scorersLindsay Gaze
Building a team aroundgood scorersLindsay GazeALSO:Commonwealth Games preview
Preventing overuse injuries
Winning a National Championshipas a player/coach
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Basketball Australia gratefully acknowledges its major sponsors:
ABCA Life MembersLindsay Gaze Barry Barnes Ian Laurie
Merv Harris Dr Adrian Hurley Patrick Hunt
Ken Watson Brian Kerle Ray Tomlinson
CONTENTS
1 How to develop and utilise good scorers - Lindsay Gaze
4 WNBL Coach Profile - Cheryl Chambers
5 2005 Basketball Australia
National Intensive Training
Centre Program
9 Being the player/coach
(and winning a National
Championship)
10 Commonwealth Games
preview
12 Effective team building
in the pre season
13 Dealing with difficult people
14 AJC preview
14Duncan’s Drills
15 ICE program review
- AIS 2005
16 Monitoring training load: A
practical tool for basketball
coaches
17 Preventing overuse injuries
EDITOR
Rachel Wolters
GENERAL MANAGER, COMMUNITY BASKETBALLMichael Haynes
PHOTOGRAPHY
Getty Images, Sport the Library, Ian KnightPhotography, Lorisse Dart, Yvonne Milbank, Noel
Rowsell and Action Sports Images
ADVERTISING
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DESIGN
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Paragon Printers Australasia Tel: (02) 9360 1993
CONTRIBUTIONS & FEEDBACK
We welcome news items, feedback and
suggestions. If you have an upcoming event orprogram you would like included, or if you would
like to comment on any of the articles in this or
previous editions, you can email us [email protected], or submit content to usat the following address: The Editor, Xs and Os,
PO Box 7141 Alexandria NSW 2015.
Photographs should be clearly marked withcaption details including credits.
Xs and Os is produced by the Community Basketball
Department of Basketball Australia. Xs and Os is a
quarterly publication with cover dates of March, June,
September and December and is available only through
membership of ABCA.
© Reproduction of any material without written
permission from the Editor is strictly prohibited.
Signed articles represent the views of the author and
are not necessarily those of Basketball Australia.
Basketball Australiawww.basketball.net.au
Level 3
256 Coward StreetMascot NSW 2020
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Fax: (02) 9469 7201
Cover
Photo:Andrew GazeS p o r t t h e L i b r a r y
8Rachael Sporn - How
did she last so long?
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www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 1www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 1
How to develop and utilise
good scorers (shooters)
BY LINDSAY GAZE
Basketball Australia Hall of Famer,
Lindsay Gaze, has 22 seasons of NBL
coaching experience and two
Championship rings to his name. He has put
together innumerable teams over the years,
giving him a firm understanding of what
makes a winning combination. This article
gives coaches an insight into what to look
for in individual scorers to help lift the
performance of a whole team.
Many years ago when players’ agents became
more active in seeking to introduce new talent to
the Australian basketball scene, it was not
uncommon for an agent to describe his prospect
as “not a great shooter, but a good scorer”.
It seemed almost a contradiction in terms, but
after objective consideration, not too difficult to
understand.
James Bullock, who played for the Melbourne
Tigers was a typical example. Bullock was a
great rebounder for his size and a fierce
competitor. He had the ability to create scoringopportunities around the basket, whether by
setting up a good position to receive a pass, or
by scrapping hard for the offensive rebound
and second shot. Anything beyond the free
throw range, or taking an open jump shot off a
drive, was rarely a high percentage play for
him, yet he was one of the NBL’s leading
scorers during his career in Australia.
1980 Olympian and current Adelaide 36ers
assistant coach, Steve Breheney, was another
example of a player who quite often racked up
good scores, and although Steve might stillargue the case, he was never classified as a
good shooter. Steve gained a reputation for
being a great ‘garbageman’ and team mates
and opponents alike marvelled at his ability to
gather the loose ball or errant pass, and convert
it to scoring opportunities.
While there are many examples of not great
shooters becoming good scorers, there are just
as many examples of players who are blessed
with ‘the shooter’s touch’.
Some of the great ones in Australia’s basketball
history have included Peter Bumbers (through
the 50s), Werner Linde (the 60s) Eddie
Palubinskas (the 70s) Ian Davies and Michael
Johnson (the 80s) and in more recent times the M a r k B r a d t k e w a s a n i n t e g r a l p a r t o f a s u c c e s s f u l M e l b o u r n e T i g e r s t e a m . P h o t o : S p o r t t h e L i b r a r y .
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2 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au2 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au
likes of Andrew Gaze, Brett Maher and Shane
Heal. All had the ability to put the ball to the
floor, create their own scoring situation and be
equally efficient from close or long range.These
players are all recognised as great shooters
who also happen to be great scorers.
The question can be asked, “How did these
players become great shooters and how do
those who don’t seem to possess the shooters
touch become such good scorers?”
There is no simple explanation, but in every
case the common factor is ‘work’. All the
players mentioned have demonstrated a
desire for excellence and the energy to
practice and refine their skills to make the
best of their abilities.
In all examples of pure shooters, their
technique was fundamentally sound and their
confidence came from repetition of moves
practiced continually through their careers.
In the examples of the not so pure shooters but
good scorers, more often than not the players
were not the stars of their junior teams. Their
coaches however, inevitably recognised the
value they brought to their clubs through hard
work and refusal to concede to pure talent.
Most of their scoring was done close to the
basket and usually in traffic. All had long
careers at the top level.
While considering the characteristics of good
shooters, the history of the sport is littered with
examples of good (if not great) shooters, never
becoming good scorers.
These players have rarely survived for long in
the higher levels of competition. In the interest
of avoiding controversy, examples will not be
identified here, but almost inevitably theseplayers tended to be inconsistent, self centred,
only concerned about their own statistics and
reluctant to stick with the team rules. It is
always disappointing to observe fine natural
talent being wasted. Conversely it is always
stimulating to observe players making the best
of their ability whether blessed with natural
talent or not.
One of the best examples of a player
maximising his talent was 2003’s NBL Most
Valuable Player Chris Williams.
Williams was not classified as a pure shooter,
but he did prove to be a consistent scorer. He
did this mainly through his athletic moves to
the basket making what were difficult plays
look almost ridiculously easy.
Opposition defenders would often concede, or
even invite Williams to take the mid to long
range perimeter shot. Sometimes he would
accept the invitation, probably in an effort to
keep the defence honest, but his percentages
from that range were less than spectacular.
By contrast, his percentages on anything aroundthe basket were very impressive. At least some
of the credit for Williams’ success must go to
coach Brian Goorjian, who created a structure
and team offence that emphasised his star
player’s strengths. The combination of team
structure and Williams’ team discipline led to the
Kings winning their first NBL Championship.
Of course the Kings were not a one-man show.
While Williams provides a perfect example of a
good scorer who was not necessarily a great
shooter, the Kings also had Shane Heal, who
was a great shooter and a great scorer almostevery time he decided that was what he
wanted to be.
Other players on the Kings roster like, Kavossy
Franklin, Matt Nielsen and Brad Sheridan, can
be classified as good shooters, but not in the
same special category as Heal. In order to
utilise the great shooting and scoring talents of
L i n d s a y G a z e c o u l d r e c o g n i s e t h e s c o r i n g p o t e n t i a l o f h i s p l a y e r s . P h o t o : S p o r t t h e L i b r a r y .
A n d r e w G a z e . P h o t o : S p o r t t h e L i b r a r y .
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all the Kings’ team, the players had to
understand their respective roles, play within
their limitations and emphasise their strengths.
Sometimes superior talent does not always
produce championship results. The great LA
Lakers team could not capture their third
successive title this year even though they had
the same nucleus of their previous two
championship teams.
Individual and team attitude will always
contribute to the end result and the writing
was well and truly on the wall early in the
season for the Lakers, notwithstanding their
injury problems.
Shaquille O’Neill must be a classic example of
a poor shooter who is a great scorer. Anything
but point blank is normally outside O’Neill’s
effective shooting range and yet he has
dominated the NBA for several years with his
thunderous dunking and scoring around thebasket. Kobe Bryant is also a classic example of
a great shooter and heavy scorer and few
would criticise the supporting talent of the
Lakers team.
