Building a Basketball Player (pt. 1)

Where to start?

What other sports should my kids play?

Should I focus them solely on basketball as long as they are happy playing it?

What I have found interesting during my time as a basketball skills coach is how much other sports play a role in a players skill set. We can draw some general, but most of the time very accurate, conclusions about how players with different sporting backgrounds will possess certain skills, particularly in younger players.

For example, young players with a background in soccer generally have above average footwork and can pick up different techniques involving complex footwork patterns fairly quickly. Players who have spent a large amount of time playing rugby league rarely possess the touch and finesse required to play basketball at a high level. A young player with an Australian Rules background generally has a good nose for the ball and understands positioning along with how to use their body. Tennis players usually have great agility and quick feet.

There are obviously exceptions to the rule, however, it does make you think about what the best way would be to build a basketball player from a young age.

This topic is of great interest to me as I look at my 2-and-a-half-year-old son grow up.

He already loves basketball, but I start to think, perhaps somewhat selfishly, about what other sports would benefit his development as a basketball player.

So where do we start?

What sports should our prototype player start first?

Before we dive into that I would note that basketball would always be in their lives. Playing it for fun, watching games or even playing it organised basketball if time allows.

"Nose for the Ball"

Firstly, let us look at the skills that are the hardest to teach. One of the skills that has alluded me in my playing career is having that “nose for the ball” that some players seem to possess. There are some players that seem to know just where the ball is going and how to position themselves in the right spot but also understand how to use their body and contact to do it.

This is why I would start my basketball prototype in Australian Rules football first.

I have often thought that Australian Football League (AFL) players are the most complete athletes. Let’s look at some of their typical traits:

• Can run for days

• Need to have 360o awareness

• Must know how to handle contact

• Must possess a significant amount of speed

• Strong upper body

• Great hands

• A quick change of direction is important

• Hand-eye and foot-eye coordination

• Need to know how to jump

All these traits are transferable to the game of basketball.

Good Feet

Secondly, I haven’t come across a player with a background in soccer that doesn’t have good feet. When you watch someone like Kyrie Irving or James Harden, you can get caught up watching how good they are with the basketball, which they are. However, if you really want to know how to emulate the moves that they are capable of, footwork is essential. One of the other skills that are difficult to teach some players is how to move like a basketball player. There is a flow or fluidity to basketball that can be difficult to master without a decent base of coordination.

Some of the moves used in soccer to attack defenders have similar movement patterns to moves used to beat defenders in basketball. Soccer players plant one foot and explode, they use spin moves, inside out type moves, they attack at comparable angles to basketball, they need fast feet to perform moves such as step overs. Soccer can provide our prototype basketball players with the lower body coordination to master those Harden/Kyrie moves.

To summarise, in my humble opinion, a combination of Aussie Rules Football, soccer and basketball are what I would prescribe to our prototype basketball player from a young age.

When does basketball take over?

So, the question is, when does basketball take over?

I would recommend focusing on basketball as the player enters the u18 age bracket (around age 15).

This could be done earlier possibly in the event the young player is recognised by an elite program, but no later. This is sufficient time to also realise, is basketball what they want to pursue?

What's Next?

If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you. You can leave them on the comments section.

And look out for part 2 where I will discuss what basketball skills should be taught from a young age in order to increase a player’s chances for success.

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