Brian McCormick is the Performance Director for Train for Hoops and the creator of 180 Shooter. He is a coach, trainer and author who penned Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development. McCormick has coached professionally in Sweden and Ireland, and coached and trained youth, high school and college teams and players in the United States. He currently advises clubs, schools and federations on their development systems and coach education programs. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA) and Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM). McCormick writes the free, weekly Hard2Guard Player Development Newsletters; to subscribe, email hard2guardinc@yahoo.com.1) Please tell our readers a little bit about your playing, coaching and training background?
My playing career did not amount to much. I ended up in Nassjo, Sweden as an exchange student when I was 19 and played on a Second Division team there and coached an u-15 team. When I got to college the following year, I coached Special Olympics. Then I moved to girls' CYO basketball and volleyball and eventually an AAU team then high school, college and finally back to Sweden as a Head Coach of a women's pro team when I was 25. Since Sweden, I've worked as an individual trainer, Head Coach in Ireland and a high school coach. I've directed clinics all over the world. I pretty much work with anyone who calls me, from a guy trying to get in shape to play in an over-50 league for his 50th birthday to 10-year-old beginners to pro and national team players.
2) Discuss the The Crossover Movement and what prompted you to write the book?
The book started as a guide to help players with their own development, but meandered in several different directions, much of which is avilable for free on the Internet now. I wrote the book as a response to what I saw when I helped friends coach, went out recruiting, worked with players, etc. Having experience in different countries, and a varied background through studying physiology and exercise science to finish my Master's degree and get certified as a strength coach, and being a fan of multiple sports, I felt that the way we approach youth basketball was and is flawed and rather than being another critic, like the reactionary press when the U.S. lost in 2004 and 2006, I wanted to search for solutions. I wanted to provide an answer when another writer wrote about the lack of fundamentals or criticized AAU players or whatever the case may be. I started writing articles on the subject in 2001, before Team USA lost. Only after Team USA lost a couple games did some people start to agree with my writing and actually look at the U.S. system. Even in 2004, everyone just blamed Marbury for being selfish and Larry Brown for not being able to work with the players. But, even to this day, nobody wants to look at the way players develop before they get to be NBA players and how youth basketball shapes their development. If you read any literature on skill acquisition or motor learning, the important years are the early years, from 8-13 depending on the skill/sport, yet nobody wants to address this age group. We think that better coaching at the college, NBA or National Team level solves all the problems. However, 13 is the peak age for sports participation. We are turning kids away from sports at an early age because we already look at youth sports as a pre-professional proving ground, rather than preparation for a lifetime of health and fitness.
3) You wrote an excellent article as well on the economics of youth basketball. Referencing that article, what problems still exist in youth basketball today that need to be addressed effectively?
In the United States, we spend a fortune on basketball. NBA teams are worth billions of dollars and generate billions in revenue worldwide. The NCAA generates billions in revenue. However, none of that money filters to the youth players. NBA and NCAA teams have no incentive to spend money or focus on development because they do not benfit directly. The NBA needs an infux of 30-40 players, tops, each year and it can scour the planet looking for those players. It does not need to invest in a process for developing those players. Therefore, without the money and leadership, someone has to fill the void. Shoe companies and individual entrepreneurs have filled the void and neither is focused on developing better basketball systems. They are businessmen. They want to maximize the exposure for their shoes and sell more merchandise or create businesses which maximize revenue. The easiest way to make money in basketball at a grassroots level is through running tournaments or being involved with the recruiting in some way.
When I was in Canada recently, Mike MacKay, Canada's Coaching Director, told me that when they run tournaments, they can find sponsors. But, if you run a training session, nobody wants to sponsor it. Businesses see value in an event like a tournament; they understand it. It's what they see on television. However, even if there are the same number of players involved in a tournament and a training session, businesses do not understand the training session. It's hard to market that you are the official sponsor of a basketball practice. But, you can market yourself as the official sponsor of the Toronto Basketball Classic.
In the article, I say that if parents want to change the system, they have to do so with their wallets. When people's money demands change, that is when change will happen. As long as parents and coaches pay for bigger and better tournaments every weekend, and ignore practice time, why should the businesses change their approach?
When I was in Canada recently, Mike MacKay, Canada's Coaching Director, told me that when they run tournaments, they can find sponsors. But, if you run a training session, nobody wants to sponsor it. Businesses see value in an event like a tournament; they understand it. It's what they see on television. However, even if there are the same number of players involved in a tournament and a training session, businesses do not understand the training session. It's hard to market that you are the official sponsor of a basketball practice. But, you can market yourself as the official sponsor of the Toronto Basketball Classic.
In the article, I say that if parents want to change the system, they have to do so with their wallets. When people's money demands change, that is when change will happen. As long as parents and coaches pay for bigger and better tournaments every weekend, and ignore practice time, why should the businesses change their approach?
4) If you could wave a magic wand and create a structure for optimal development in youth basketball, what would it look like?
Creating an overall development program in the U.S. is problematic because it is so big and there are so many entrenched programs. However, I would get rid of the NBA age limit. I would make the NBDL a more useful and attractive option - I do not think colleges should be a one-year stopover for pre-professionals. I think it de-values the college education. Let the kids who are disinterested in school go to the NBA or NBDL, just like with minor league baseball. Maybe, many will decide that college is a better option than the NBDL because it's more fun to be in a big time college atmosphere than a minor league atmosphere. That'd be great. But, I think the option should be the player's.