Attitude, and a tendency to deviate from the
team structure, proved to be the Lakers’
downfall this year.
One of the most important instructions a coach
can give their players is:“ U n d e r s t a n d y o u r o w n s t r e n g t h s a n dw e a k n e s s e s . M a x i m i s e y o u r s t r e n g t h sa n d m i n i m i s e , o r a t l e a s t c a m o u f l a g e ,y o u r w e a k n e s s e s . ”Too many times players will try to do things
beyond their natural abilities. This is not to say
players should not practice moves that will
make them better, or they should not take risks.
Being too rigid or too restrictive can be just as
damaging as being too adventurous, or just
plain careless. Knowing what you do best and
then working to exploit your strength is more
likely to lead to success.
Perhaps the best example recently was inthe 2005 NBA Finals Series Game 5 between
San Antonio and New Jersey. San Antonio
had demonstrated a tendency to fritter away
leads in the last quarter of their games due
to focussing almost exclusively on their MVP
Tim Duncan to score on low post moves.
One-on-one plays would become one-on-two,
or one-on-three.
Throughout the season and in the earlier play
off rounds Duncan had repeatedly saved the
Spurs with his individual heroics within the
team plan. However, the added pressure of the
Finals and tougher defence indicated that
more was needed. With just a couple of
minutes left and the Spurs lead once again
whittled down to three, coach Greg Popovic
called on rarely used Steve Kerr, a specialist
three-point shooter, to take the court for the
first time.
Kerr passed to Duncan in the low post, and
Kerr’s man double teamed Duncan. Duncan
passes back out to Kerr who connects on a
three-pointer and virtually makes the game safe.
The fact that Steve Kerr saw extremely little
action not only in the Finals, but throughout the
season, did not reduce his effectiveness, or
his attitude.
Kerr is the highest percentage three-point
shooter in the NBA. He knew his role, his team
mates knew his capabilities and his coach had
faith. Only those who have played in similar
situations know how difficult it is to come off
the bench in the latter stages of an important
game and contribute like you have played
significant minutes.
Those few minutes, and a few other minutes
played during the Finals series with equal
effect, gave Steve Kerr the chance to show that
he is not just a great shooter, but one who
understands the role he was asked to fulfil. A
player with the right attitude, in a team with the
right attitude and a coach who provided the
structure that enhanced the individual talents of
all team members.
These are the ingredients for success.
L a n a r d C o p e l a n d w a s a p r o l i f i c s c o r e r f o r t h e T i g e r s . P h o t o : S p o r t t h e L i b r a r y .
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X&Os: What was your greatest achievement
as a player?
CC: I have two. Winning a Championship in the
early days of the WNBL, and playing a few
games for Australia.
X&Os: What is your greatest achievement asa coach thus far?
CC: It would have to be getting the group to
where we are now. I started three years ago and
we finished second last year (although not
doing too well in the finals).That is definitely my
biggest achievement as a head coach.
X&Os: What is or has been more rewarding,
coaching or playing?
CC: They are two completely different things.
The old adage that “you’re a long time retired”
is certainly pretty true, because playing is
something you can’t do all your life. Although
you don’t have a lot of control when you’re
coaching, because you can’t go out and do it
yourself, it certainly has a lot of rewards. The
reward of seeing players improve is great.
X&Os: What similarities and difference do
you find between coaching and playing?
CC: I came from the point guard position, so
thinking about tactics, how to score and
offences is fairly similar. However, the
difference as a player is that you don’t need to
manage 12 or 13 players; you just manageyourself and the four other people on the court
with you. The management of talent and
personalties, and getting them all on the same
page is huge difference as a coach.
X&Os: Has being an assistant coach for thePrice Attack Opals and the Gems helped you
as a WNBL coach?
CC: Without a doubt. I am very lucky to have
these opportunities. I try to go into every camp
and tour with an open mind. I sap up as much
as I can from the other coaches while watching
the international competition and the quality
players. Also, when you get the 10 best
Australian players in the room they can teach
you a lot. It has certainly contributed to me
becoming a better coach.
X&Os: Having coached and played for the
same team, would you have done anything
fundamentally different as a player?
CC: If I had the mind and knowledge that I have
now when I was a player I could have been
something really special! I would have been
twice the player I was. The mind is such an
important tool, and knowledge is power in this
game.
X&Os: Would you like to have coached
yourself?
CC: It depends which myself! I played for 13years, so there were many different mes! At
times I would have loved to coach myself
because I think I had some good attributes and
I would like to think that I was fairly clever as a
player. The other thing was that I wasn’t as
athletically gifted as other players, so I had
make up for it by being smart. Some years I
would have been a pleasure to coach,and other
years I didn’t have as good a time. But this has
helped me as a coach as I can identify that in
my players and help them learn from my
experiences.
X&Os: Do you see any similarities in your
players and yourself when you played?
CC: I do. It’s good to have played, because
sometimes players say things to me and I think,
“I can really relate to that, I lost my confidence
when that happened.” You can help players
through difficult times.
X&Os: Do you feel that playing in the league
that you now coach has helped your
perspective on coaching?
CC: I think so. Sometimes you have to remind
the younger players that there is a long tradition
of women’s basketball in Australia and that this
is a sport where you have to put back in. A lot
of people put in when I was playing and that
allowed the sport to grow and become more
successful. You have to remind players of that,
because sometimes it comes a little easy for
some and it’s a good reminder.
X&Os: What is your coaching philosophy?
CC: I really care about the players. It’s important
to care about those you coach otherwise youwon’t get the best out of them.Also, I have to be
organised. If you’re organised as a group and a
team, it helps you to move forward together, as
team, with a goal.
X&Os: Who did you look up to as a player?
CC: I was lucky to play at Nunawading when
Michele Timms and Robyn Maher were there. I
also played with Karin Maar. She was one of the
Coach’s Q&A: Bulleen MelbourneBoomers Head Coach - Cheryl Chambers
C h e r y l C h a m b e r s h a s b u i l t a s t r o n g B u l l e e nM e l b o u r n e u n i t . P h o t o : L o r i s s e D a r t .
T h e B o o m e r s h a v e a s t r o n g t e a m e t h i c a n d a b a n d o f l o y a l f a n s . P h o t o : Y v o n n e M i l b a n k .
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best competitors in the League, and is still one
of the most competitive people I know.
X&Os: Who do you look up to now as a
coach?
CC: I think Carrie Graf is a wonderful coach and
I try to listen and learn from her whenever I can.
She’s had some wonderful experience as the
Opals assistant and being in the WNBA. Working
with Gary Fox and Jan Stirling with the Opals is
a great experience. They have been doing this
for 15 years and I have only been doing it for
three, so I really look up to them. Ray Tomlinson
and Brian Goorjian are another two... There are
a lot of people I try to touch base with and try
and listen to and learn from their ideas.
X&Os: As a player, what aspect of the game
(offence or defence) did you feel was the
most important, and has that feeling
changed as a coach?
CC: As a point guard, I was pretty good atshooting, scoring and organising, but I wasn’t as
impressive at the defensive end.Now I know that
if you don’t stop other teams from scoring,you’re
never going to win. So, my emphasis as a coach
is at both the offensive and defensive ends.
X&Os: How were you able to build such a
successful team without having the revenue
of other teams in the league?
CC: At first it was hard to attract people. Some
people came to us because other clubs decided
they didn’t fit into that team’s program, but the
way to attract players is to build a team culture,
and a relationship with the players, and that is
how we’ve done it. That’s how we retain people
too. I have a pretty good relationship with my
players and we’ve built a culture where we allwork hard. Nothing is given out without being
earned and I think the culture attracts people.
When Hollie Grima joined us, I said to her that
once she’s come over to us she would never
want to leave, and she now says, “You’re right,
I don’t want to go anywhere else!”
X&Os: What player has impressed you the
most this season?
CC: Desiree Glaubitz. She has worked really
hard and become a really dynamic
scorer/penetrator. A player from another team
who has impressed me is Samantha Richards.
