Objectives
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To provide quality coaching for 12 to 15 year-olds with the emphasis on teaching and reinforcing the individual skills necessary to develop better basketball players. based on British Basketball's Areas of Emphasis.
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To create an important player development program to extend U15 boys and girls skill development and enhance their performance at club and regional level.
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To provide the opportunity for youngsters with exceptional talent/potential/height to be added to RPC squads by following the philosophy of long term athlete development and basketball as a late specialisation sport.
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To provide a program of skill development and teaching. The players will learn from this "training to train" stage of their long term development.
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Committed players with national player attribues and skills will be nominated from the RPC to the U15 National Development Program.
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The aim is to identify players who have potential to represent England in international competition and additionally players who may have the potential and commitment to represent their respective region at U15 and U17.
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The RPC Head Coach has the option to retain a number of players for a second year. The coach can, through consultation with the performance coordinator, identify emerging talent of a younger age should the athlete have England or regional potential.
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To provide coach development opportunities in each reagion.
Current Structure and Purpose
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The head coach in cooperation with a delegated RPC coordinator, is expected to: (1) organise a suitable venue, and (2) ensure effective communication with players, parents, clubs, coaches, schools, venue operators and EB staff.
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The head coach and assistant coaches work to the EB whole sport plan under the direction of the Performance Pathways Manager.
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RPCs are not designed or expected to produce a team. The emphasis is on the development of individual players. This includes key game understanding (concepts) and is referenced against the British Basketball Areas of Emphasis: Guidelines to coaches. These guidelines on player development are designed to refocus coaches on effectively teaching the individual fundamentals of the game and teaching the player at the "training to train" stage.
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Regional Development squads for U15 and U17 players include the staging of subsequent Regional Development Tournaments which will provide further player development opportunities post RPC's.
The Regional Development Tournaments at U15 and U17 will ultimately complement the national and regional competitions for U16 and U18 club teams. More importantly they will focus more directly on individual player development rather than the team. Preparing or teaching a team to compete is often at the expense of the athlete's individual development needs. Time tends to be allocated on the team's needs rather than the individual athlete's needs. England Basketball development and performance programs are focused on individual player development. Good coaches will focus on the fundamentals and progress the execution of those skills.