My personal project is not 'personal' - I was working with a group of basketball players where I was accompanied by my teammates. I learned from famous coaches like Steve Kerr and Jackson, and I understood that an excellent basketball coach and basketball player must possess the qualities of Sportsmanship (basic courtesy and good manners), Teamwork (a spirit of 'we over we', encouraging each other no matter in losing games or winning games), Positive Attitude (determination to overcome adversity), and Respect (respect each other).
The IB learner profile attributes and the ATL skills that I have developed provided a road for me to become a good 'outsider' - basketball coach and an 'insider' - basketball player. In my process journal, I have written down the ATL skills that I have applied and improved, including my communication skills, thinking skills, research skills, and self-management skills. However, I think the IB Learner Profile qualities together with the ATL skills helped me to effectively achieve my learning objectives.
'KWHLAQ' & Research Skills
Before I started my training journal, I discussed my training plans with my supervisor, such as the schedule, training content, and the problems that I would encounter. I was taught the *K (what do I know), *W (what do I want to know), *H (How will I find out), *L (what have I learned), *A (what action will I take), *Q (questions I still have), which is a useful framework that helped me organize my thoughts.
In the early stages of my project, I was a good researcher by searching different kinds of training methods, following the KWHLAQ framework. While there were a variety of training methods on the internet, I had to choose the most appropriate method for my players' level and associated with my project’s success criteria. For example, fast-break training is a basic technique in the field of basketball. However, players who have no knowledge of the footsteps would not be able to score a lay-up. If players cannot even score with no one defending, then why was I giving them such advanced training? So I decided that the training should concentrate on the basic and fundamental skills.
'Communicator' & Communication Skills
One of the most important aspects of being a good 'communicator' is to continuously ask questions. On the one hand, the oral communication skill was vital in assisting me in managing and getting to know my team, as well as encouraging my teammates. On the other hand, when we were doing the turn-back training, I found a number of problems: some players were traveling in their minds, and some players had no idea about how to do the correct movement. As a result, I applied body language to improve communication efficiency, which made the message to be understood more effectively.
Screenshot from Justin's Self-produced Video
I always strived to improve my ability to explain by organizing my thoughts in advance. When we practiced the spin move lay-up, I suggested they followed two rules: lower their gravity and slightly lean forward, and toes must be facing the basket after spinning. However, I found that they were unable to grasp the spinning movement. So, I came out with a solution right away - I tried to break them off on dribbling. At last,, the majority of the players understood the spinning movement and knew how to protect the ball.
'Thinker' & Thinking Skills
An excellent thinker should always be open-minded and reflective, as this will make them more distinctive from others.
Based on my observation, I found that most of my players' left hands is weak. Using good thinking skills, I proposed to conduct basic lay-up training for them to build their strength. I showed them how to keep the ball high because I wanted them to develop a good habit that would allow them to effortlessly guard the ball and lay up. They would usually engage in a 1-1 fight within 5 seconds. Why is it 5 seconds? It is to improve their ability to respond quickly; they must understand that their players do not have a lot of time to think about what to do next in the real game. All the training sessions that I have done were for the purpose of playing in real competitions.
Basketball in-house Competition
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