Program Development for Basketball Athletes Paper Example

Introduction

A successful program development must be based on a strong culture that brings athletes together (Allison, 1980). Use of a strong philosophy in the program can also help them mentally since athletes are faced with many challenges. Developing a winning culture is difficult for a coach. Such a culture requires careful planning, detailed research and proper guidance from mentors. Obtaining this culture can enable a coach to win tournaments since winning is viewed as the primary objective of any coach (Allison, 1980). Different factors such as organization, efficiency and a spirit of competition within the team must be considered when developing a successful program development. A combination of these factors results in the production of a favorable environment where the athletes improve their skills. Such an environment is also important for the coach since it becomes possible to unite athletes.

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A basketball program requires a coach that is determined and willing to obtain loyalty from the players. The coach must be capable of instilling a winning spirit within the team members through effective communication and motivation. A successful basketball program requires an investment of adequate funds that provide both coaches and student-athletes with the required tools (Athletics, 2016). With capital, coaches can plan effective routines and provide players with the required motivation. Such a program brings all members of the society together including the parents of the student-athletes. Support is relevant for a basketball program to be successful.

Organization

In the organization of a basketball program, the most relevant factors to consider is communication and leadership. Both factors determine the performance of the overall team. A coach who possesses poor communication skills finds it difficult to develop a good relationship with the players. Communication is relevant since players seek advice from the head coach and share with him every detail. However, a coach who is difficult to consult due to poor communication skills makes it difficult for student-athletes to obtain proper motivation. Leadership is also relevant to a successful program. A coach who is capable of leading by example acts as a perfect role model for players (Fountain & Finley, 2011). Such a coach should come up with an effective program that is simple to follow. The program should guide the athletes accordingly so that they can achieve their expectations. Effective leadership skills require the head coach to motivate his players through various factors such as the team's mission statement.

Building a positive team character for the team is an important organization aspect. This character highlights the goals of the team that must be achieved, a factor which keeps all players focused. Team members become aware of their responsibilities within the team. This contributes to the overall improvement of the team. The mission statement of the program should be stressed by the head coach to reach out to the athletes. Its viewed as a motivating factor that keeps players focused on their activities. In the basketball program to be developed in this case, the coach must address factors such as the presence of players in training, required dressing code and the attitude of players. Keeping all the players in check will dedication from the coach since it's a difficult achievement to obtain.

Team character will cover various aspects such as the behaviors of the players, their routine activities and support groups. All student-athletes will be expected to be cooperative and follow the instructions of the coach. Being coachable at all time means that these players comply with the instructions of the coach on and off the school. Effective organization within the team will require the coach to guide the players at all time, meaning that the players must be dedicated to participating in the program. They must be conversant with the rules of the program to avoid making decisions that may upset the coach. In the program to be developed in this case, an annual calendar will be developed to ensure that all student-athletes are engaged throughout the year. The calendar will involve all plans of the basketball team, events that must be attended and various training activities. An example of a special event that will be involved in the calendar is the friendly matches that the team will be involved in within the year. Family day will also be included to bring out togetherness within the team.

The expectations and roles of both the head coach and assistant coaches will also be highlighted in the calendar. Including the roles will keep the leaders in check since they will be aware of occasions where they are underperforming. The head coach will have the goal of ensuring that all assistant coaches are consistent in their duties. These leaders are expected to offer a lending hand in the leadership role to improve the overall effectiveness of the head coach. Assistant coaches are important in all teams due to the guidance they offer and their advice. A head coach is not expected to lead a program on his own since it's a challenging task. However, with the help of the assistant coaches, the team will become productive in the future.

Team Practice

Consistent and effective training is one of the major keys to the success of a basketball team. In this program, both the head coach and the assistant coaches will oversee team practice. Team members will be involved in training sessions throughout the week. Practice sessions to be used for this program will be direct and detailed to avoid any confusion among the team members. Organization of the team practices will instil a winning culture within the team members (Fountain & Finley, 2011). Work ethic is an important factor to consider in team practices. Team members who have great work ethic can manage complex training practices that can offer an added advantage compared to other teams that will be faced in different championships. Drills that will be used in the training sessions will change constantly to keep the players flexible. Adapting to different training sessions will ensure that players can adapt to different environments and conditions, which is a relevant factor that contributes to a winning culture.

