A PLAYER IMPROVEMENT PLAN: "Off-Season Basketball" - Doug Schakel 

Thank you for your feedback! I am happy to hear that you are progressing as a player...keep it up! --Doug Schake

Awesome!

We do customize the improvement plans for each player. It is not a "one size fits all" approach because each player has specific needs that should be addressed. Sorry, I don't have a sample plan but there is noting fancy about it. We identify the skill(s) that a player needs to improve on and suggest simple drills that will help them improve. In-season, if they have more than one skill deficiency, we usually have them first work on the one skill that we deem to need the most improvement. In the off-season, they can work on more than one skill deficiency in the self-improvement workouts. Let me know if you have any other questions. You can call me at 913-938-8130 if you like. Best- Doug Schakel

+Arinze Mgbemena Basketball Season Highlights That is difficult to answer because I don't know how motivated you are. I know this, if you got up anywhere from 300 to 500 shots a day, you would see dramatic improvement in your shooting success. And, I can tell you this: my son, Matt, who was a first-team all-state guard, led his league in scoring, and his high school team won the Colorado State Championship his senior year, shot for up to four hours a day (sometimes 6 hours) from 6th through 9th grade in the summer. He also shot every day that he could in the spring and fall as well, but shorter workouts. He, obviously, was very motivated and it produced a lot of success. But, I can also tell you that it "burned" him out. He played one year of college basketball, then gave it up for good....it wasn't fun anymore. He was not required to shoot as much as he did. But, he idolized my college players and asked them how they got so good. When they told him how much they worked to become good shooters, he decided he would do even more. So I would encourage you to strike a balance between working out and working out too much. It has to be fun. Good luck!

Thank you

William- I am five months late on my reply!! My sincere apologies...I missed this post when it came out! This is a tough question to answer because the urban kids are so influenced by the NBA game and, of course, many think they are headed to the NBA themselves. And, if you tell them not to do it, you are "messing with my game." The NBA game, like it or not, is geared to entertainment. I, personally, have a real hard time watching the NBA games and do so rarely....it is a different game than the high school and college game. They have different rules. But you will notice a new trend starting to take hold in the NBA in 2017. The teams that are winning have gone away from one on one play and are moving the ball rapidly from teammate to teammate. The teams that rely solely on one on one and pick and roll plays are starting to get left behind in the win column. Sometimes, I have to remind a player that this is a "team game." And then suggest that if they want it to be all about them, they should consider wrestling, run track, play golf or tennis...sports where they can "shine" as an individual. Another approach is to tell them this: we are going to chart your success/failure rate when you crossover. If it creates a high rate of success for our TEAM, we will let you use it. But if the chart says this is a low percentage play, we are not going to use it. "Use your dribble to get out of trouble; not into trouble." My coaching approach is that of "benevolent dictator." I care about, empathize with, and support my players BUT we are going to do it my way!! That's my paycheck they are dribbling up and down the floor. Good luck, Coach! --Doug Schakel

​@DougSchakel Thanks for sharing! You still agree with this or any of your perception change?