Are you a sucker for new things?

If you’re an optimist like me, then your imagination must run wild and you assume that new equals better.

Become low friction in your learning, but high friction in your training.

While we want to learn like crazy, and have a growth mindset, too often we sacrifice effective training because we lack detail and duration. I’ve learned that to get the most out of your training, you must be ruthless in your pursuit of simplicity.

Here’s some ways to get the most out of your training (Hint: they all require the elimination of things)…

DO LESS THINGS!

For example, there are many athletes that physically develop faster than their peers. This means they have the ball more, they create the most and they develop skill sets that allow them to be the primary creator. They don’t develop other foundational skills because they skipped those steps. They haven’t learned how to fill their tank on defense, how to space and move off the ball, how to specialize in stationary off the catch shooting, how to tirelessly sprint the floor in transition, or how to play great positional defense.

What happens is when they hit a level of competition where everyone is as good as them, their career ends because they skipped steps and can’t play if they aren’t the “star” player. They’ve not developed the skills to play a supporting role.

Do less and approach training with a mastery focus. Here is the 5 step progression I use when developing players - we limit our training to the current level and don’t move on until we’ve achieved mastery.

Level 1 - Control

Can you play under control? Do you only do things on balance, with mastered footwork and play in space? Are you able to control the ball on passes and catches against pressure? If so, you are a control player and we can trust you on the floor.

Level 2 - Finisher

Can you finish advantages? If a shot is created for you, can you make it at an acceptable rate? Do you have the reads and skills to finish the play? This is a support role that specializes in shot making and secondary actions. If you don’t have an advantage, you move the ball to someone else. If you are a finisher we need you on the floor.

Level 3 - Creator

Can you create advantages? Do you compromise the defense in transition and out of actions? Do you make the right reads on time? Can you beat one defender? Have you mastered the use of one action? When you create an advantage, do you pass that advantage on to others? Have you mastered 1 level of scoring so you can finish an advantage? If you’re a creator, we need to get the ball in your hands when we have no advantage.

Level 4- Primary

Can you score efficiently with an advantage? Have you mastered 2 levels of scoring so that if help doesn’t come, you can create and finish the advantage yourself? If you’re a primary, we need to start and finish possessions with the ball in your hands.

Level 5 - Star

Can you demand a double team on every catch? Have you mastered 3 levels of scoring so that no matter how they guard you, you can create and finish advantages? If you’re a star, we need you to keep the ball until the opponent compromises itself to get the ball out of your hands.

When you do less things, you can progress through the 5 levels of player development faster. And since you haven’t skipped steps, you can move to tougher competition, while still being effective if you need to level down into a more limited role.

What would happen if you approached your player development like this? What if you had a high level of clarity and a roadmap for long term athlete development?

If you can do less things and adopt a mastery approach, you’ll get every last drop out of each player. And that’s a job well done. You’ll have served that athlete well.

Stay tuned for the next few weeks as we unpack four more ways to get the most out of your team.

•  Do Things Longer

• Try Un-loading

• Eliminate Resulting

• Remove the Body

We apply this mastery approach to all our systems at SAVI. If you haven’t had a chance, get our free app and look around. I’m Tyler and I’m here to help.