She’s been very impressive in her ability to
score, but also to get other people involved in
Dandenong’s game.
X&Os: Would you want to coach anywhere
else - why or why not?
CC: No. Well, I wouldn’t mind going to the
WNBA… No, I am happy where I am. We sat
down three years ago and said, “What do we
need to get this done?” and we put it in place. I
like the culture. It would be hard to change the
word Boomer to anything else.D e s i r e e G l a u b i t z h a s i m p r e s s e d C h e r y l C h a m b e r st h i s s e a s o n . P h o t o : I a n K n i g h t P h o t o g r a p h y .
Basketball Australia’s National
Intensive Training Centre Program is
renown as one of the world’s leading
basketball development programs and its
focus is to develop athletes and coaches
with national and international potential.The program accordingly has a focus on
international trends in both playing styles
and talent identification and development
programs.
To this end, fourteen coaches from Basketball
Australia’s National Intensive Training Centre
Program and the Australian Institute of Sport
participated in a Coaches International Study Tour
to USA, Turkey and China. The study tour was
organised and led by Patrick Hunt, Head Coach of
the Basketball Australia NITCP and Manager,
National Player and Coach Development.
The objectives of the tour were to experience
coaching concepts, methods and techniques
used in a variety of programs and to evaluate
the technical content, sports science and
medicine support services. In the USA the
coaches were joined by Carol Byers, the head
netball coach at the Western Australia Institute
of Sport, which gave the coaches the
opportunity to discuss the differences andsimilarities between the skills and training
methods of the two sports.
The coaches also had the opportunity to explore
coach education, national talent identification
programs, national talent development
programs, national team programs and club
structure and local and national competition
organisation and structure.
In the USA coaches visited men’s and women’s
programs at Lafayette College, Villanova
University, St Joseph’s University, DrexelUniversity, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke
University, Wake Forest University and the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In Turkey the coaches visited junior and senior
women’s and men’s programs in Istanbul. In China
the coaches visited junior and senior women’s and
men’s programs in Beijing and met with officials
from the Chinese Basketball Association.
In a very demanding and hectic 26 day programcoaches attended 41 practice sessions, 31
technical/coaches presentations, attended 6
games, participated in 7 study/workshop
sessions and attended 6 meetings with
Basketball Administrators. A total of 91
activities were undertaken.
At Villanova the coaches attended a clinic
conducted by Mens Head Coach Jay Wright,
which focused on developing team and
individual defensive fundamental skills. Whilst
these skills were not necessarily, it is refreshing
to see the teaching points and emphasis usedby other coaches. Following is come notes
taken from this clinic.
continued page 6
2005 Basketball Australia National
Intensive Training Centre ProgramOverseas coaches study tour
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Individual Defence Concepts
Mass Stance Defensive Drill
This is a drill commonly used by coaches
throughout Australia, giving players the
opportunity to “rehearse” defensive footwork
and hand positions. An important adage to
keep in mind is that “practice makes
permanent” and attention to detail is important
in this drill.
Having some “extra eyes” to watch players can
be very useful. If you don’t have assistant
coaches, asking managers or parents to help
out can be just as effective. Keep your teaching
points concise and have the manager/parent
look at that specific thing.
Coach has a basketball and the players are on
the floor in lines. When the coach calls for the
players to get into defensive stance the players
slap the floor and yell “D time”
When changingbetween the
different defensive
positions the drill
players give two
quick hand claps
Defensive stance
is very wide and
very low.
The players went
through the
following build up.
Defending a Passer
To pressure a passer defenders must have their
head and both hands on the basketball, whilst
keeping their knees slightly bent so they can be
quick to to move.
If the passer moves the ball from one side to the
other the defender must slide over quickly to
get keep their head and hands on the
basketball. They call out “ball”.
Defending a Dribbler
Defence keeps a hand on the basketball (at
arms length). A low and wide stance is
emphasised by players imagining they are
sitting down in a seat.
If the defender drive fakes the defender hops
back (whilst staying in stance) to maintain the
gap distance between the offence and defence.
The coach points and players move with a
footwork pattern of one long step and one short
step. A defender must strive to contain the
offensive player for their first two dribbles.
Slide, Run, Slide
If an offensive player gets their head past a
defender’s shoulder, the defender needs to turn
and run low getting their head back on the ball.
Players were instructed to use a “cheat step”,
(a step with the foot closest to the dribbler) so
they can remain low. If they step with their foot
furthest away from the offence they
automatically stand up and lose their
quickness.
The defender should pick a spot in front of their
opponent, run for two sprints to that spot and
get into stance putting a hand on the basketball
Slide, Run, Chest
If a defender cannot get in front of the offensive
player then they will chest the player. With
hands up they “ride” the outside shoulder of the
defensive player, making sure not to lean on the
offensive player as this will be a foul.
Hand on ball drill
Players each have a partner with one having a
basketball. The coach will call out the names of
the various defensive activities:
“drive”
- offence showsdrive fake
- defence hops
back and
forward
“pass”
- offence puts
ball above
head
- defence puts
two hands and
their head on the ball
“dribbler
- two dribbles to dead
- offence takes two dribbles either right or
left
- defence slides in stance long step short
step and keep hand on the ball
“run, slide, run” -
- offence takes two dribbles and beats
defence
- defence slides uses a run step runs two
strides and comes up in front of the offence
“run, slide, chest”
- dribble and show lay up
- offence dribbles three or four times and
pretends to shoot layup
- defence slides runs and chests the offence
Half Court Team Defence
Fundamentals
With each of these drills players were allowed
to practice several times to get the form and
technique correct then drills were played live.
Offence were allowed two dribbles only and if
the offensive player caught the ball inside the
three point area the offence would rotate out
however the defence had to stay
Defending the Pass and Cut
When defending
the pass and cut
as soon as pass is
made defender
must jump to theball and stay on
the line of the ball.
They must not
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jump to the basket. If the person jumps to the
basket it gives the opportunity for offence to
pop back and shoot or to simply cut past the
defender. If the player jumps to the ball then
they keep vision on the ball and can also deny
a pass back to them.
The closer the offensive cutter gets to the ball
then the closer the defender needs to move
towards the cutter, conversely the further thecutter goes away from the ball then the greater
the distance between the cutter and their
defender.
The defence is maintaining one hand in denial
off the pass and the other arm in a bent forearm
and with a clenched fist on the cutting player.
The defenders back is to the baseline. As the
cutter goes away the defender will stay in
stance with their head under the basket always
maintain vision on the ball and the player they
are guarding. If the offensive player tries to cut
and flash cut to the top of the key the defender
denies this cut with a strong forearm and fist.
Pass and Cut, Back Cut and Flash Cut
Offence will
execute the
same drill as
above however
now after the
offence has
executed the
flash cut they
will cut outside the three point line and sprintto the basket to execute a back cut
The defence will play as above however as the
defence back cuts they will throw their hands
as they head snap and they will have their
denial hand down to the floor (palm facing the
passer) to stop a bounce pass.
The coaches at Villanova instructed their
players to always “head and hands snap”,
rather than opening up to the ball.
Denial
Offensiveplayers would
try and lead to
catch the
basketball from
the coach. The
defence would
stay in a strong
forearm and fist denial stance being physical
and using their body they would keep their
back to the basket outside the scoring area. If
the player catches the ball the must get hand
on the ball and have their feet square to theoffensive player.
“Two on Two” Wack Out
Players are in
stance on split
line. When the
coach slams
the ball on the
ground the
players slap
the ground andcall the name of the player the are going to
guard.
When coach calls “wack out” defensive players
step with the foot closest to the offensive player
(who already have a basketball) and stay low.
Coaches instructed players to use this “cheat”
step because if they step with back foot they
will stand up.The defender closing out runs 2/3
of the way to the offence player they throw their
head back and hands out.They close out to take
away the drive firstly, sprints out and closes outthe player with the ball.
