https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv Learning the art of basketball with a motor learning breakdown en-us 2020-05-01 23:45:31 UTC 2020-05-02 01:33:21 UTC hello@padlet.com njcoughlin https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545018646 I remember when I first started playing basketball as a little tyke. I think I was 6 when I started playing basketball and not making a basket was the end of the world when I started. To start, my absolute error was atrocious. Being that this measure doesn't take into consideration direction, the amount each shot was off was a large magnitude that I would be ashamed to calculate. As I got older, constant error became a value that I could probably measure off the top of my head right now. As a kid I had a bad habit of shooting from a distance no 6-8 year kid has business shooting so you can imagine where the shots were falling: a constant error value of -1.0 feet. In other words, air ball short, air ball short, air ball but this time I hit the bottom of the net. You get the picture. But you know what's nice about a consistent constant error? A nice low error value of variable error. My consistency of being short on my shots was actually impressive. I have the thought of my dad saying, "Use your legs!" ingrained in my head from when was little. But hey, I had to learn from it, not hang up the sneakers at the age of 8 because of a few too many air balls.]]> 2020-05-02 00:12:17 UTC https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545018646 njcoughlin https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545029607 As I got a little older, the game started to mature with me. Competition became more important and the details of the environment became crucial. This is when the importance of the two visual systems noticeably stepped in. When I'm dribbling the ball down the court on a fast break, the Focal Pathway is used to identify if that kid in the white jersey is on my team or someone on my team. Hey would you look at that, I have a white jersey on too, so I'm going to pass to him to give my team an advantage in ball-court position. To pass to him without throwing the ball into the stands, I need to have an active Ambient Pathway so I know where my teammate is so I can break out my inner John Stockton and give him the opportunity to put the ball in the hoop.]]> 2020-05-02 00:31:52 UTC https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545029607 njcoughlin https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545038516 Even older now, we'll say roughly 12 years old, seeing more than just who is on my team and who is not won't cut it to win. Now I need to start integrating the use of visual cues a little more every play. For example, if I see a player from the other team dip their shoulder toward my ball-side hand when they are guarding, I know to start a fake to that downward shoulder and crossover to their opposite shoulder. Followed by a pull-up jumper and hopefully two points. Example number two, if I see a certain player on the other team run behind me unguarded while I'm guarding the ball, I need to know the exact moment when to stick my hand in the air to block what will most certainly be a pass to that player. Thank you Feature Integration Theory.]]> 2020-05-02 00:48:38 UTC https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545038516 njcoughlin https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545046981 Basketball is one of numerous sports that use, I would argue, every motor ability. Looking at the the average play, a player will use the following: Multi-limb coordination, control precision, response orientation, reaction time, speed of arm movement, rate control, manual dexterity, must I go on? Basketball requires endless development of each ability to continue to play at an elite level. And what is also nice about basketball is, if done right, these abilities can translate to a lot of other activities.]]> 2020-05-02 01:05:48 UTC https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545046981 njcoughlin https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545052554 The final step to being a baller, have a coach that knows what they're doing.You can have all the natural ability in the world, but basketball is a sport that having the right coach is everything. Majority of a young basketball player's life, no matter how good they think they are, fall in the category of Essential Augmented Feedback. The experience of a good coach places the player in a constant lack of experience, just from comparison. Of the feedback that works the best from a good coach, a combination of descriptive and prescriptive feedback works best, with the ratio favoring prescriptive. Knowing how to correct an error is everything for a developing player. Combine all aspects: be okay the occasional (actually often) error, develop the proper vision tactics, develop every motor ability, and absorb everything you can from a good coach--you will find yourself in elite company.]]> 2020-05-02 01:17:29 UTC https://padlet.com/njcoughlin/853cmzkp3ph9y7iv/wish/545052554