Skill Development
ASPIRE TRAINING ACADEMY:
With both focus and emphasis on player development, Aspire designs individualized and comprehensive training programs for all of their student-athletes. Aspire Basketball Academy’s Player Development Curriculum is based on a Stages of Development model rather than age indicative streams. This allows for our student-athletes to be better placed at the level of development that they can best achieve outcomes that reflect their individuality and talent level. In this way, their skill development will be developed in a positive, progressive and constructive environment, providing a foundation upon which they will build.
Focusing on the individual player, Aspire builds skill sets from the ground up by giving players the tools they need to compete against higher level competition. Aspire student-athletes are not embarking on any form of short-term program with limited expectations, but for six to nine months. Aspire implements a benchmark system, which will allow our student-athletes to continue to hold themselves accountable as they progress through stages of development.
Student-athletes will be evaluated through a series of drills and tests when they first arrive at Aspire to determine a baseline assessment of each individual. Progress is monitored through repeating drills and tests at pre-determined intervals throughout the season, and again at the conclusion of the season to evaluate and assess overall progress and development. The core concept of pre-testing, monitoring and post-testing is to measure for accountability. Aspire holds their coaches, support staff, and student-athletes accountable at all times.
The Aspire process is one of detailed player-specific on-court skill development, game situation instruction and performance training, as well as monitoring progress and communicating important feedback to players. Aspire coaches see to it that players improve upon their skill set and ability to transfer these skills to game situations. Everything is taught in a positive, progression based system in which players learn technique first, along with rhythm, control and coordination. Over time, they are able to execute these new skill sets repeatedly at faster and faster speeds with the confidence to implement them in games. Practices are skill-work based and player-centered, all in a supportive but challenging environment.
ASPIRE Academy’s 7 Keys to Effective Player Development:
Build Your Game Brick By Brick – Every rep of every set of every practice is important!!! How you do anything is how you do everything. You build a house one brick at a time. You build your game one drill at a time.
Leave Your Comfort Zone – Once a player has the movement, skill or footwork down, they need to push harder than game-speed. The harder you practice, the easier things become during games.
Be Innovative – Drills need to be innovative, yet purposeful. They need to be designed to improve game performance. Be innovative to improve effectiveness.
Know The ‘Why’ – Every drill must have perceived relevance. That means the player clearly understands how this particular skill or drill will improve their game performance.
Use Visualization – Great players like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant don’t just drill; they compete in that drill with the same focus and effort as if they were in the waning seconds of Game 7 of the NBA Finals. They imagine an elite defender is guarding them; not just ‘going around a cone.’
Avoid Fatigue and Boredom – These are two of the biggest killers of player development. You can combat this by being in excellent basketball shape and using innovative, purposeful drills. When your body gets tired, your mind quickly follows. No one can get better at a skill when his mind and body are exhausted.
Do Everything With Precision – Details matter! The little things add up to the big things. Perfect form and footwork are imperative