- Stage one after close out each player will
take two dribbles to the base line with the
defenders in stance and containing. When
defending base line drive player steps with
base line foot first making sure they stay low
and don’t stand up and keep a hand on the
ball
- Stage two after close out each player will
take two dribbles to the middle with the
defenders in stance and containing. When
defending middle drive player steps with top
foot first making sure they stay low and don’t
stand up and keep a hand on the ball
- Stage three only the coach will have a
basketball. Drill starts as above however the
coach will throw the ball to one of the
offensive players. One defender will close out
whilst the other stays on split and on the line
of the ball. If the help defenders player is
above the free throw line then the help
defender will have two feet in the key and on
the line of the ball. If the help side defender
is above the free throw line the defence has
one foot in they key whilst on the line of the
ball.
If the person
guarding the
ball is beaten
then the help
side defender
has to “read
help” if you
think that the
person is completely beaten they you have to
help outside the key. The player that is beaten
will recover to the other player.
If the person guarding the ball is chesting their
opponent then help defence should hedge at
the ball handler before sprinting to their player
ready to block out
When reading help if the defender is contained
then fine, if not contained then fake help and
recover. At all times contain first and contest
late.
The ball starts
on the wing.
In this
example O1 is
above the free
throw line so
X3 would
have one foot
in the key. As
the ball is reversed to the coach X2 jumps to
the line of the ball and both players sprint to
denial.
Coach passes to either player, if offence back cuts, defence must throw hand low to deny
whilst keeping other arm forearm and fist on
the player, if reversed to a player on the wing
then they are hand on ball and pressuring
In 2006 notes from the complete study tour will
be prepared together with video of some of
these sessions. Notes and videos from previous
study tours are available from the NITCP head
coaches in each state.
JOIN ABCATODAY.Fill in the form on
the back of this magazine.
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8 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au8 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au
Rachael Sporn is one of Australia’s
most known and loved basketball
representatives. She retired from the
game following the 2004 Athens Olympics,
at the age of 36. She had played in the WNBL
since 1986 and first represented Australia in
1989. She retired from the Opals having
played 304 senior games.
X&Os: Who was the best coach you had
and why?
RS: Number one for me was Tom Maher. I was
coached by Tom for his entire stint as the head
coach of the Opals (1993-2000). Tom came
along at a time that the Australian women's
program was in need of an injection of
enthusiasm and confidence (which he provided
immediately), due to our failure to qualify for the
Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Tom groomed theOpals to be a classy and professional group. He
instilled in us the Opals seven themes, which
became, and still are, the cornerstone of what it
means to be an Opal. With Tom it was straight
down the line, there was no grey area and I
respected him tremendously for that approach.
I had to wait until I was 28 years of age to play
at my first Olympics (Atlanta,1996), so the coach
that took me there and gave me that opportunity
will always be as special as the 11 team-mates
who also took that journey with me.
What Tom Maher was able to do for the Opals,
Jan Stirling did for Adelaide Lightning. Ourinaugural year as Lightning was in 1993 and
Jan set the benchmark with our fitness level as
well as our professionalism on and off the
court. Winning three Championships in a row in
1994, 1995 and 1996 was a huge highlight and
was testament to Jan being able to get the best
out of her athletes.
Current coach of the AIS women’s program,Dean Kinsman, was another coach who had a
huge influence on my career. He was assistant
coach of Lightning in 1995 and 1996. Dean had
a great rapport with all players and was very
intuitive at recognising when you needed
assistance with either the physical or mental
side of the game. He provided me with the
opportunity to play with Forestville in State
League to gain that extra fitness and
confidence after giving birth to my daughter
Teja. That was instrumental in my eventual
selection in my third Olympic team for the
Athens Olympics.
My most sentimental favourite is my first ever
coach, Graeme ‘Colonel’ Wyatt. In my
hometown of Murrayville, there was no junior
basketball, so at the age of 9 I was playing with
and against adults in the ‘B’ grade. By the time
I was 12, I was playing ‘A’ grade with mum, and
with Colonel as coach we won five
premierships in a row together. Colonel was a
softly spoken man who gave me the most
positive and enjoyable start to my basketball
career that I could have ever hoped for.
X&Os: What was the best technique usedon you to motivate you to play better and
try harder?
RS: Simple, old-fashioned positive reinforcement.
X&Os: What was the worst technique?
RS: Negativity.
X&Os: What training plan/diary worked best
for you?
RS: A monthly training plan that was worked
out in advance allowed you to assess what your
workload was going to be, which then enabled
you to work out what other activities outside of
basketball could fit into your hectic schedule. It
was always about having balance and not
getting burnt out or run down by trying to cram
in too much in any given week. Physically
writing down in your diary your training for the
week/month is a form of motivation as it
becomes a priority and makes you disciplined.
X&Os: Why do you think you had so
few injuries?
RS: I never carried any extra weight and was
religious with making sure that I had a weekly
massage. I probably should have done more
stretching than I did but I do believe that luck
also had a bit to do with me staying relatively
injury free. Before my knee reconstruction I had
only missed one WNBL game in 14 years.
X&Os: What injury prevention techniques
and exercises did you use?
RS: In the latter part of my career we were
introduced more to core strength exercises and
Pilates, which I believe helped tremendouslywith injury prevention. Ensuring that I wore
correct footwear with orthotics was also a
preventative measure for injury.
X&Os: Do you think you will go into
coaching (perhaps when Teja is old enough
to play)?
RS: I am biding my time until Teja is at an age
that she will be playing in a team and a coach
is required – I am sure I will get the phone call!
As far as coaching at the elite level I have no
interest at this stage.
X&Os: Any advice to coaches out there whowant to get the best out of their players?
RS: Be firm but fair. If you respect your coach
you will always want to play hard for them.
Respect is achieved by being honest and
showing commitment to achieving success.
Provide constructive criticism when required
and praise when it is earned. Don’t send mixed
messages. Be clear about what you want from
your players and definitely don’t show
favouritism towards certain players. Positive
body language is important, just as it is letting
the players know that you love what you do.
And, for both players and coaches, as Tom
Maher would say – “ E m b r a c e h a r d w o r k a n d b ed e t e r m i n e d t o g i v e m u c h m o r e t h a n y o ur e c e i v e . ”
Rachael Sporn - How did she last so long?
R a c h a e l S p o r n b e l i e v e s ‘ S i m p l e , o l d - f a s h i o n e d p o s i t i v e r e i n f o r c e m e n t ’ i s t h e w a y t o m o t i v a t e p l a y e r s . P h o t o : G e t t y I m a g e s
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www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 9www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 9
BY KYM CASSELLS
Player/Coach, Ballarat Lady Miners
Starting as a player with the Ballarat
Lady Miners at the age of 15, I have
seen the transition from runner-up in
the CVIBL days to the 2005 ABA National
Champions – it has been a steady
progression.
After winning eight consecutive titles in the Big
V, the Ballarat Lady Miners stepped up to the
SEABL in 2003. This was a natural progression
after so many successful years; however the
transition was difficult for all involved.
The majority of players, including myself, had
never played in the SEABL, so the step up was
daunting. However, this was the challenge that
the Lady Miners program needed.
This year’s National Championship was more
than 12 months in the making, with the
majority of the team being together for a
number of years. In fact, most of the team have
come through the Ballarat Basketball
Association junior program - something thetown, the Association, and the team are very
proud of. This stability no doubt helped to bring
the Championship to Ballarat.
After finishing just outside the Finals in 2003,
and being runners-up in 2004, the Lady Miners
had unfinished business come 2005. With these
results we were confident that the program and
philosophies we had in place weren’t far away
from where we needed to be; it was merely a
refining process that had to take place.
This year we put a lot more time into
scrimmaging than we have in previous years.This built our understanding and confidence in
our plays, and in one another. I feel this was one
of the keys to the Lady Miners success in 2005.
Along with scrimmaging, we also spent a lot of
time with drills such as 3-on-2 transition which,
due to having a playing group that likes to run,
was the style of game the Lady Miners became
comfortable with. In this we put a focus on both
offensive and defensive transition. Another drill
that was important to our success was the use
of the shell drill. This drill allows us a solid base
for our team defence and is a drill that we do atleast once a fortnight.
