Coaches perceived importance of drills items in basketball players' long term development

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance that basketball coaches give to drills items during basketball players’ development. Data were collected using a questionnaire previously validated by specialists. Eleven drills-related items were tapped: opposition, competition, repetition, execution speed, execution technique, length, timing, decision-making, space, game and enjoyment. The sample was divided according to sex and stage of long-term development: initiation, orientation, specialization, or high-performance. No significant differences were found in opposition, cooperation, repetition, execution speed, execution technique, timing, space and game. Significant differences in assigned importance of coaches working with boys in drills length were found. Coaches reinforced the importance of drills length in high-level performance. These results could be related with coaches’ experience, while they consider selecting those drills that allow developing simultaneously all training factors (technical, tactical, physical and psychological). Also, significant differences in assigned importance of coaches working with boys to decision-making were found, suggesting that it should be the subject of more intense development primarily in later stages of development, i.e., after 19 years of age. Thus, results seem to reinforce the importance of anticipating handling decision-making in practice drills, increasing players’ experiences and developing the ability to beat the opponents. Finally, significant differences in assigned importance of coaches working with both sexes to enjoyment were found. Results suggest that in early stages coaches attribute a great importance to enjoyment. However, in later stages, the importance decreases significantly.