BASKETBALL
PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Fitness for Life.
Picture this: You’re 85 years old, hiking up a windswept hill with a mischievous grin, whilst your grandkids struggle to keep up. Sounds impossible? Not if you embrace sport, fitness, and health as a lifelong adventure, something we love doing here at LWC.
Exercise isn’t just about chiselled abs or running marathons. It’s about resilience, mental sharpness, and longevity. Just look at the Blue Zones - those rare places on Earth where people routinely live past 100, and live well. Their secret? Daily movement, strong communities and an unshakeable zest for life. They don’t grind out deadlifts in fluorescent-lit gyms. Tthey walk, swim, stretch, and lift things because life demands it.
At LWC, we champion this philosophy. Sport isn’t a phase. It’s a lifelong pursuit of challenge, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Whether you’re smashing a rugby tackle, perfecting a tennis serve, or finding peace in a morning run, you’re investing in a future where your body serves you well, not the other way around.
So, take the stairs, chase a ball, climb a mountain, bowl away swingers, try Yoga. Because when sport and fitness become your adventure, life doesn’t just last longer. It gets richer, wilder, and infinitely more fun. So tighten those laces, take a breath and step up and out into a world of infinite possibilities, a world that begins within our idyllic 1200 acre campus and culture.
ADAM WILLIAMS HEADMASTER
Welcome to the Team.
LWC Performance Basketball Programme
Congratulations on your selection as part of The LWC Performance Basketball Programme.
This programme celebrates your accomplishments and potential as a basketball player. As basketball continues to grow at LWC, you are joining at an exciting time for the sport.
This two-year programme outlines your pathway toward basketball excellence while balancing academic responsibilities. In summary, it aims to:
• Develop you as a player technically, physically, and mentally.
• Foster a lifelong passion for basketball.
• Prepare you for competitive basketball and explore potential careers in and around the sport.
The programme requires you to:
• Commit fully to all sports scholarship expectations at LWC.
• Attend all scholarship talks and workshops.
• Represent LWC in other sports alongside basketball.
• Participate in the coaching and mentoring of younger pupils.
• Actively engage with your basketball mentor.
• Commit to annual basketball tours and tournaments at leading venues.
• Help raise the profile of basketball at LWC and beyond.
Programme Overview
This two-year programme is designed to develop basketball talent while ensuring balance with academic responsibilities. It focuses on technical development, physical conditioning, mental toughness, tactical awareness, and match preparation.
The programme is structured to align with the school timetable while preparing you for local, regional, and national competitions.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Technical Skills
Refine core skills: shooting, ballhandling, passing, and defence. Develop advanced techniques, including footwork, finishing moves, and off-theball positioning.
2. Physical Fitness
Build strength, agility, flexibility, and endurance specific to basketball. Emphasise injury prevention and recovery.
3. Mental Skills
Enhance focus, confidence, and resilience under pressure. Use sports psychology techniques such as visualization and pre-game routines.
4. Tactical Skills
Improve game awareness, decisionmaking, and team play. Analyse match footage to refine team and individual strategies.
5. Match Preparation
Create a structured competition calendar.
Simulate game conditions during practice sessions.
6. Academic Balance
Balance basketball training with school commitments and other sports participation.
Develop time management strategies with your basketball mentor.
7. Leadership
Mentor and coach younger pupils in basketball (Years 7-9). Represent LWC basketball at ambassadorial events.
8. Career Opportunities
Explore career paths in basketball, including coaching, sports management, or playing professionally, with support from LWC connections.
Components of the Programme
1. Technical Training
• Skill Drills
Focus on accuracy and consistency in shooting, ball-handling, passing, and defending.
• Position-Specific Training
Develop positional skills for guards, forwards, and centres.
• Game Simulations
Practice under live conditions to replicate game intensity.
• Video Analysis
Regularly review game footage to fine-tune performance.
2. Physical Conditioning
• Strength Training
2-3 sessions per week, focusing on power, explosiveness, and stability.
Key exercises: Squats, deadlifts, plyometrics, and core work.
• Agility and Speed
Include ladder drills, cone drills, and quick change-of-direction training.
• Flexibility and Mobility
Daily dynamic stretches and foam rolling to enhance range of motion.
Weekly yoga or Pilates sessions.
• Endurance Training
Incorporate interval running, court sprints, and basketball-specific cardio drills.
3. Mental Skills Development
• Performance Psychology
Set short-term and long-term goals. Practice pre-game routines, including visualization and breathing techniques.
• Logbook
Track daily reflections on practice, mental state, and game decisions.
4. Tactical Awareness and Preparation
• Game Strategy
Study opposition tactics, set plays, and defensive systems.
• Match Simulation
Practice under pressure in scenarios that mimic game conditions.
• Post-Match Review
Assess performance with feedback on strengths and areas for growth.
5. Academic Integration
• Prioritise key training sessions around academic exams.
• Use planners to manage practice, fitness, and study sessions
• Incorporate rest days to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
Seasonal Plan
Pre-Season (November - February)
Focus: Build physical base, refine technique, and set goals.
Activities:
• Skill analysis with basketball professionals.
• Strength and agility focus in gym sessions.
Competition Season (November - March)
Focus: Peak performance and game readiness.
Activities:
• Practice matches with game-specific objectives.
• Tactical preparation and team play drills.
Post-Season (April-November)
Focus: Recovery and review.
Activities:
• Reflect on season performance.
• Develop off-season goals and strategies.
Evaluation and Tracking
• Monthly Assessments: Technical skills, fitness metrics, and mental performance reviews.
• Game Performance Metrics: Record points scored, assists, rebounds, steals, and turnovers.
• Feedback: Regular meetings with the Head of Basketball, fitness trainer, and basketball professionals.
Example Weekly Schedule
Day
Activity
Duration
Monday Rest and Recovery (stretching, mobility work) 1 hour
Tuesday Skill drills (shooting, ball-handling, defensive footwork) 1 hour Strength training (lower body and explosiveness focus) 1 hour
Wednesday Positional training (team formations and roles) 1 hour
Mental skills (visualization, decision-making drills) and or Fixtures 1 hour
Thursday On-court practice (set plays, scrimmages) 2 hours Yoga or Pilates (flexibility and injury prevention) and or fixtures 1 hour
Friday Rest or light training (e.g., free throw practice) 1 hour
Saturday Other main sport 2-3 hours
Sunday Competitive match or recovery activities As needed
This programme provides a comprehensive framework for success in basketball, balancing high-performance training with academic and personal development.