One question I commonly get asked is, “Is it
hard being a playing coach?” The simple
answer is “Yes.” However, when I sit back and
think about it, I really wouldn’t have had it any
other way. It is one of the most challenging, but
rewarding, experiences I have had in
basketball. I have no doubt that being a playing
coach is not the ideal situation for everyone.
My contribution as a player has certainly been
taken down a notch to allow me to fulfil my
coaching responsibilities. The role I have taken
over the last few years I would best describe as
a ‘coach who plays a little.’ My objective has
always been to make sure I take care of 100%of my coaching responsibilities, and if the team
situation requires me to take the court, then I
will do so. I am employed to coach the Lady
Miners and I have always made sure that
coaching comes first. I believe that a player
who plays a lot of minutes would struggle in the
role of a playing coach, because concentrating
on your playing would take away from your
coaching responsibilities.
Generally, my role as a player in the last couple
of years has been more for stability. We have
had a young guard rotation and I have providedsome experience in the rotation. By being on
the court I am also able to be directly involved
in immediate decisions and implementation;
this is especially relevant for example, in tight
situations when we may need to get right
through an offence to get the best shot
possible. There are many games where I do not
play more than a couple of minutes.
There are a number of important functions that
need to be in place to allow the team to have a
playing coach. The key is having a structure
that supports you in this role. This spans from
having a competent assistant coach who can
take the reigns when need be, to having the
backing of the players and committee.
There are a number of positives and negatives
surrounding the playing coach situation, and
too many to discuss. However, the biggest
positive for me is being able to get out in the
action. This certainly gives you a different look
at the game, and you can pick up more than
you may standing on the sidelines.
On the other hand, there is also the criticism
that comes with either playing too many or too
few minutes, depending on the situation.
Regardless of any negatives, I feel you’re a longtime retired, so I will continue in the role I am in
for as long as I feel it helps the Ballarat Lady
Miners to be a successful sporting team.
Being the player/coach
(and winning a national championship)
T h e L a d y M i n e r s c e l e b r a t e t h e i r N a t i o n a l C h a m p i o n s h i p i n 2 0 0 5 . P h o t o : N o e l R o w s e l l .
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10 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au10 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au
The Commonwealth Games is a great
opportunity for coaches to get out and
see some great international
basketball on our shores.
Our Aussie teams are expected to do well, andwe hope to reach the top of the podium in both
the men’s and women’s competitions.
The preliminary rounds of basketball will be
played in the regional venues of Ballarat,
Bendigo, Traralgon and Geelong, meaning Trish
Fallon (Geelong) and Glen Saville’s (Bendigo)
hometown fans get to see them on home
soil again.
The finals will see the teams return to
Melbourne and the Vodafone Arena, and the
gold medal matches will be played on Thursday
the 23rd for the women, and Friday the 24th
for the men.
New Zealand are expected to be the biggest
threat to our gold medal hopes, but both the
Boomers and the Price Attack Opals accounted
for the Kiwis in 2005 in the Oceania
Championships.
The Boomers recently completed a camp in
Gosford, and after two days, four sessions and
innumerable bottles of Gatorade, they finished
their one and only training camp ahead of the
naming of the Australian basketball team forthe Commonwealth Games in mid February.
The 20-man squad was put through its paces
by head coach Brian Goorjian and his
assistants, Brendan Joyce and Rob Beveridge.
Fitness Coordinator Nick Popovic spent time
with each player to determine fitness, strength
and the dreaded skin fold count.
As the camp was during the Philips
Championship season, Goorjian and his team
were mindful to treat the players with the
utmost care to ensure they returned to their
club unscathed.
However, with places in the Commonwealth
Games team on the line, the players didn’t take
a backward step on the training court.
Jacob Holmes was the only athlete to require
medical care, copping a Larry Davidson elbow
in the eyebrow. Doc game him six quick
stitches and it didn’t slow the Adelaide guard
down a bit.
Glen Saville and Paul Rogers both came into the
camp with niggling injuries, incurred with their
respective clubs, and took it easy for most ofthe camp.
The 12-man Commonwealth Games team will
be announced in mid February.The team will go
Preview of Commonwealth Games
Boomers Commonwealth Games squad:
CJ Bruton (Sydney Kings), Jacob Holmes (Adelaide 36ers), Glen Saville (Wollongong Hawks),
Jason Smith (Sydney Kings), Mark Worthington (Sydney Kings), Peter Crawford (Perth Wildcats),
Brad Davidson (Hunter Pirates), Brad Newley (Townsville Crocs), Russell Hinder (Hunter Pirates),
Oscar Forman (Adelaide 36ers), David Barlow (Sydney Kings), Greg Vanderjagt (Townsville
Crocs), Luke Kendall (Sydney Kings), Pero Vasiljevic (West Sydney Razorbacks), Sam Mackinnon
(Brisbane Bullets), Neil Mottram (Melbourne Tigers), Tony Ronaldson (Perth Wildcats), Adam
Caporn (Wollongong Hawks), Larry Davidson (Hunter Pirates), Paul Rogers (Perth).
Opals Commonwealth Games squad:
Tully Bevilaqua (Canberra Capitals), Erin Phillips (Adelaide Fellas), Kathleen Macleod (Dandenong
Rangers), Sam Richards (Dandenong Rangers), Belinda Snell (Sydney Uni Flames), Jenni Screen
(Adelaide Fellas), Carly Wilson (Dandenong Rangers), Alison Tranquilli (Bulleen Melbourne
Boomers), Trish Fallon (Sydney Uni Flames), Katrina Hibbert (Bulleen Melbourne Boomers), Laura
Summerton (Adelaide Fellas), Emily McInerny (Dandenong Rangers), Rohanee Cox (Townsville
Fire), Desiree Glaubitz (Bulleen Melbourne Boomers), Deanna Smith (Perth Lynx), Hollie Grima(Bulleen Melbourne Boomers), Jacinta Hamilton (Dandenong Rangers), Natalie Porter (Sydney
Uni Flames), Jenny Whittle (Canberra Capitals), Emma Randall (Dandenong Rangers), Lauren
Jackson (injured), Alicia Poto (injured), Jae Kingi (overseas).
T h e B o o m e r s a r e t i p p e d t o w i n g o l d a t t h e M e l b o u r n e 2 0 0 6 C o m m o n w e a l t h G a m e s . P h o t o : G e t t y I m a g e s .
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into camp on March 8 before travelling to
Melbourne to enter the Athlete’s Village on
March 12.
The Price Attack Opals trained at the Melbourne
Sports and Aquatic Centre from December
11-14 and also had a productive, but short
camp.
Injured centre, Lauren Jackson, observed fromthe sideline, still recovering from shin splints.
Jackson, and fellow Athens Olympian, Alicia
Poto, attended the camp to observe training and
bond with the squad, but are not yet fit enough
to take the floor. Both women are working hard
on their recoveries to be ready for the March 16
tip off against India in Traralgon.
This was the only camp Jan Stirling and her
staff will hold before the 12-woman
Commonwealth Games team is announced inmid February.
A full basketball schedule follows. Make sure
you get out to a game if you can, but if you miss
out on tickets, or can’t make it to Victoria, tune
into Channel Nine or FOX Sports for all
the action.
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12 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au12 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au
BY SUZI TURNER
Performance Psychology Fellow
Australian Institute of Sport
Introduction
Team building is designed to help a team work
together more effectively and promote an
increased sense of unity on and off the court.
Team building activities have been widely
used by sports teams as part of pre-season
training. This article looks at the benefits that
can be gained from well-planned team
building sessions and gives practicalsuggestions on effective strategies to use with
your basketball team.
Why getting along can be pretty
useful
Competition amongst team members is
inevitable when selection is imminent and can
generate intensity at practice and motivation,
but sometimes too much competition can lead
to dysfunctional teams, on court arguments
and distractions that can impact performance
negatively. A good team environment can lead
to improved performance and as many
coaches will have experienced, team
dynamics can change every time the roster of
players changes.
The beginning of a new season is therefore an
ideal time to include some team building
activities into the program. Identifying the
playing culture that represents the team is a
good way to start the new season. When this
playing culture is identified early in the pre-
season, players are accountable for displaying
representative attitudes and behaviours on and
off the court.
