We hear it all the time: The basketball development system in America is flawed and the rest of the world is on the rise. Whether that is true, or even just a popularly held opinion, what can we as coaches and educators do to narrow this developmental gap?
In Daniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code, he reveals what talent really is and how it is developed using brain research and field studies. After gathering research from nine talent hotbeds and combining it with neurological study, he shows that talent really is developed; it’s not something you are born with.
Armed with the knowledge that basketball skills must de developed regardless of raw talent, it follows that there are several clear elements to building a successful program from the youth to varsity levels. Our main concern going forward will be to delineate that blueprint for success, but first we need to establish a key difference for all coaches to grasp.
Skill vs. Talent
I really started thinking about this entire concept about 10 years ago, on the drive home from basketball camp before my senior year in high school. Three friends and I got into a discussion about talent versus skill. I argued that a basketball skill, such as court vision, could be developed and was not something a player was born with. I think it’s quite ridiculous to believe that someone is born with a specific gene to perform at a high level in a specific sport.
One friend argued that you couldn’t teach someone how to pass the basketball, but it was just something you were born with (we’ll come back to this later). A field study from The Talent Code clearly explains why he would feel this way. While someone may be more biologically athletic or may have better peripheral vision, this doesn’t automatically make them a talented basketball player. They may be born with something that makes learning basketball skills easier for them, such as larger than average hands that make it easier to handle the basketball, or height, making it easier to rebound.
If these attributes were so crucial to the game, you wouldn’t see a 6’10”, 25-year-old man who sits in an office all day or at your local grocery store. Do you really think there isn’t someone out there who is quicker and can jump higher than Steve Nash? But Nash is possessed of tremendous skill to compensate the gap in raw talent and physicality.
So, for the purpose of this article, let’s define skill and talent. A “skill“ is an attribute developed through deep practice. By contrast, “talent” is a genetic disposition that makes it easier for someone to develop a skill. Both are necessary for any basketball program, but developing skill is the only one a coach or player can control.
Coyle’s 3 Elements
Coyle describes three key elements required to develop superior talent into skilled players:
1) Deep Practice: Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn’t know is that specific kinds of practice can improve a skill up to 10 times faster than conventional practice. This will come as no surprise to those of you who believe shooters are not born.
2) Ignition: We all need a little motivation to get started, but what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it “passion”—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development.
3) Master Coaching: What are the secrets of the world’s most effective teachers, trainers and coaches? There are four virtues that enable these “talent whisperers” to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students. These are what made John Wooden great.
I’m going to take you through these three elements as they relate to developing skills in a basketball program. The opinions from here on out are not based on conclusive research, but more so come from observations and memories across my basketball experience. I hope this gives you ideas on how to take your skills training or high school program to the next level, whatever that may be.
Think about it: Is Stephen Curry a great shooter because he got the genes to be a great shooter from his dad, former NBA player Dell Curry? Research in The Talent Code strongly combats this theory. Coyle’s three key elements, as applied to Steph Curry, would highlight the multifaceted development of his skills beyond mere genetic disposition.
- Deep Practice: Getting 300-500 made shots per day during the offseason.
- Ignition: Being around the game, and seeing the great experience and joy you can have from excelling at the game.
- Master Coaching: Because his dad taught him the correct way to shoot early in high school, his myelin fibers became more solidly wrapped, enabling him to become a better shooter, faster.
This is just a glimpse at the three concepts, and we’ll tackle each of them with both theoretical and practical examples, in addition to providing analysis of each area. We’ll examine how to practice, how to motivate, and how to unlock the potential of players throughout your basketball program.
Building a powerhouse takes time, but there’s no time like the present. If you want to get your program to the top, you will need some insightful coaching to motivate your players and elevate their skills. How? Practice. But, what does that really mean?
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Mike Lee Basketball Services trains thousands of middle school through NBA players across the country each year in their skill development training, camps and coaches Academies. The owner, Mike Lee, is also a former Nike Girls Skills Academy instructor and former assistant director for the Stephen Curry Skills Academy. Recently the company has authored 7 skill development DVDs and created miSkillz Online Basketball training.
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Click here for more information on Daniel Coyle and The Talent Code