Attached below is my personalised, weekly program designed for a healthy self. I have considered the factors of nutrition, recovery, endurance, flexibility, strength and skill development and incorporated them within the timetable, whilst also considering club-training, games, extra-curricular activities, schooling and homework for an optimally balanced schedule.

6-Weekly Schedule

Legend

Elements of Nutrition

The year 9/10 specialist basketball unit has been a great learning experience and an opportunity for me to develop my game in numerous ways. Throughout the course, I’ve received advice from professional athletes, experts in their field, and have been able to incorporate constructive feedback into my own playing. An important skill that I’ve been able to develop in this unit would be assuming and utilising the triple-threat position. The triple-threat position is an integral skill in basketball, allowing for you to open up new offensive options, and generally be more offensively threatening in game.

Triple-threat means being able to dribble, shoot or pass from the same stance/position. This stance opens up a huge range of options. A pass is always viable, and being able to shoot, as well as to explode off the dribble, makes you more effective as a player. Throughout the duration of the specialist basketball course, I have worked on my triple-threat position, in order to make myself more offensively capable, and develop my playmaking ability. I have also been able to utilise this technique in my Willeton Basketball games, and I have seen improvements both in my playmaking skills and scoring capabilities.

I have been able to implement this into my game by assuming  the triple-threat position (on offense) each time I receive the ball. This position requires me to have the ball lowered, so I can easily pull up into a shot, with enough power to make the distance over the defence. I am also slightly crouched so I can dribble quickly, and have a lowered center of gravity for improved balance. For example, if I get the ball at the elbow, I can pass to the corner for an open shot, fake to shift the defender and then pull up for a shot, or explode and drive to the basket. Previously, I wouldn’t be in a position to shoot, dribble or pass each time I got the ball, merely be able to execute one function at a time, leading to predictability.

The triple threat position has been a skill I have focused on developing within my game and has been integral in the improvement of my offensive game. Overall, I have been able to build upon this skill during the specialist basketball unit and have seen results with varying degrees of success when I implement it into my game.

Throughout the Specialist Basketball Unit, I attended multiple courses, each including expert advice from specialists in their field. Each course was useful and relevant for everyday use, and also to maximise performance. Each course, (strapping, dieting, stretching and recovery) held individual merit and served to assist me in improving my physical and mental wellbeing. The course I found most helpful and relevant was the dieting/nutrition course conducted by Cathy Latino.

The dieting course moved through multiple topics and areas of nutrition, such as target amounts of essential food types to consume each day. These include carbohydrates, proteins, hydration, dairy , fruits, vegetables and vitamins. The course also included references to when such foods should be consumed, for example as a pre-game meal (3-4) hours before, a pre-game snack (1-2) hours before, during an event,  between games and after training or fame recovery.

The major concepts raised included achieving certain levels of nutrition per day in order to maximise performance and ensure a healthy diet and ensuing healthy body. This was applicable for me both in my daily routine, and to incorporate into my weekly schedule. The nutrition targets I set for myself, based upon recommendations by Cathy are as follow:

Per day:

Calories: 1900 (approx. 8,100 kj)

Protein: 130 grams

Fluids/hydration: 3L (3.5 when game or intense training)

Carbohydrates 150g

Vitamins: Mix (prevent deficiencies).

Another major concept raised was when to consumer certain foods. For example, a pre-game meal should be light, packed with energy, but not so much that it will detriment game play. During an event, electrolytes should be replenished, but generally water will be sufficient, rather than a sports drink reserved for a 2+ hour long event. Each meal should be carefully considered to align with daily nutrition targets, and also to ensure optimum physical performance.

Overall, the dieting course by Cathy Latino was incredibly helpful, and I was able to apply elements of the course to my everyday life. The nutrition targets were something I found I could work towards throughout the day to keep myself on track. This was an interesting, useful and relevant course presented during the year 9/10 Specialist Basketball Unit.

Conclusion

The Year 9/10 Specialist Basketball Unit has been a great opportunity to explore and improve various aspects of my game and be able to develop myself as a player. I’ve received great advice from experts in their field and have developed certain skills. The courses presented were also useful and helped me improve my physical and mental wellbeing. In conclusion, this unit has been very helpful, engaging and a great experience overall.