How to develop a team culture
Junior Teams
A junior team may have some highly
competitive players and some players who
enjoy the more social aspects of basketball.
The team culture needs to reflect the mix of
players in your team.
Split players into pairs and ask them to ask
each other the following questions:
1. Why did you start playing basketball?
2. What do you enjoy most about playing
basketball?
3. What do you enjoy least about playing
basketball?
4. How should team mates treat one another?
After each question get each player’s partner to
feed back the answers to the rest of the team.Finally the coach summarises the responses to
all the questions and outlines his/her
expectations of the players in the team.
Practical tips
• Run a practical session where experienced
players take turns to demonstrate key skills
on court whilst shouting out to the rest of the
team the five things they wish they hadknown when they started out with the team.
• Team kit (outfi ts) is also a good way to
develop a team atmosphere. Kit means
more to players when they earn the right to
wear it; awarding players a hat after playing
in three games, or after scoring a certain
number of baskets will help to create a good
team environment.
Senior teams
Senior teams are competitive, have a strong
focus towards winning and may have alreadydeveloped their own language and culture. It is
important to ensure that the existing team
culture promotes intensity in training and that
any newcomers integrate well with the team.
• A well-integrated team has similar
expectations about acceptable behaviour
during practices and matches. Let the team
spend some time developing their ideas in
small groups on what is acceptable
behaviour, then discuss these ideas as a
team to determine what the key points are.
Keep a record of the information as it can beinvaluable to review with players later in the
season when emotions are running high and
conflicts may occur.
Effective team building in the pre season
H a v i n g y o u r t e a m d o t h i n g s t o g e t h e r o f f t h e c o u r t c a n h e l p t h e i r p e r f o r m a n c e o n t h e c o u r t .
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• A well-integrated team will also have similar
aspirations for the upcoming season. Goal
setting can focus players’ attention, provide
motivation, and increase the amount of effort
they put into the game.Feed in statistics from
previous seasons to give them a realistic idea
of performance targets they can aspire to in
practice and games. Team and individual
targets are important to develop. Review theirprogress after every four games, as your
team will get pride and satisfaction if they
achieve challenging goals.
• As a coach you may find it challenging when
you join a well-established team. You may
come up against resistance from players if
you make changes to their established
routines. Try to involve the players in some of
the decisions you make and the players will
be more likely to support those decisions.
Social teamsPeople may join a team to meet new friends
and enjoy the more social aspects of team
games. A social event during preseason would
allow players to get to know one another away
from the court environment. Team games at
these events should be fun, engage as many
people as possible and should encourage
players to interact with one another.
• Schedule a preseason picnic in the local
park. Get everyone to bring an unusual
item of food along for their team mates to
try, and get everyone to bring along a team
game to play.
• Get into teams containing a mixture of newer
and older players and have a competition to
list as many acronyms or names that the team
uses as possible for the benefit of familiarising
new players with team language.
• Run a question and answer session at the
start of each training session where each
member of the team has to ask another
member of the team a question. The
questions are designed to encourage team
interaction and learning about the game.
How to develop a communication
framework
Developing a team culture and team-buildingactivities in the preseason encourages
interaction between members of the team, but
it is important that this interaction continues
throughout the season. Men may be less likely
than women to discuss any issues or concerns
that they have with their team mates. If small
issues aren’t resolved quickly then they can
soon escalate into more serious problems.
The preseason is the ideal time to determine
how you will encourage your players to resolve
team issues quickly and effectively. Setting up
periodic team meetings during the season, or
initiating a five minute group discussion at the
end of each practice session can encourage
players to resolve issues promptly and can
prevent potential problems from escalating outof control.
BY DR. ROSIE(ROSANNASTANIMIROVIC)
Australian Institute of Sport
On a daily basis you are interacting
with people. How you interact with
people is often based on the type of
relationship you have and the reason for
why you engage. For example you
communicate with your family differently to
a work colleague. The nature of the
information you exchange is also very
different. Think about the relationships you
have with your family, work people,
basketball people, socially, etc. Think about
your experiences dealing with a difficult
family member, a colleague at work,
someone from basketball, a friend.
Think about the following:
• What is different about your communication
style in all the relationships?
• What is common about your communication
style in all the relationships?
• How do you feel after communicating with
different people?
Strategies:
• Be the listener, not the responder, and you
will become more aware of why the other
person is being difficult
• Having your say is not always the best
outcome for you in the end. Even though we
always want to have our say!
• Letting others have their say can often be the
best outcome for you in the end.
• You are often better to prov ide a short
response and leave the conversation because
you will not get the results you’re after.
• Come back to the conversation at a later date
and a resolution will be negotiated which will
be the better outcome for you.
Summary:
When people feel intimidated by a situation
they will not communicate effectively towards a
resolution. People are always going to be
difficult and respond in defence when they
perceive they are not confident in a situation.
Furthermore they will not be open to other
options to resolve the problem. Use the
strategies to make sure that both you and the
person you are communicating with are
comfortable and can openly and honestly
engage.
Dealing with difficult people
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Team building can help a team work
together more effectively and promote
increased sense of unity on and off the
court.
• Identifying the playing culture that
represents the team is a good way to
start the new season.
• Team building during the preseason can
encourage players to communicate
during the season and help to prevent
interpersonal conflicts.
• Team building needs to be directly
related to team performance so that
players contribute to the activities
purposefully.
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AJC preview
The 2006 Australian Junior Camp will be
held at the Australian Institute of Sport
from January 16 - 22 and is set to host
the best junior talent in the country. With 74
athletes, 34 coaches and 20 referees
attending the camp, participants will work through a challenging schedule that gives
them a glimpse of what is required to
represent Australia at the international level.
The 2006 camp has taken a slightly different
path in that athletes that have been selected to
attend are now part of the 2007 and 2009
Junior Women’s (Gems) and Junior Men’s
(Emus) squads. These athletes will be given an
opportunity to perform under some very
experienced national and state team coaches.
Coaches involved with the camp will include
Boomers Head Coach, Brian Goorjian, and Price
Attack Opals Head Coach, Jan Stirling, as well
as 2003 gold medal winning Junior Men World
Championships Head Coach, Rob Beveridge,
and Australian Institute of Sport Head Coaches,
Marty Clarke and Dean Kinsman.
Like the athletes, the refereeing component of thecamp is also a chance for referees gain education
from some experienced referee coaches and
active referees. Headed by Basketball Australia’s
Bill Mildenhall, Officials will discuss what is
required to be a National League and International
referee as well as various topics including
communication, conflict resolution, feel for the
game and on court mechanics. Referees will have
the privilege of working with current FIBA and
National League referee Scott Butler, who will
share his various refereeing experiences with the
group including those from the 2004 Olympics.
Parents and coaches are welcome to view the
action from the camp at the Australian
Institute Training Hall over the week. For more
information log onto www.basketball.net.au
Duncan’s drillsG’day coaches!
Duncan here again for the
last time this year. I hope
you had a great 2005, and
introduced and encouraged
lots of kids in basketball.
I met heaps of kids this year. The CartoonNetwork Aussie Hoops Mega Clinics were a
huge success in Bankstown, Cairns and
Adelaide. The final was in Dandenong on
December 8 and over 1000 kids came along to
meet me, Scooby Doo and stars from the Opals,
Dandenong, Bulleen Melbourne and the
Melbourne Tigers.What a way to finish the year.
Thanks to Cartoon Network for helping us
deliver these programs, and also to the
Associations that hosted us.
Also, November was Aussie Hoops month all over
Australia. I got to meet lots of players from the
Philips Championship and the Price Attack WNBL
when we went out to schools. We also had kidscome to games and play at half time of games
across the country and some of the kids even got
on TV! Aussie Hoops month was a great success
and we’ll be doing it again next November.
Have a great summer break and I’ll see you
again next year. Remember, it is important to
teach FUNdamental basketball skills!
