Learning / Relearning
Teaching and learning the fundamental skills of basketball can be very complex. The goal is for a player to be able to consistently perform "nearly perfect" all basic skills associated with the game of basketball.
Mastered skills (learning correctly or incorrectly) become habits. Each repetition of a skill creates a frame of reference. That frame of reference develops perceptual coordinates stored in the brain for future reference to compare to future efforts.
Basketball skills should be learned to the point of automation. This is the ability to execute a skill without thinking about the process. Therefore, the brain is free to process information more quickly and the player can make more effective decisions under the pressure of competition. This ability is also known as "muscle memory". For example, such muscle activities as writing one's name, brushing one's teeth, or tying one's shoes are all activities that one "learned" are difficult to lose because they have been mastered. It is now an automated skill.
It is just as easy to develop and automate a skill the wrong way as it is the right way to
LEARN THE RIGHT STUFF!!
Remember "practice doesn't make perfect - perfect practice does". Also, "Practice makes permanent, not perfect!"
The following criteria should be considered with initially learning a skill correctly ot changing a previously learned skill incorrectly:
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What are the consequences to a player's future if he or she does not learn or relearn the correct fundamental skills?
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How will overall skill improvement of individual members positively affect a team's performance?
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Will parents, coaches, and peers support the potential changes?
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Does the player understand how to quickly acquire a skill?
The adept a player is at learning and relearning a skill, the more likely they are to handle the extended repetitions required to learn, unlearn, and possibly relearn a skill. Slow learners will become frustrated quickly and may become discouraged especially if they experience a "drop-off" in performance during the learning / relearning period.
Players with no desire to play at the "next level" should stick to the skills that enable them to enjoy playing at the level they are currently playing. Once again, coaches and parents should be involved in decisions regarding skill development, but it is the player's choice to make, because in the end, it is the player who will bear the consequences.
If you value the cost and benefits of change - if learning or relearning skills correctly is a priority - then it is time to get to work!!!