SoCal Hoops HS Basketball Team (SPRING)
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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
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PERFORMANCE TRAINING
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TRAINING TOOLS
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OUR PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, PERFORMANCE TRAINING, AND DECISION MAKING, ALL IN GAME-BASED SCENARIOS.
What is Game-Based Training (GBT)?
By Coach Randy Narciso
I believe the most effective players are the ones who can actually perform during game situations and be effective on the court against bigger, stronger, and more athletic players. They are EFFECTIVE on the floor because of their training and time spent in the gym. I've concluded that the EFFECTIVE players are the ones with advanced skills, explosive power, and high basketball IQ. The EFFECTIVE players are the ones who train at game speed in game-like situations and scenarios. They are not the practice players who can dribble through 5 cones and make an open layup or 3-point shot with no one guarding them.
I'll never forget the day it hit me…I used to run basketball shooting sessions during the offseason with two shooting machines for players called "100 BUCKETS." Two players would get shots up with the shooting machines, tracking the first player to reach 100 made shots. My thinking was if you can make 100 x 3-point shots in practice, you should be able to make 3-5 x 3-point shots during the game. Every session, this one player would always beat every player and reach 100 BUCKETS before anyone else. He was unbelievable shooting the ball, making over 50% of his 3-point shots during his offseason training sessions (in the fastest time possible). But when the season came around, he only shot a low 25% from 3-point line. How did I track his shooting percentage during games? That's another story but I developed my own basketball app to track real time player stats and video breakdown because no other club or AAU team tracks player and team stats along with game video like SoCal Hoops. Check out the apps at www.TapStats.net and www.TapReels.net. Back to my story, the player's shooting percentage never increased in real games and was about the same as the previous season every year (we tracked all stats). Was all his practice a waste? Certainly not because shooting repetition is always a good thing. But something was wrong. Why are the players who are excelling in practice not excelling in games?
This forced me to find the real answer to the question, I had to ask more and more questions to really discover the truth…Are the things we're doing in practice actually helping the players in games? Are we preparing the players for game situations and scenarios? Is our training program effective? I had to face the hard truth that I had my players practicing situations and drills that they would never actually encounter in a game. So they weren't used to making split-second decisions at game speed and full intensity. If a player shoots 100 x 1-2 step layups standing by themselves at practice...Are they really prepared to finish the layup in a game situation with the opposing center closing in to block the shot? If a player shoots 100 uncontested 3-point shots in the 100 BUCKETS drill...Does that really translate to a high in-game shooting percentage against a tenacious defense? When players spend hours and hours learning set plays in practice, does that translate to a high percentage of conversions? My experience over the last several years tells me "HECK NO". I faced the reality that many of the drills and plays that I used were not game-like and didn't translate to on-court performance.
That's why I took a step back and went back to school...I studied the most successful skills trainers and performance coaches (Micah Lancaster, Ganon Baker, Drew Hanlen, and Alan Stein) to identify creative and innovative drills and exercises that worked. I obtained skills certifications from many of the top skills trainers, the same ones who train elite college and NBA players. I collaborated with experienced high school coaches (Don Loperena - Granada Hills, Mike DuLaney - St. Genevieve, Chris Howe - Sierra Canyon, Vince Oliver - YULA, and Alvin Castro - DeToledo) to see what works for their teams and players. I also studied many successful high school teams and players and identified what made them un-stoppable and un-guardable on the court. 12 months later, I concluded that in order to develop EFFECTIVE PLAYERS, I had to BUILD SKILLS, BUILD EXPLOSIVENESS, and BUILD BASKETBALL IQ, all in GAME-LIKE situations.
That's why I dumped many of the "traditional" drills and created my Game Based Training Program. I try to avoid "traditional" team practices. I took everything that I learned over the past 12 months and combined it with my experience as a head coach and skills trainer and started the SoCal Hoops GBT program. I started with my 12U team back in 2016 (they are now 15U) and have seen tremendous progress. As rising 9th graders, they always play 1-2 age groups up and are able to compete with the bigger, stronger, more athletic players because of their skills, explosiveness, and decision making abilities. When training, I use innovative drills, powerful strength training programs, and game-like scenarios to improve on-court performance. All of the players who have participated in my latest training programs have either made their HS teams or advanced to the next level on their high school programs. Players who train with me during the weekends (during on-season) have explosive breakout games immediately thereafter. You can watch the videos below and see many of the players training in the gym and using the proven program (more training videos are on the home page). I've also recently started implementing the GBT program with my 8U team and have seen dramatic results in a short amount of time. I'm teaching the same stuff that I taught my 12U team, to my young 8U players. They know how all the options out of the "drop-step," can "bound" left or right to beat defenders, and can execute the counter moves for reverse/forward pivots with quickness. I'm exited to continue to track their development over the next several years. Now that I have formalized the program and documented the details into an official training curriculum, I'm even more excited to share this new training program with all of the new players and athletes.
What is Game-Based Training (GBT)?
By Coach Randy Narciso
I believe the most effective players are the ones who can actually perform during game situations and be effective on the court against bigger, stronger, and more athletic players. They are EFFECTIVE on the floor because of their training and time spent in the gym. I've concluded that the EFFECTIVE players are the ones with advanced skills, explosive power, and high basketball IQ. The EFFECTIVE players are the ones who train at game speed in game-like situations and scenarios. They are not the practice players who can dribble through 5 cones and make an open layup or 3-point shot with no one guarding them.
I'll never forget the day it hit me…I used to run basketball shooting sessions during the offseason with two shooting machines for players called "100 BUCKETS." Two players would get shots up with the shooting machines, tracking the first player to reach 100 made shots. My thinking was if you can make 100 x 3-point shots in practice, you should be able to make 3-5 x 3-point shots during the game. Every session, this one player would always beat every player and reach 100 BUCKETS before anyone else. He was unbelievable shooting the ball, making over 50% of his 3-point shots during his offseason training sessions (in the fastest time possible). But when the season came around, he only shot a low 25% from 3-point line. How did I track his shooting percentage during games? That's another story but I developed my own basketball app to track real time player stats and video breakdown because no other club or AAU team tracks player and team stats along with game video like SoCal Hoops. Check out the apps at www.TapStats.net and www.TapReels.net. Back to my story, the player's shooting percentage never increased in real games and was about the same as the previous season every year (we tracked all stats). Was all his practice a waste? Certainly not because shooting repetition is always a good thing. But something was wrong. Why are the players who are excelling in practice not excelling in games?
This forced me to find the real answer to the question, I had to ask more and more questions to really discover the truth…Are the things we're doing in practice actually helping the players in games? Are we preparing the players for game situations and scenarios? Is our training program effective? I had to face the hard truth that I had my players practicing situations and drills that they would never actually encounter in a game. So they weren't used to making split-second decisions at game speed and full intensity. If a player shoots 100 x 1-2 step layups standing by themselves at practice...Are they really prepared to finish the layup in a game situation with the opposing center closing in to block the shot? If a player shoots 100 uncontested 3-point shots in the 100 BUCKETS drill...Does that really translate to a high in-game shooting percentage against a tenacious defense? When players spend hours and hours learning set plays in practice, does that translate to a high percentage of conversions? My experience over the last several years tells me "HECK NO". I faced the reality that many of the drills and plays that I used were not game-like and didn't translate to on-court performance.
That's why I took a step back and went back to school...I studied the most successful skills trainers and performance coaches (Micah Lancaster, Ganon Baker, Drew Hanlen, and Alan Stein) to identify creative and innovative drills and exercises that worked. I obtained skills certifications from many of the top skills trainers, the same ones who train elite college and NBA players. I collaborated with experienced high school coaches (Don Loperena - Granada Hills, Mike DuLaney - St. Genevieve, Chris Howe - Sierra Canyon, Vince Oliver - YULA, and Alvin Castro - DeToledo) to see what works for their teams and players. I also studied many successful high school teams and players and identified what made them un-stoppable and un-guardable on the court. 12 months later, I concluded that in order to develop EFFECTIVE PLAYERS, I had to BUILD SKILLS, BUILD EXPLOSIVENESS, and BUILD BASKETBALL IQ, all in GAME-LIKE situations.
That's why I dumped many of the "traditional" drills and created my Game Based Training Program. I try to avoid "traditional" team practices. I took everything that I learned over the past 12 months and combined it with my experience as a head coach and skills trainer and started the SoCal Hoops GBT program. I started with my 12U team back in 2016 (they are now 15U) and have seen tremendous progress. As rising 9th graders, they always play 1-2 age groups up and are able to compete with the bigger, stronger, more athletic players because of their skills, explosiveness, and decision making abilities. When training, I use innovative drills, powerful strength training programs, and game-like scenarios to improve on-court performance. All of the players who have participated in my latest training programs have either made their HS teams or advanced to the next level on their high school programs. Players who train with me during the weekends (during on-season) have explosive breakout games immediately thereafter. You can watch the videos below and see many of the players training in the gym and using the proven program (more training videos are on the home page). I've also recently started implementing the GBT program with my 8U team and have seen dramatic results in a short amount of time. I'm teaching the same stuff that I taught my 12U team, to my young 8U players. They know how all the options out of the "drop-step," can "bound" left or right to beat defenders, and can execute the counter moves for reverse/forward pivots with quickness. I'm exited to continue to track their development over the next several years. Now that I have formalized the program and documented the details into an official training curriculum, I'm even more excited to share this new training program with all of the new players and athletes.