Both players and coaches will be expected to participate in morning exercises to prepare them for routine team practices. The morning exercise that will be stressed on is "early outs." This form of exercise will keep the players active throughout the entire training sessions. Early out exercises will last for a period of between 15-20 minutes. Technical drills are used to focus on the areas where players are required to improve. The strategies that will be used after the early out exercises are also focused on during this period. Early outs will, therefore, be effectively used by the coach to prepare the players for the entire training sessions. Applying these exercises every day before the beginning of the actual training session is relevant for the players and the coach as a form of psychological preparation.

In every training session, various activities will be focused on. Each activity will be aimed at improving the body shape of the team members and their understanding. After the early outs, all student-athletes will be required to warm-up around the pitch for a period of about 25 minutes. This will involve jogging around the basketball court to improve their levels of endurance. Warming up will be followed by different sessions of stretches that will last for a period of 15 minutes. Stretching will ensure that all players improve their agility and body motion (Athletics, 2016). Since basketball is an engaging sport, players must push their bodies to the limit to ensure that they are fit for the matches.

After the warm-up sessions, players will be involved in lateral lunge exercise. This is a drill that will be focused on improving the groin muscles of the players. This drill will last for a period of 25 minutes. Basketball is a game that requires the players to have perfect groin and hip muscles. This drill will require the player to take steps back and forth with their toes pointed straight. Squatting on both their right and left legs repeatedly will make the drill more engaging. Keeping one leg straight while squatting with the other leg will be the primary focus in this case since this is the best way to improve both groin and hip muscles. Players will be required to squat as low as possible in each trial to ensure that their muscles are perfectly stretched.

Lateral lunge drills will be followed by physio ball leg curl. This is a drill that will improve the players' ability to perform free throws. The drill is aimed at enhancing the players' hamstrings. In basketball, players who can perform effective free throws are key to the overall performance of the team. The leaping ability of the team members will also be improved significantly in this exercise. Improving this ability will ensure that the players will be in perfect body shape to take effective free throws throughout the game. This exercise will require players to lie down with their faces up and legs placed in a straight position. After lying down, the players will be required to lift raise their hips up and down repeatedly for a period of 30 minutes.

Lateral bound will be the next exercise that will be focused on after the physio ball leg curl. This drill will allow the players to develop powerful lateral legs. Such legs are essential in the basketball game due to the movements required. Players who have lateral legs are able to make side-to-side movements easily. Fast cuts can also be made with great comfort. This exercise will, therefore, make the players fit for such movements, which will result in the overall improvement of the team. Players will be required to stand balanced on one leg while raising the other. Squatting with one leg will result in the development of powerful lateral legs. After squatting, jumping with the same leg will allow the players to improve their overall endurance. Lateral bound exercise enables basketball players to improve their overall endurance levels. This makes the exercise vital in the overall training routine of the players.

Romanian deadlift drill will be used to make the players explosive while jumping. This drill will make it possible for players to jump high enough and become explosive. Developing these skills will make it difficult for the opponents to defend during a match. The ability to hinge from the hips will be enhanced by this exercise. The drill will be performed by standing while keeping the shoulders apart. Dumbbells will be used to provide the required weights. Keeping the back straight will be a major consideration in this drill since it will improve the overall ability to make high jumps.

Planning the team practice sessions is an important step for the overall performance of the team. These sessions should be engaging to ensure that team understanding is developed. Apart from improving the skills of the players, team cooperation is a valuable factor to consider during team practice sessions. Without proper understanding, a team tends to underperform during matches since players are always confused. Use of different drills such as lateral lunge and physio ball leg curl is relevant for both the players and the coaches since they can identify cases that require improvement.

Below is an example of a daily practice that will be followed in the program:

• 8.00-8.25 Warm-ups and Stretches
• 8.25-8.50 Lateral Lunge Drills
• 8.50-9.20 Physio Ball Leg Curl Drills
• 9.20-9.50 Romanian Deadlift Drills
• 9.55-10.303 Free Throws
• 10.30-11.00 Spartan Drills
• 11.00-11.30 Shooting Drills
• 11.30-11.45Team Meeting
• 11.45-12.00 Position Meeting

Coaching Behaviors

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