The Transforming Basketball Podcast

EP38: Why Constraints Should be Different for Every Player with Drew Dunlop and Jake Grossmann

Feb 2, 2024

Drew Dunlop and Jake Grossmann, basketball coaches, discuss their switch to a constraint-led approach in player development. They talk about individualizing constraints, adaptive shooting, and the importance of giving players unique experiences. They also discuss progression, skill emergence, and their plans to take their program global.

23:01

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Episode guests

Jake Grossmann

Drew Dunlop

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Embracing a constraint-led approach in basketball training allows players to explore and make mistakes in a sloppy environment, leading to skillful and game-like behaviors.

Introducing a constraint-led approach requires coaches to overcome mental models and create a safe environment for players to try new things, while targeting individual needs and optimizing the challenge point within the group.

Deep dives

The Pro Lane's Shift to an Ecological Approach

The Pro Lane, a company dedicated to basketball player development, discusses their decision to break away from the traditional approach and embrace a constraint-led approach (CLA) during COVID. They found inspiration in Rob Gray's book and started experimenting with ecological dynamics and CLA in their training sessions. They emphasize the importance of allowing players to explore and make mistakes in a sloppy environment, which can be a hurdle for coaches accustomed to a clean and crisp style. By creating adaptive shooting drills and focusing on principles of play, they aim to develop skillful and game-like behaviors in their players. They also highlight the value of film analysis in understanding how skills emerge within the context of the game.

Introduction

3min

Evolution of Coaching Strategies

9min

Adaptive Shooting, Rate Limiters, and Principles of Play

5min

Emphasizing Experiences and Context in Basketball Development

2min

Progression, Skill Emergence, and Overcoming Mental Models

4min

In this episode, Alex interviews Drew Dunlop and Jake Grossmann. They discuss their decision to break away from traditional player development methods and embrace a constraint-led approach (CLA) in basketball training. They share their journey of discovering the ecological approach and how it has transformed their training sessions. The conversation delves into the challenges coaches face when transitioning to a CLA and the importance of individualizing constraints to target each player's rate limiter. Drew and Jake also provide practical examples of constraint manipulations they use in their training sessions, including activities focused on the connector role and adaptive shooting.

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