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Day 1 HS Evals and Tryouts
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Day 2 HS Evals and Tryouts
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The Core Principles of SoCal Hoops' Game Based Training
The core principles of the GBT program are to BUILD SKILLS, BUILD EXPLOSIVENESS, and BUILD DECISION MAKING. The training curriculum intertwines skills, strength, and IQ into effective drills and exercises that simulate real game-like scenarios. Once our players step on the court, its their time to shine and showcase their SKILLS, EXPLOSIVENESS, and DECISION MAKING. A shot is no longer a simple shot. It's how do I beat the defender, create space, and finish at the rim or pull up for the jumper. A pass is no longer a simple pass. It's how do I shift the defense over, maneuver for a better angle, and thread the ball through the needle so my teammate can score. A dribble is no longer a simple dribble. It's how do I pound the ball and use footwork to create a driving lane that I can penetrate and create something for me or for my teammates. Every time a player steps on the court, he now analyzes the situation (like he has been doing in practice), makes a decision, and then executes the action with the utmost skill and explosiveness. That's what GBT is all about, BUILD SKILLS, BUILD EXPLOSIVENESS, and BUILD DECISION MAKING.
During each training session, we first identify a skill (i.e. dribbling) and then teach the basic fundamentals of the skill, ensuring the athlete adheres to the correct body movements and motions (i.e. dribbling in an athletic stance with a purpose and forcing the elbow through the ball). Next we add strength bands, weights, or other training tools that create resistance to build power and explosiveness into the skill. Finally, we incorporate rigorous drills with additional tools that simulate the speed, intensity, and situations that players will face in games, requiring that players actually utilize the skill they just learned and make key decisions and reads on the court. Then we scrimmage and force the players to utilize their skills in game situations. Yes, it sounds simple but few coaches take the same detailed approach in training their players. Some coaches only focus on skills or performance training but not both, as there are specialty coaches for each. Other coaches spend more of their practice time on plays, which often don't work in games because of trapping defenses. And other coaches would rather just play games during the weekend than to put in work in the gym. In any case, I know the GBT program works and it is very effective. Here are a few more examples of the GBT structure for specific on-court actions.
During each training session, we first identify a skill (i.e. dribbling) and then teach the basic fundamentals of the skill, ensuring the athlete adheres to the correct body movements and motions (i.e. dribbling in an athletic stance with a purpose and forcing the elbow through the ball). Next we add strength bands, weights, or other training tools that create resistance to build power and explosiveness into the skill. Finally, we incorporate rigorous drills with additional tools that simulate the speed, intensity, and situations that players will face in games, requiring that players actually utilize the skill they just learned and make key decisions and reads on the court. Then we scrimmage and force the players to utilize their skills in game situations. Yes, it sounds simple but few coaches take the same detailed approach in training their players. Some coaches only focus on skills or performance training but not both, as there are specialty coaches for each. Other coaches spend more of their practice time on plays, which often don't work in games because of trapping defenses. And other coaches would rather just play games during the weekend than to put in work in the gym. In any case, I know the GBT program works and it is very effective. Here are a few more examples of the GBT structure for specific on-court actions.
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FINISHING AT THE RIM
Skill: 1-2 step through footwork with finish. Explosiveness: Vertical jump training and plyometrics to increase jumping power. Decision Making: If you see numbers, you step through, else finish with the layup. |
SCORING ON A DEFENDER
Skill: Footwork, forward and reverse pivots. Explosiveness: Foam roller and pads to strengthen upper body. Decision Making: Counter for reverse pivot is cross-step, counter for forward pivot is GO. |
ATTACKING A DEFENDER
Skill: Bound dribble or drop step to beat a defender. Explosiveness: Using rip cones, weighted balls, and waist weights to build quickness. Decision Making: If the defender slides with you, you counter. Else, you drop-n-go. |
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So when game time comes, players are:
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Our coaches and skills trainers focus on:
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Please see the detailed schedule of practices, league games, and tournaments below.
PracticesFeb: 29 (Sat.)
Mar: 1 (Sun), 7 (Sat), 8 (Sun), 21 (Sat), 22 (Sun), 29 (Sun) Apr: 5 (Sun), 12 (Sun), 26 (Sun), May: 3 (Sun), 10 (Sun), 23 (Sat), 24 (Sun), 30 (Sat) Note: Saturdays 7-9am @ Futsal, Sundays 12pm-2pm @ PRCS |
League GamesMar: 28 (Sat)
Apr: 4 (Sat), 11, (Sat), 25 (Sat) May: 2 (Sat), 9 (Sat) Note: Games will be played at local HS gyms in the Valley. Note: League games will be part of the Jack Pollen Spring League. |
TournamentsMar: 14/15 (Burbank - JAB3)
Apr: 18/19 (Anaheim-West Coast Elite) May: 16/17 (TBD) |
Program Fees = $500 per month (all-inclusive of practices + games + tourneys + uniforms)
SPRING COMMITMENT ($1500 total amount for Feb. thru May)
Note: Please make checks payable to SCHBA.
- 50+ hours of court time (practices and games)
- 14+ practices and skills training sessions
- 6 league games
- 3 tournaments
- Includes home & away 100% dye sublimation uniforms
- 2 coaches (skills and performance)
- All games are video taped and shared with players
- All player and team stats are tracked and shared with players
Note: Please make checks payable to SCHBA.