Many coaches to raise an Athlete
who knows best
It has been a tremendous start to the summer - frenzied activities around several events and reuniting with family - all of this has kept us from discussing ‘all things basketball’. This is not to say that we have not been discussing offseason workouts with everyone along the way, we have and the conversations have been interesting.
Here are some of the things we have learned along the way.
Most parents and athletes trust the coach that is currently coaching and not so much previous or future. There is a lot of faith put into the now. We can’t blame you on this but know that there are many coaches that can help your athlete improve and there are very few that are excellent at this
Coaches who adopt off season workout plans believe their plan is the best. Going further, they also believe that using any other plan is detrimental or, wait for it….detrimental to the athletes progress within the team dynamic. OK, lots to unpack in this one. Briefly, this is the idea that the current coach knows everything about the athlete in a short period of time and completely understands the team dynamic and future expectations of this dynamic. Amazing!!! We, obviously, see things a bit differently. The reality is that off season workouts are generally only followed by very few players. Intense workout plans that combine strength, agility, speed, shooting and dribbling are followed by even fewer. If an athlete follows a plan(by anyone) 2-3 times a week this is a success.
Athletes when left to their own devices will workout somewhere around 20-30 % Max capacity. This is an assumption and based on interactions with 20+ athletes over 30 days. Not mathematical by any stretch
The athletes that are following workout routines are flourishing. Not just athletically but in confidence. As we move into August and then pre season camp we predict these athletes to be well out in front of their classmates.
Nothing staggering except perhaps the commentary in #2. We can do better as a society. The more coaches your athlete interacts with the better. They may pick up something new from each of them and reinvigorate their thirst for the game. They might even become coaches or officials along the way. There is one important thing to keep in mind. The athletes who are disciplined enough to follow off season workout plans probably have the best chance of continuing to exercise beyond high school athletics even if they do not play collegiate or university level ball. As parents this is an amazing gift you are giving your athletes.