British Basketball Launches T16 Coaching Curriculum

Last week saw the launch of British Basketball’s Towards 2016 (T16) Coaching Curriculum-a plan to establish and develop a national basketball coaching system for implementation across the Home countries.

‘Areas of Emphasis’, currently a 161 page document, outlines the curriculum and related strategies as a guide for what coaches shold be focusing on to improve the standard of basketball across the home nations. Launched at the UK Sport Offices on Thursday, the Areas of Emphasis are part of the T16 programme, which focuses on GB qualifying in it’s own right for the 2016 Olympics, and serves as a potential legacy marker for FIBA as their decision on whether to allow GB to play in the 2012 Olympics comes this Sunday March 13th.

Head of Performance at British Basketball, Warwick Cann, introduced the Areas of Emphasis at the launch and commented:

“This is an exciting milestone for basketball in the Home countries. The new T16 coaching initiative is a ‘call to order’ for governing bodies, clubs, schools and coaches to focus and develop better quality coaching and player development as part of a new and effective national coaching system.”

“This is the first step that will point British coaches, players, clubs and schools in one direction where we are all clearly focused as a basketball community. It will not be without challenges but the feedback we have already had from coaches is exactly what we wanted. Now we have to work hard to improve but using this plan.”

Standard Life GB women’s under 20’s and UWIC Archer’s head coach, Damian Jennings, said:

“Players now coming from the recognised system will have clearer expectations of skills and understandings which will allow GB teams of the future to play to a better standard as a result of better player development and coaching.

“I wish I’d had this 15 years ago when I was starting out as it is, and will be, an invaluable guide for coaches.”

Matt Johnson, a Fiba Europe coaching certificate (FECC) 2009 graduate and currently the Director of Youth Programme and Academies at Reading Rockets added:

“From a clubs and school’s perspective the Areas of Emphasis curriculum is a clearer and more responsible, direct approach for clubs and schools in the development of our next group of players.”

What exactly does the document contain?

From an individual coaching standpoint, there are eight areas of emphasis identified (listed below). Each area of emphasis contains a discussion of why it is important, the technical aspects, how we can make the biggest improvements, coach quotes, followed by recommendations for consideration and implementation.

The eight areas of emphasis are:

1) Physical fitness, footwork and movement
2) On-ball defence, including footwork
3) Shooting
4) Passing and receiving, technically and tactically
5) Use of the dribble
6) Offence, individual and team
7) Off-ball defence, position, vision, tactics
8) Point guard play

There are then 8 further supporting resources and complimentary strategies to implement the curriculum

1) A well defined performance pathway
2) British and Home Nations national teams development programmes
3) The British curriculum is these areas of of emphasis guidelines and checklists
4) Glossary of basketball terms
5) Master checklists of concepts, principles, techniques and skills
6) National shooting competition
7) Areas of Emphasis national drills
8) A club skills guide

Thoughts? The document in full should be available to download in the coming week. In the meantime, should you have any questions about it, drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to respond!