The Wolf and Sheep game
Depending on the number of players available,
allocate players (sheep) to the jump ball circle(s)
of the court (one ball each) and one player (wolf) outside of the circle(s) (with the ball).Diagram 1
shows an example with a greater amount of
players in the full court and diagram 2 with
lesser players in the half court. When the coach
says, “the wolf isn’t here”, the sheep can move
freely throughout the court (the wolf can move
too, but cannot touch the sheep). When the
coach says “here comes the wolf”, the wolf can
touch all of the sheep that are outside the circles
(the sheep in the circles are safe for limited time
only). The sheep who are touched outside of the
circle become wolves and the game continues.
Position the players in a ‘star’ formation
around the jump ball circle(s) with one ball per
team. On the go, the players begin to pass the ball. The team that makes the most passes in a
set period of time wins. The players cannot
pass to the closest team member.
Star Passing
(Diagram 3)
Position the players in a ‘star’
formation around the jump ball circle(s) with one ball per team.
On the go, the players begin to
pass the ball. The team that
makes the most passes in a set
period of time wins. The players
cannot pass to the closest team
member.
Double Star Passing
(Diagram 4)
Like the previous game with two
teams (and two balls) passing
the ball at the same time.
D i a g r a m 3D i a g r a m 4
D i a g r a m 1D i a g r a m 2
7 4 a t h l e t e s w i l l b e g u i d e d b y A u s t r a l i a ’ s f i n e s t c o a c h e s .
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www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 15www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 15
ICE Program review, AIS 2005BY JASON BALD
NITCP – South Australia
The Interstate Coaching Experience
(ICE) is a Basketball Australia programdesigned to give developing coaches
the experience and expertise to become elite
coaches. Jason Bald is a South Australian
Intensive Training Centre Program coach,
and recently attended the 2005 ICE Program
at the Australian Institute of Sport in
Canberra. He shares his thoughts on the
Program with us.
One ITCP network coach from every State and
Territory in Australia was nominated to attend
the Experience, which included both team andindividual training sessions with the men’s and
women’s programs at the AIS and local WNBL
team the Canberra Capitals, various discussion
sessions with a variety of coaches on a number
of topics including current playing trends both
nationally and internationally, player and coachdevelopment pathways, performance analysis,
athlete strength and conditioning, and nutrition.
As a visiting coach, I was able to experience the
daily regimes of the AIS athletes in residence
who have to combine their schooling and
studies with a high performance sporting
program. These areas include the athlete’s self-
motivation, dedication and discipline as well as
outstanding time management to juggle the
many tasks required at this elite level.
The program was very well run and organised,with all the coaches spending time to discuss,
explain and answer any questions we may
have. It was very refreshing and reassuring
that the many fundamentals/drills and
development concepts we teach with our own
ITCP groups are still being taught andreinforced at this level.
Thanks must go to Basketball Australia and the
SA ITCP program for giving me the opportunity
to participate, Patrick Hunt and the coaches at
the AIS, Peter Buckle from the Canberra
Capitals and my fellow coaches from all over
Australia who made the experience a great
one. I would highly recommend the experience
to anyone who is given the opportunity in
the future.
I have included two of the many drills that Inoted during the four days.
Canberra Capitals Advantage/Disadvantage Transition Drill
As O1 & O2 cross the half with the ball for a 2-on-1 break situation, D2 will sprint to the jumping circle
and join the contest. D1 needs to try and contain/delay the offensive duo until D2 can recover to help-talk is vital get both players covered if they don’t complete the break. As soon as the basket is made or missed
D1 & D2 gain possession and O3 must sprint and touch the jumping circle to become the first defender
with O4 the trail defender. Coaches to emphasise communication, teamwork, work rate & intensity. If
standard is good, go to 3-2, 3-3.
Capitals Three Man Lane Runners Drill
O1 will start the drill by tossing the ball off the backboard,
rebounding strongly O1 will take two strong dribbles and outlet to
O2 who is running hard and wide in the right lane, O3 will also run
their lane hard and wide receiving the pass from O2 at the foul line
(run through the elbow) for the lay-up.
O1 will rebound the ball out of the net, land and make a strong
outlet pass to O3 who quickly gets to a receiver spot after makingthe lay-up, O2 must get to the foul line turn and run the lane
opposite the ball for the return lay-up. Ball is then rebounded by
the next player in line and the drill recommences. Target 20 made
baskets in succession. Points of emphasis - run your lane hard and
wide, sharp passes, catch the ball in the air and communicate.
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16 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au16 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au
BY PAUL MONTGOMERY
PhD Scholar Basketball Australia, Australian Institute of Sport
Basketball coaches in the modern era are acutely aware of the
need to monitor the training workload of their players so that
they can be maintained for weekly competition. However, to
improve performance a subsequent training stimulus must be
greater than the previous session so that adaptation can take place;
this is the basis of the progressive overload theory. This theory is
consistent for pre season programs, but it is not advisable for in
season programs where a more conservative approach is required to
moderate the training exposure and maintain optimum condition of
players.
Over reaching and over training are common terms used in coaching andsport science to describe the symptoms experienced by athletes when the
training stimulus has been excessive. Over reaching occurs when the training
stimulus is maintained at a high level so that the athletes begin to feel
fatigued, but can generally be reversed with a recovery period of 2-4 days.
Overtraining occurs when the training stimulus is maintained at high
volume and intensity for extended periods, which leads to decreased
performance, chronic fatigue, illness and many other symptoms. This
scenario is often impacted on and compounded by outside influences
such as life issues, school, peer pressure, family etc, and requires an
extended period of rehabilitation.
So how can a coach effectively manage the training workload of players
to determine if over reaching or overtraining are occurring?
This is often difficult, as all players will respond differently to the trainingstimulus.Additionally, the complex nature of the various components of the
training sessions incorporated into basketball such as tactical
requirements, speed development, aerobic conditioning and anaerobic
capacity make training hard to quantify. Therefore, finding a simple
measure that is time efficient and effective for the busy coach is important.
Within any training session there are two constants; intensity and
volume, so if these variables can be used to monitor training load then
this would be a valuable tool for coaches. Intensity refers to the level of
exertion a player requires to perform the tasks laid down for the
training session; volume refers to the length of the session or how
many repetitions are performed of an exercise within a training session.
Early research by Foster (1998) and Banister (1986) led to the
development of a system to monitor
training load using both intensity and
volume. This system is based on a scale
of perceived exertion (Fig. 1) and the total
time of the training session. The product
of these two variables when put together
provides an arbitrary unit of training
points. These have been referred to in
other research as the training impulse, or
TRIMPS for short. Generally, the output is
an exertion index.
Intensity is measured using a scale that
rates perceived exertion (RPE) (Fig. 1), this
will tell you how hard the players feel thetraining session was.When using the scale
it must be made clear that it should be used
at the end of the training session, and
players need to provide their rating based on the whole training, including
warm up and cool down, not just the hard drills in the middle. To gain an
appreciation of how hard the group is working, ask a broad cross section ofthe squad to provide their RPE score after each training and then determine
the average. Alternatively the coach can have the whole squad provide a
score, but care must be taken on how this is done, as players will inevitably
ask each other how they scored and will use the same score, as they will not
want to be seen as different from their peers, which will not provide a true
reflection of the group. Try to be confidential and discrete, and reinforce that
the objective is not to determine who trains the hardest and who trains with
the lowest intensity.
The volume of the training session is simply measured by timing the
length of the session and recording it in minutes.
By using an excel spreadsheet and some simple mathematical equations
the coach can now begin to monitor the training load of individuals, or the
squad as a whole. As the coach prepares the training plan, the intensity
and duration can be put into the spreadsheet to give an indication of the
training load, thus the coach can identify if the training stimulus from
week to week is appropriate. After each training session and recording the
information supplied by players, a comparison can be made of the original
training plan and adjustments can be made in subsequent sessions
accordingly.
The following is an explanation of the equations that form the training
load analysis:
Training load
This quantifies the training stimulus into one lump sum that can be easy
to follow, and is calculated from the Session RPE x session duration. For
example, if the average RPE for ten players asked for their RPE score forthe entire training session lasting 95 minutes was 7, then: training load =
7 x 95 = 665 points.
Training monotony
Training monotony relates to the day-to-day training variability
associated with overtraining when the training stimulus is boring and at
high levels.
