Here’s a post that Joerik recently wrote on our coaches platform about a feedback he has often received as a skills trainer.

We try to keep our coaching interventions to a minimum. Players learn mostly by playing not by listening to lectures. with limited practice time, we try to give players as much action on the court as possible. We’re trying to create self-teaching drills. As a coach don’t be afraid to sometimes shut up and leave to just observe and let them figure it out.

When playing small sided games you can interfere the drill for the following reasons:

1. Rewind
2. Remind
3. Demo
4. Question

A coach needs to ask two questions before intervening:

1. if I intervene, will I make a difference?
2. if I give the player some time and direction, will they figure it out on their own?

I believe it’s key to let players wobble and not correct the first mistakes. See if they can figure it out or at least recognize that they are doing it the wrong way.

If you teach something and the whole team is doing it wrong, then immediately stop the drill.

If you teach something and 1 or 2 players aren’t doing it well, then let the practice move on and correct them individually.

I try to remind myself often of what what Peter Lonergan shared when he visited us: “most players think coaches coach too much.”

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Want to learn more in detail about how our skill development works at EA, how we run sessions and what the thought process is behind it?

Here are the options we have for you as a coach:

• Become a member of our Online Platform for Coaches
• Visit us for a day, a week or longer for an All-Access “inside look”
• Invite EA to your city for a camp and/or workshop

Are you looking for our upcoming camps?

You find them all listed here.

We offer different types of camps:

• Specialized topic camps in smaller groups such as Elite Guard and Art of Shooting Camp
• Larger group camps such as Christmas Camp with skill stations for players starting with a minimum of 2 years experience
• Our first 2-Day camp in Gent!
• Our absolute best camp experience with sleepover option “Elite Europe”
• The Secret Is In The Basics camp for U10 to U14 kids

Looking for one or two extra practices during the week?

For players age 8 to 12 we offer one hour Mini-Basket sessions on Wednesday and Fridays.

Players above age 12 up to pro’s can contact Joerik directly at joerik.michiels@eliteathletes.be for planning and availability of semi-private and personal basketball training.