I'd like to see each NBA and NBDL team sponsor a local development program. Now, that would ignore a big slice of the population, but, with the enormity of the population and geography, there is not a 100% perfect solution. I'd like to see the top players skip high school ball and play with the development programs, much like the top soccer players skip high school soccer to play club soccer. I think this would do two things:
1. Create a more managable schedule for elite players, as they'd play with one team with one schedule and train with similarly talented players
2. It would open more opportunities on high school teams for players who get cut in today's system.
At the lower levels, I'd like to see a greater emphasis on long term development and not a win-now mentality. I'd like to see more opportunities for real coaches education programs, not the Nike clinics where coaches can scribble down more plays to run with their kids. I'd like to see a greater emphasis on play for play's sake rather than every practice and game being a carefully orchestrated path to a college scholarship or professional career.
I'd like to see each NBA and NBDL team sponsor a local development program. Now, that would ignore a big slice of the population, but, with the enormity of the population and geography, there is not a 100% perfect solution. I'd like to see the top players skip high school ball and play with the development programs, much like the top soccer players skip high school soccer to play club soccer. I think this would do two things:
1. Create a more managable schedule for elite players, as they'd play with one team with one schedule and train with similarly talented players
2. It would open more opportunities on high school teams for players who get cut in today's system.
At the lower levels, I'd like to see a greater emphasis on long term development and not a win-now mentality. I'd like to see more opportunities for real coaches education programs, not the Nike clinics where coaches can scribble down more plays to run with their kids. I'd like to see a greater emphasis on play for play's sake rather than every practice and game being a carefully orchestrated path to a college scholarship or professional career.
5) For all of the young readers out there in junior high and high school, what type of off-season regimen/training do you recommend (i.e. teaching camps like Five-Star, individual workouts, AAU)?
I'm not a fan of camps. Most camps use a template which promotes quick performance improvements, but not long term retention or development. I worked dozens and dozens of camps and while some did some good things and some had great coaches, I do not believe they are effective ways to improve. For players in areas without other good players, going away to a camp can have value from a competitive standpoint, but I'm just not sold on camps from a development perspective. I'm actually completing some work on my new company that hopefully will assist camps with improving their ability to offer true learning and development, but we'll see what happens.
I think the best means for development is a combination of individual workouts and group training/pick-up games. Individual workouts can help introduce technique and skills, but if there is no progression from individual workouts to pick-up games or group training before playing real games, learning and development suffer. I see a lot of kids who work really hard and pay a lot of money for well-intentioned trainers, and they simply do not develop. In basketball, especially, we have a poor understanding of motor learning and skill transfer and the system perpetuates itself. The best way to improve is to play against players slightly better than yourself and to get accurate feedback now and then on your performance. Use the feedback and the experience in the games to define your personal workouts, whether you need to get faster, shoot better, get stronger, etc.
AAU has a role, but I don't think high school players need to play 35 in-season high school games, then immediately start AAU tournaments, high school summer league, etc. Some off-season games are good, especially when the best players get the opportunity to play the other best players. But, I don't understand these high school teams that play 80 games a year now in local leagues primarily against the same teams over and over again, and have players playing 60-80 more games with an AAU team for exposure. There has to be a better balance so kids can enjoy the experience and maximize their training.
I think the best means for development is a combination of individual workouts and group training/pick-up games. Individual workouts can help introduce technique and skills, but if there is no progression from individual workouts to pick-up games or group training before playing real games, learning and development suffer. I see a lot of kids who work really hard and pay a lot of money for well-intentioned trainers, and they simply do not develop. In basketball, especially, we have a poor understanding of motor learning and skill transfer and the system perpetuates itself. The best way to improve is to play against players slightly better than yourself and to get accurate feedback now and then on your performance. Use the feedback and the experience in the games to define your personal workouts, whether you need to get faster, shoot better, get stronger, etc.
AAU has a role, but I don't think high school players need to play 35 in-season high school games, then immediately start AAU tournaments, high school summer league, etc. Some off-season games are good, especially when the best players get the opportunity to play the other best players. But, I don't understand these high school teams that play 80 games a year now in local leagues primarily against the same teams over and over again, and have players playing 60-80 more games with an AAU team for exposure. There has to be a better balance so kids can enjoy the experience and maximize their training.
6) Which coach or coaches do you admire and feel best exemplifies how basketball should be taught, viewed and played?
I like Ben Howland. UCLA is not aesthetically pleasing, but I don't think another college coach does as good a job identifying talent, developing players and preparing for games. Vance Walberg gets a lot of attention for the Dribble-Drive-Motion, but he's a great practice coach, very detail-oriented. I like Greg Popovich and Jerry Sloan. The Hornets are probably the most fun team to watch right now because of Chris Paul, but as a coach, I watch Pop and Sloan.
7) Last question: What does the future hold for Brian McCormick? What is your ultimate goal in the sport of basketball?
Competitively, I want another chance to coach in Europe. For whatever reason, people look at my resume and consider me for jobs there, whereas it's much harder to get the same respect for a college or NBA job here. Just because of the way the development systems are, my ultimate goal would be to coach with a team in Spain, France or Greece and work with the club's junior players. I almost had an opportunity to take over a country's basketball development system as its Technical Director for the Federation, and an opportunity like that would interest me greatly.
Short of that, I am focused on using my book and my business, trainforhoops.com, to change the way we look at youth basketball and basketball development one player, one coach, one camp or one league at a time. My goal is simply to create better programs for youth players which combine scientific research with field experience to change the way we approach youth basketball and talent development.
Short of that, I am focused on using my book and my business, trainforhoops.com, to change the way we look at youth basketball and basketball development one player, one coach, one camp or one league at a time. My goal is simply to create better programs for youth players which combine scientific research with field experience to change the way we approach youth basketball and talent development.
