ED9 / cee 2 - ST9 / cet 2    Evaluating Conditioning Capacities of Basketball Players

Ribera-Nebot, David (2005). Evaluating Conditioning Capacities of Basketball Players.
International Basketball Clinic Vilnius. July 8-10^th, 2005. Vilnius (Lithuania).
Lithuanian Basketball Coaches Association
Lithuanian Basketball Federation

EVALUATING CONDITIONING CAPACITIES
OF BASKETBALL PLAYERS

David Ribera-Nebot
Barcelona University
Basketball Coach (Spanish basketball coaches association -superior coach since 1987-)
Physical conditioning coach of the Spanish under-20 basketball national team 2002

Introduction

It was an honour and a great experience to participate in this Lithuanian Basketball Clinic.
Thank you very much for your attention.
I strongly hope my lecture could provide you practical proposals for the basketball players you coach.
Feel free to contact me:  drn@movementsciences.com

All the proposals are based on practical theories learned from my best professor Francisco Seirul·lo Vargas.
In the following web page I present his publications on sport training: http://www.entrenamientodeportivo.org

In the following web page: http://www.humanmovement.com
you can find an article on practical experiences with strength tests ("Strength training of the Spanish basketball team for the 6th European basketball championship for young men 2002") and soon you will find an article on "Integrated monitoring of the training load in team sports" and a selection of articles/video (DVD) on specific endurance tests for basketball players.

Lecture Outline

I present a list of the main concepts in order to have a guide of  the examples showed in practice.

Control-Evaluation Methods (Seirul·lo Vargas, 1994):

• ATHLETE ----- CONTROL PROCESS ----- TRAINING 

a) Performance assessment by systems

b) CAPACITY TESTS

c) Biological controls

d) Auto-control

e) Performance observation system

• ATHLETE ----- EVALUATION PROCESS ----- COMPETITION 

v) Auto-evaluation

w) Performance measuring

x) Objective assessment

y) External judgement

z) Performance observation system

• Use as a main option "auto-control" and "auto-evaluation" options, specially in experienced players.
• Create your own tests of conditioning capacities.
• Adapt the characteristics of the test to the players.
• With a clear definition of the test, its criteria to be implemented and its criteria to be evaluated, it can be achieved a good degree of validity, objectivity, reliability and sensibility.
• Selecting the tests: minimum testing - maximum reliable information.

• Speed Tests
  Perception and cognitive factors are very relevant for speed actions in basketball, but very complex to be evaluated. Therefore, speed tests will mainly emphasize the motor control capacity.
  Any basketball skill or drill can be selected for a speed test.
  Specificity and short duration (time to perform a sequence of basketball actions).
  Examples:

  • speed test for running, passing, rebounding, dribbling, short offense or defense actions, ...
  • speed test for a combined sequence of offense or defense actions
  • ...

BUT, the most important is to train in speed conditions the specific basketball situations !!
In this regard, you can use the different types of speed proposed by professor Seirul·lo:
     Speed of put in action or departure
     Spped of intervention
     Speed of change of rhythm-timing
     Speed of execution
     Speed of intermittent actions

 

• Strength Tests

  • strength jump tests with different previous movements: from knew flexion, from standing position, 3 jumps in a row, with overload (5-20kg), from jumping a hurdle (20-40-60cm), from a step, from a spin, from a spin-jump, one-leg jump, one-leg running jump, ...
  • strength running tests: one-leg running half court, combination of sequences of short runs with jumping hurdles, ...
  • strength figthing tests: very short movements moving a 10-15-20kg disc (model: 30"effort/15"rest/30"effort/15"rest/30"effort for 10kg and 30"effort/15"rest/30"effort for 15kg)
  • strength short-movements test: short forward-backward movements combined with short defense slides movements holding a 5-10-15kg disc (model: 30"effort/15"rest/30"effort/15"rest/30"effort for 5kg and 30"effort/15"rest/30"effort for 10kg)
  • strength figthing-short-movement tests: combination of figthing and short movements tests differentiating interior and exterior players
  • strength throwing tests: throw must be performed with a minimum of precision (limited zone); throws of 1kg ball, basketball ball and small basketball ball; 2-hands static, 2-hands with step, 1-hand, over-head pass, chest passs, ...
    -Check the tests used in a practical experience!

• Endurance Tests

  • Endurance test for the point guard, forward and center (future video/DVD).
  • Endurance test for interior and exterior players (3 players can perform the test at the same time in the basketball court).
    - Player perform the sequence of actions as many times as possible during every 1'30" effort period.
    - Effort-rest periods: 1'30" effort - 30" rest  /  basic options: 6 or 14 times
    (6 periods or 14 periods / 12' or 21' of total effort)
    - Evaluation: 
    number of actions performed (each period and total)
    recovery heart rate (each rest period and final at 1', 2' and 3') and/or other selected physiological parameters.
    performance index: number of actions/heart rate (each period and global)
    -Check the sequence of actions and equipment layout !

• Strength Tests used with the Spanish basketball team for the 6th European basketball championship for young men 2002

- Strength Test for Running (adaptation of Seirul-lo’s Test for Handball players): the player must perform one-leg alternated jumps followed by a combination of runs with 2-leg jumps on a basketball court. Total and partial times are evaluated.

FIGURE: Strength Test of Running for Basketball.

- Strength Tests for “Fighting” Situations (adaptation of Seirul-lo’s Test for Handball players): a) following a triangle path (1,80 m. each side) with defense slides and frontal flexion-extension arms movements with a 15kg disc, the player has to perform as many meters and arms movements as possible during 2 sets of 30 seconds (15 seconds rest in between); b) the same than a) but the player moves a 10kg disc and performs 3 sets of 30 seconds (15 seconds rest in between). In both the number of meters and arms movements are evaluated.

PHOTO (Santi Abad): Strength Test of Fighting for Basketball.

- Strength Tests for Short Movements (adaptation of Seirul-lo’s Test for Handball players): a) following an “L” path (1,80 m. each side) with forward-backward movements and defense slides holding a 10kg disc, the player has to perform as many meters as possible during 2 sets of 30 seconds (15 seconds rest in between); b) the same than a) but the player holds a 5kg disc and performs 3 sets of 30 seconds (15 seconds rest in between). The number of meters is evaluated.

PHOTO (Santi Abad): Strength Test of Short Movements for Basketball.

• Endurance Tests used with the Spanish basketball team for the 6th European basketball championship for young men 2002

© 2005 David Ribera-Nebot  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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