This is a letter I wrote to a coach I know, looking for help and consultation for off-season basketball training for his high school team. I’d be very interested to know from other high school coaches what they think of this idea. I have a feeling it is going to be a split response.

Subject: Enhancing Your Off-Season Basketball Program.) 

Hi Coach,

I’m excited to collaborate with you on refining your off-season program to maximize your players’ development. A well-structured off-season is crucial for building a successful season, and I have some ideas I’d like to share.

While strength and conditioning are important, I believe skill development should be the primary focus for basketball players, especially at the high school level. It’s essential that this isn’t lost in the crafting of the program!

Players naturally gravitate towards strength gains, and while that’s beneficial, it’s crucial to emphasize that improving their basketball skills (shooting, ball handling, and, critically, footwork) will have a more direct impact on game-day performance, playing time, and ultimately, wins.

A 40-pound increase in squats is impressive but most likely does not directly lead to more points.

Focusing on improved footwork and shooting accuracy should be a priority. Therefore, I suggest emphasizing skill development during the off-season. While this advice may seem obvious, it is not always standard practice. Because the amount of weight lifted—particularly increases in maximum strength and weight gains in the athlete—are much easier to measure, these aspects often take precedence in off-season training.

While strength and physical mass are important, they should take a back seat to skill development. In basketball, as well as in other high school sports, I believe that factors like skill, basketball IQ, and teamwork are even more critical. This is significant because athletes often follow the beliefs of their coaches and the suggestions of their parents and club coaches, who typically emphasize these secondary attributes. I can definitely see this firsthand while sitting in the stands with other parents!

If all these kids are hearing is, “You just need to gain 10 pounds,” it’s a tough sell. We need to shift the focus.

My expertise, and likely why you’d reach out to me, is in strength and conditioning, so that’s where I can offer the most targeted assistance. However, I want to ensure it complements, not overshadows, skill work.

Here’s a key decision to consider: What should be the primary emphasis of our strength training program—strength, power, or hypertrophy (muscle growth)?

The good news is, at this age, these three areas will overlap, regardless of the primary focus. It’s different from specialized athletes like bodybuilders (hypertrophy-focused) or powerlifters (strength-focused). For basketball players, a balanced approach will yield results across all three. It’s just a sum of their age and the sport.

In my opinion, that takes the pressure off. It’s not about finding what works (they all work)—the emphasis now becomes what is most effective.

The current trend at most high schools and college settings leans heavily towards power training (power cleans, snatches, etc.), and while I agree that power is essential, it’s tough to get right. Correct power training is technically demanding and requires significant buy-in from athletes to be executed correctly. To do it properly takes a lot of time and nearly one-on-one coaching. The teaching alone (on-ramp) can take weeks. Speed and technique—not just weight lifted—are the key elements in power training, and it’s easy to see where the difficulty lies. Speed and technique aren’t what gets most kids excited; more so, it’s the numbers. We all see crappy cleans with the bar flying everywhere marked up as new PRs in gyms across the country. The missing factor in the formula, especially for basketball, is, “Did that help my athlete PLAY better? Does that help my team WIN?”

Strength is important and easily measurable, but I think the strength gains will happen regardless, primarily because of the hormonal environment at this age. With raw strength, speed isn’t always a key factor, but it is a key component of basketball. For example, a five-second squat with an impressive 400 pounds is quite a feat, but the lack of speed might not have as significant a crossover to basketball as a different performance function.

Given the challenges of consistently and correctly implementing complex power exercises at the high school level, I propose focusing on hypertrophy during training sessions. This aligns with what many young athletes are naturally motivated by—seeing visible muscle growth. This can contribute to confidence, which can positively impact their game.

My rationale is this:

Basketball itself provides ample opportunity for power development through drills like Vertimax, jump training, plyometrics, change-of-direction drills (e.g., pro agility), and, of course, playing the game. We can integrate extra power-focused movements into basketball practices themselves. It’s already built-in and easy enough to add during an off-season practice. It also uses movements the athletes are already familiar with, so we don’t have to start a whole new training regimen with athletes who may be quite weak in the suggested exercise. (On-ramp = zero time.)

Therefore, I suggest dedicating gym time to hypertrophy. This allows players to achieve visible results that motivate them, while their basketball training addresses power development. I believe that over an 8- to 10-week off-season training regimen, the increases in strength will be similar in a hypertrophy-based program versus a strength-focused program.

Using the concept of auto-regulation (link coming soon), you may find that a superior strength program lies within hypertrophy parameters anyway. This also tends to take care of athletes who lack intrinsic motivation. It happens automatically. I’d be happy to share more about this if you’re not already utilizing this approach rather than straight progressive overload.

It makes for a much easier off-season development plan for you as the coach, as the gains are built-in.

This is just a suggestion, and I understand you have an inside perspective on your team’s needs that I don’t. Identifying your team’s needs is the first crucial step!

I’m eager to hear your thoughts and discuss how we can tailor this approach to best serve your players. I believe that when athletes see tangible progress, it fuels their dedication and ultimately leads to greater success on the court.

I look forward to discussing this further with you.

Best regards,

CP

Precision Performance Concepts