Triangle of Accountability/ Part 3

18 Jul Triangle of Accountability/ Part 3

Reasons why skill development fails sometimes:

1. Scheduling -Some athletes play multiple sports and unfortunately sometimes the different sports will overlap in seasons. Some parents are able to make it work and some are not. In order for development to work there cannot be a lot of gaps in training sessions as  that will certainly impede progress. So juggling the schedule between both sports has to be carefully managed. The sacrifice is real and the training must remain structured, meaning you cannot try to fit it in the existing schedule, it has to become a part of the weekly or monthly schedule with the exception of family vacation time and when players become ill, to yield the best results. Now the AAU or travel ball issue. The reality is only a small percentage of families make it work. AAU and skill development cannot compete with one another but must be complimentary of one another.If parents are going to let their kids participate in travel ball ,they have to be willing to make them both work.In my experience though most parents prioritize the AAU schedule over the skill development but the latest research and  data consistently shows that kids don’t really improve much with just playing alone. They just reinforce bad habits.The development is the key to skill acquisition. 
2. Underestimating the work and effort required -Skill development is hard in the beginning as your body and schedule will always have to adjust.  At the start of the training process I am always transparent with parents and players of what is required over time for maximum results. You will experience a lot of up and down moments that are normal but if the player puts in the necessary work and sticks to the process no matter what the results will come! There is a lot of friction and discomfort initially as  the body has to unlearn bad habit patterns and replace them with good ones by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. So friction doesn’t mean wrong. It means the body has to adapt.
3. Inconsistencies with sticking to a practice schedule – I tell players habits are stubborn especially if they have been repeated for long periods of time. It is impossible to develop the skill without the use of muscle memory and deliberate practice. A coach, no matter how competent, cannot erase bad habits with just one hour a week on average for a training session if bad habits have been repeated thousands of times prior to training. Practicing is a must as it is the key that makes the training effective.
4. Deviating from the coach’s instructions during practice time -In developing any skill and especially basketball skills because of the complexity of movements to learn, it is important to do the practice exactly as instructed. There are no short cuts to real skill acquisition. To become a great player ,movements have to be executed with precision  that can only be accomplished by practicing the movement the correct way.
5. No structure in place to measure progress – I constantly remind my players that basketball skill development is a real journey and you have to always know where you are on that journey so hopelessness or discouragement does not set in. I tell them you need a road map and a GPS system to make sure you are on track and to stay on track to reach your destination. Measuring your progress weekly or once a month is a must if you want to stay the course and to know exactly where you are in the process.
6. Lack of  discipline – I have learned in my fourteen years of being a skill development specialist that motivation is short lived and is just not sustainable as skill development is a real grind but also a real payoff as some players eventually become instant millionaires who were willing to discipline themselves to do the work when they felt like it and when they did not. Discipline is the only thing that is sustainable so it is non-negotiable if players want to reach their goals. They must be willing to count the cost and stick with it even if they don’t see results for a period of time.There is a real compounding effect when it comes to real skill development. 
7. Impatience -Patience is the glue that holds it all together as  I mentioned that there will be stretches when no progress seems to be taking place and every athlete at some point in the journey will experience a development plateau. It is inevitable and necessary at the same time. Your body has to adjust and adapt to the advanced movements along the way.
8. Read part 4 here