Central Coast Basketball Showcase

Description

Welcome to the first edition of the Central Coast Basketball Showcase. Established to provide a tangible opportunity for junior basketball development, the Showcase is the first step along the Central Coast Basketball player pathway, which has historically provided male and female state and national teams with elite talent.

The event takes place over two days and is a combination of camp-based teaching and round-robin competition. The Showcase is likely to be the first exposure athletes have to the style of play that proliferates throughout Australia, and also to the demands of player development – specifically those values and abilities that separate high-performance athletes.

Day one of the Showcase is three hours of camp teaching where athletes learn the value (and techniques) of being able to shoot the ball. The master skill of shooting continues to be the defining factor separating good basketball players from the absolute elite. Across the day athletes are also exposed to a variety of decision making, style of play and gameplay scenarios, all of which feature heavily in our club’s philosophy. Following the day of teaching and learning, athletes are charged with homework before returning to camp.

Day two of the Showcase is round-robin competition, however, it looks a little different than a regular game. Coming back to our goal for starting the Showcase – tangible player development – a number of rule and regulation changes will feature in the game play. Athletes learn all about them at camp, but there are some noticeable differences to how the games are played at the Showcase:

• Rim height – the Showcase is played on 8’6” baskets 
• The three-point line is marked closer than the regulation line featured on most courts 

• The games have four periods, where the first three are five-minute running clock. In the fourth period (also five minutes) the clock stops in the last two minutes 
• Substitutions only take place after each of the first three periods, it is four on, four off. This means athletes play the entire period (barring injury or illness), and ten of those twenty minutes 
• In-game substituting can take place in the fourth period 
• Showcase games are officiated by volunteers, and the officials are encouraged to keep the games flowing as best they can. It is a developmental tool for them as well, as they take part in a program of mentorship and education across the weekend 
• There are no win/loss records or standings at the Showcase, but all games are scored and the competition is immense. 

Athletes are put into teams on day one of camp, with the Showcase head and court coaches charged with balancing teams as evenly as possible. Each team has its own court coach and is uniquely named after individuals who have had a significant influence on basketball here for the Central Coast.

The Showcase has been designed to introduce athletes to the skills and concepts that are prevalent throughout Australian basketball. Tied directly to the player development and expectation philosophy that is valued by Central Coast Basketball, the event puts athletes in uncomfortable situations where they will be asked to experiment with a variety of skills and abilities that are unfamiliar to them. All athletes will be encouraged to play fast, with great spacing, flare and unselfishness. And when it is their turn to shoot the ball, have great confidence in shooting their shot. Make or miss, at this stage of their young careers, is completely irrelevant.

With all that being said, there are five traits that are valued above all else when describing Central Coast athletes. Our very best Central Coast athletes, those that represent the Crusaders, NSW and Australia, possess all five of these:

1. Competitiveness – they are ruthless in their desire to not only win, but see individual improvement – you cannot have one without the other
2. Shooting Ability – it is the master skill, and our best athletes are elite shooters
3. 1 v 1 Offensive Ability – high-performing athletes have the skillset and decision-making ability to make plays in a 1v1 situation
4. 1 v 1 Defensive Ability – our best athletes require no help. They keep the ball in front of them and do not get screened
5. Decision Making – on both the offensive and defensive ends, these athletes continuously make the correct decision. And they get there by being coachable.

Dates and Times: