Curriculum Outline

This fun, engaging workshop uses the metaphor and game play of basketball to teach mind-body skills and team work.  These skills can be used in every aspect of life.  The goal is to train and embed mental, emotional and physical skills that build focus and performance, stress-resilience behavior,  and team coordination. This supports playing at our best, whether it is at the job, at home or in the community.   This participatory activity promotes mind-body wellness, fitness, team spirit and fun!

Why this Training?

1. Excess stress has physical consequences.
2. Physical, emotional and relationship consequences of excess stress are described.
3. Good people and good products can struggle simply because of unmanaged stress. 

Explanation of Principles

Why Basketball is a good sport for stress-resilience and teamwork training?

1. Presence
2. Attention styles – head, face eye alertness versus whole body alertness
3. 360 degree spatial presence
4. Reflex
5. Strong and soft forces
6. Physical bounce and spring in the body
7. Team synchronicity

Warm-Up

The team is guided into   mind-body techniques for:

1. Stretching
2. Presence
3. Cathartic destress:  clearing the throat, shaking out body

Team Building

Through-out the event, the team is invited to encourage each affirmation of the ‘shared’  stress-resilience culture – ‘Easy’,  high –five’s and knuckle-bumps

Leader Guides Team into Mind-Body Skills:

1. ‘Computer Tech Stress’ (squinted eyes, arched, neck and shoulders, tight spine
2. Unlock eye grip
3. Spatial Presence
4. Hands to center of gravity
5. Elongate spine with hands placed on neck and lower spine.
6. Spring in feet
7. 360 degree pivot

Partner and Team Exercise:

1. Team Affirmation pass = Easy
2. Dribble practice – warm up
3. Partner pass and shoot
4. Reflex pass exercise:  face-eye alert versus whole body relaxed reflex
5. Partner pivot pass
6. Orientation skill.
7. Subtle synchronization skill

The Free-Throw Skills/Performance Routine

1. 11-point skill routine
2. used to prepare for the Free throw
3. Skills applicable to all performance activities, job, family, personal life
4. Leader guides group
5. Peer to peer coaching of the skills

Group Coordination

Team stands in circle and passes multiple balls, in rhythmic coordination.  

Closing: Group Focused Energy

1. Team stand in a row
2. Engage peripheral vision of team mates
3. Walks forward in unison with energy and affirmation