Stages of a training session

Today we are going to talk about the differents stages that should have a training session. The coach should plan and schedule the session, bearing in mind duration, physical workload and psychological load. 

In general, a training session should be divided into three stages:

1. In the first stage, the aim is to progressively prepare the players to be in top physical and mental condition when they reach the central stage of the practice. Here should be included warm-up drills without the ball such as running, stretching, etc., and simple drills with the ball (low physical and psychological load) that, little by little, require greater concentration and physical effort.

Pic 1. Warm-up shoot-around by Don Nunn. (CC BY-SA 2.0)

2. In the second stage, the main contents of the session should be incorporated, those requiring greater physical and psychological effort, combining drills of greater and lesser intensity in the proportion he/she deems most appropriate.

3. Finally, the coach should progressively reduce the physical and psychological intensity, although not necesarily simultaneously. In the first part of this stage, he/she could include a physically intensive drill requiring low concentration.

The coach can organise it the other way around, a psychologically intense drill with a low physical workload (for example, a shooting contest). Then it would be appropiate to end up with exercise that require little physical and mental effort, basically stretching exercises.

Pic 2. Training by Fabien Zaghini. (CC BY 2.0)

"Champions don't become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it". Michael Jordan.

References

FIBA (2000). Organising training sessions. En J.Buceta, Basketball for young players. (pp 84-100). Madrid: Dikynson S.L. Consultado 15/04/2015 en: http://basketballforyoungplayers.fiba.com/main/