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3 Principles To Maximize Off-Season Development

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May 16, 2016

In April we wrote about the most important question players can ask themselves this off-season. In May we are getting very specific and sharing 3 tangible steps for players to maximize their off-season development.

• What did you do well for your team last season?
• What do you want to improve on for next season?
• What does your coach want you to improve on?
• Prioritize 2-3 aspects of the game to focus on this off-season.
• We believe in the less is more principle. You will not master 9-10 different skills in one off-season but you can significantly improve 2-3 skills with diligent practice.

• What are your 2-3 focus points?
• How much time a day are you willing to commit?
• How many days a week?
• Measure your workouts daily. You must WRITE down your plan.
• Shooting is an easy example to measure. If you are committed to taking 100 3’s, 5 days a week, between April and October, then track how many shots you make every day to chart your progress and improvement.
• Quick side point: If you shoot the above example you will have shot 15,000 3’s before the start of next season. Time commitment = 20 minutes a day. There are No Excuses to not make it happen if you are serious about getting better. Wake up 20 minutes early, spend 20 minutes less on Instagram or Snap Chat, and get your shots up!

• Train skills that directly transfer to what you DO IN GAMES. Simple but often overlooked. Take game shots at game speeds. Score off 1-2 attacking dribbles rather than 12 dribbles. Run sprints instead of slow jogging.
• Train with the type of hustle, energy, & focus you need to be successful in big games.
• Train with urgency. As NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen says: Get In, Get Better, Get Out. Don’t waste your time this off-season. Get in the gym, get out of your comfort zone, and get better!

Written by Impact Hoops Owner/Head Director Jon Schmidt.