June Training Room

What considerations does my coaching staff or strength staff need to think about before starting a complete training program for my team? This is the most common question asked when talking to coaches about their training as a whole whether it be high school, collegiate or professional players/teams. I have outlined below an overall view of the complete athlete. Each month I will break down the outline and discuss in detail what I believe is the best approach to training female basketball players to play at their optimal performance.

A Comprehensive Approach to Training Female Basketball Players

1. Speed - “the moment of truth”
   1. Integration of your whole body as it relates to specific sport athletic expression
   2. Positive acceleration from a stationery stance or dynamic position
   3. Sustained momentum - holding near maximum speed for the necessary duration required
2. Agility - The spontaneous ability to change directions while stopping, starting, accelerating and decelerating
   1. Dynamic patterns of foot movement
   2. Psychomotor programming - “training” the mind and body according to the dynamics of game competition
   3. Thoroughly understanding the strategy of the sport
   4. Perfecting the fundamental techniques and technique combinations for the sport
3. Quickness - the initial biomechanical response of the body/mind to the game stimulus in pure reflex actions and “faster than the speed of human thought”
   1. Stimulus recognition/response - “if/then thinking”
   2. Ideal biomechanical starting position (stationary or dynamic stance)
   3. Maximum muscular/skeletal motor recruitment during directional movement (the first 2 to 3 steps)
   4. Involves the beginnings of explosive power
4. Athletic Strength - directional multi-joint and compound muscle contractile force
   1. Sequence of training
      • General strength
      • Specific strength
      • Explosive power (and jumping)
      • Specific power and technique
   2. Foundational athletic strength principles
      • Joint integrity before joint mobility
      • Directional multi-joint compound muscle movements that train the stabilizer muscles before the prime movers and synergists
      • Internal body resistance before external resistance - “your body is the ultimate free weight”
      • Strength before strength endurance
5. Joint Flexibility and Muscle Elasticity
   1. Proper warm-ups and stretching sequences
   2. Performing your movements through a full range
   3. Optimal hydration and sports nutrition
6. Reducing and Maintaining an Ideal Body Fat Percentage
   1. Eating behavior modification
   2. Sports Nutrition
7. Conditioning the Athlete
   1. Aerobic
   2. Anaerobic

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