Monitoring training load:
A practical tool for basketball coaches
F i g . 2 . A r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f a p e r i o d i s e d t r a i n i n g p l a n , s h o w i n g p r o p o s e dp r o g r e s s i v e o v e r l o a d a n d a c t u a l t r a i n i n g l o a d .F i g . 3 . A r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f p r o p o s e d a n d a c t u a l w e e k l y t r a i n i n g s t r a i n .
0 REST
1 VERY, VERY LIGHT
2
3 EASY
4
5 MODERATE
6 SOMEWHAT HARD
7 HARD
8 VERY HARD
9
10 MAXIMALF i g . 1 . R a t e o f p e r c e i v e de x e r t i o n s c a l e .
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BY DR SCOTT BURNESports Physician, Sydney Sports Medicine Centre, (02-97643131) Team Doctor for the Australian Price Attack Opals
Lauren Jackson’s most recent stress
fracture highlights the need for players,
coaches and medical staff to be vigilant
for the presence of overuse injuries. Lauren’s
fracture involves the tibia (shin bone), a very
common site for overuse injury in basketball.
What do we mean by the term ‘overuse injuries’?These are injuries that arise as a consequence ofrepeated physical stress to a body region,resulting in some form of damage to a structure.This damage may be in the form ofinflammation, when the repeated (usually higherintensity) stress occurs over a very short periodof time. An example is tendinitis of the wrist ifshooting was repeatedly performed. Acuteinflammation can go on to be chronic. Anexample of this situation includes ‘shin splints’ (abetter term is ‘periostitis’, inflammation alongthe inner edge of the shin).
Alternatively, the damage may be what medical
personnel call ‘degenerative’. This unflatteringterm refers to the situation when microscopicinjury accumulates in a structure, typically atendon or joint, leading to the loss of normalanatomy and function. The tendon, for example,becomes weaker, leading to more damage.These injuries tend to occur over a much longerperiod of time than inflammatory problems. Theviscous cycle requires reduced loading and asatisfactory rehabilitation program.
Degenerative conditions are frequentlymisdiagnosed or mistaken as inflammatory byeven experienced doctors, coaches andplayers. There is a tendency in this situation to
mistreat them with anti-inflammatorymedication and ice when a more appropriatetreatment is needed. Classic examples of theseare patellar tendinitis and Achilles tendinitis(better termed tendinopathy).
The cornerstone of treatment for thesetendinopathies is to strengthen the tendon. Thisis done with specific ‘eccentric’ loadingprograms, where the muscle is loaded as itlengthens. Corticosteroid injection, used a lot inthe past, may result temporarily in painreduction, but is detrimental to healing and willnot result in an improved outcome. In addition,such injections may place the tendon atconsiderable risk of rupture due to potentialshort-term weakening.
A third form of overuse condition is stressfracture. These, often very frustrating, injuriesare much more common in the lower limb in
basketball due to the high impact loading in thelegs.The stress that is imparted to the bone on asingle jump is insufficient to cause a fracturewhen done just once, but when repeatedthousands of times, the bone undergoes aprocess of rapid remodeling, and subsequentweakness.A crack can eventually form at placeswhen the bone is either bent by the force or atsites where it is repeatedly compressed.
Stress fractures are most common in the tibia,but also occur in bones in the foot, groin andlower back. Occasionally they are seen in theforearm in basketball. All require a period ofunloading to allow the bone to recover strength
and heal. Some may require crutches, and evenplaster or a specialised boot. It usually takes atleast 6-8 weeks to return to full activityfollowing the diagnosis.
Overuse injuries are more common in femalethan male athletes. The reason for this is notentirely understood. Certain injuries may bemore prone in women and girls, due to relativedifferences in bone density, muscle motorpatterns (e.g. in landing from a jump) or bonyalignment (for instance, kneecap trackingproblems are said to be more likely in womendue to a broader pelvis, placing greater angle onthe knees). In addition, hormonal factors couldplay a role.
Factors specific to the individual will often becrucial.Muscle tightness or weakness may placeadded stress. Playing with an injury may lead to
altered running and landing styles and placemore stress on a certain region. Low bonedensity (osteoporosis) can be present even inyoung athletes and can significantly increase therisk of stress fracture.
Training errors, rapid training increases, poortechnique, hard surfaces, inadequate footwearand high volume/intensity of training can allimpact on the athlete to further increase the risk of overuse injury.
Athletes and coaches need to be alert to thepossibility of overuse injuries. Even minorsymptoms can be important and should not be‘shrugged off’ in the hope that it will just go
away. Some overuseinjuries can quickly
end promisingcareers. Players,
coaches and parentsshould seek out theassistance of a SportsPhysician or SportsPhysiotherapist early, toensure that the symptomsare diagnosed accurately
and treated appropriately toallow potential full recovery.
www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 17www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 17
To calculate the monotony of the training, take the average of the daily
training load and divide by the standard deviation of the training load. If the
standard deviation is high then there is greater variability in the training
and therefore less monotony, conversely, low standard deviation reflects
high monotony.
Training strain
The strain of training is also associated with overtraining and illness in elite
athletes (Foster 1998). The training strain can be calculated from the sum
of the daily training loads multiplied by the standard deviation of the
training load.
From these equations, it can be seen that when the information is put into
a graph the coach can now visualise the intensity of the actual training
compared to what was developed in the original training plan. Conversely,
if players are constantly providing information that is above the original
training plan then the coach can reassess the program and determine if
the training stimulus is too great or the original plan was too light.
Therefore this provides the best training environment for the athlete.
Conclusion
This method of monitoring training load is practical and easy for the coach
to use and the athletes to understand. In time the athlete will be able to
judge how hard they are working during training and competition and
adjust their input according to the intensity required. By using this method
in conjunction with other sport specific performance test such as the beep
test then an over all picture can be obtained of how the athletes are
progressing in their development. This enables the coach to be more
aware of the players’ abilities and deficiencies and design specific trainingprograms to enhance individual and team performance.
References:
Banister, E. (1986). Sport and elite performers, pp. 7-23; Foster, C.
(1998). Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, 30(7), 1164-8;
Coutes, A. (2001). Monitoring training in team sports, Sports Coach,
24(3), 21-23.
Preventing overuse injuries
P h o t o : A c t i o n S p o r t s I m a g e s
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AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL
COACHES ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP
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Basketball Coaches Association and enclose
a cheque/money order/credit card details for
$40 (GST incl) being registration fees for
12 months.
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BASKETBALL
AUSTRALIA
COMPETITION
EVENTS
200616-22 January Australian Junior Camp – AIS,Canberra
29 January Price Attack WNBL regular season ends
5 February Philips Championship regular season ends
10 February Men’s and women’s basketball teams announced
18 February Price Attack WNBL grand final day
19-25 February U/20 Men & Women & Ivor Burge - Perth
5 March Last game of NBL finals series – Sunday
8-12 March Opals and Boomers training camp
15–26 March 2006 Commonwealth Games - Melbourne
March ABA Leagues commence
7-14 April Opals World Challenge v USA,China and TBA
13–20 April AIS Men Albert Schweitzer Tournament - Germany
1-4 May Rollers Paralympic World Cup – Manchester,UK
16-21 May Rollers Roosevelt Cup – Warm Spring,USA 22-28 May Gliders Roosevelt Cup – Warm Spring,USA
24 June – 1 July U/16 Men & Women Championships – Ballarat,VIC
29 June – 8 July 4 Nations Tournament (Opals,China,Russia,Czech) - China
5-15 July Wheelchair World Championships,Men & Women’s Gold Cup -
Amsterdam
8-15 July Australian U/18 Men & Women Championships – SA
4-6 August FIBA Oceania Men’s & Women’s Junior Championships
10-13 August FIBA Oceania Championships for Young Women
19 August–3 September FIBA World Championships for Men - Japan
31 August – 2 September ABA National Finals – Newcastle,NSW
8-10 September NBL Pre-Season Blitz
12–23 September FIBA World Championships for Women - Brazil
18-23 September Australian U/14 Boy’s Club Championships – Ulverstone,TAS
25-30 September Australian U/14 Girl’s Club Championships – Carina,QLD