WANT TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING?

Decision-making in sports is the ability to choose the right action at the right moment. Skill is the ability to choose the right action at the right moment and perform the action efficiently and skillfully. Therefore, the first, and easiest, way for players to improve their decision-making skills is to improve their technical skills.


When you watch Steve Nash handle the ball, defensive pressure does not affect him; he ignores the defensive pressure and maintains his vision on the court. Therefore, to improve court vision, the first step is to improve the player’s confidence handling the ball under pressure.


Although it may make for sloppy practices, practices should be game-like. I prefer situations which cause lots of mistakes in practice and provide plenty of learning experiences so players are prepared for different situations - good and bad, planned and unplanned - in the game when performance counts.


If a coach wants his players to develop into better decision makers, technical skill development is the easiest first step. The harder step is to allow players to make mistakes by making their own decisions. Messy practices are not a sign of failure by the coach, but a sign of players’ learning. Learning takes time because it requires experience. The short cuts simply undermine the learning and long-term development even though the short cuts often lead to better short-term performance.

(Thanks Brian McCormick)