12-Week, Pre-season Training Portfolio for High School Basketball Point Guards

An Honors Thesis (HONR 499)

by

Jessica Burger

Thesis Advisor
Tanya Skalon

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

March 2015

Expected Date of Graduation

May 2015
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Abstract
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High school basketball coaches are often times a teacher at that same school.
While there are many benefits to having a coach being employed as a school staff
member, many times these teachers do not have the proper education to train their
athletes at a high caliber level of performance. The coaches may not understand either
the physiological demands of a certain position on the court or the training needed for
specific physiologic adaptations in the athlete. Seeing as many high school athletes are
depending on a collegiate athletic scholarship in order to get the higher education they
need to be successful in their professional careers, basketball coaches must acquire
appropriate knowledge to train each player according to the needs demanded by the
position that athlete plays. A pre-season training program for basketball point guards
will equip coaches with a tool needed to jump-start their guards and increase the minds
and bodies of their players to not only orchestrate achievement in competition but also
to encourage success in life as well. Therefore, the following portfolio will outline a
twelve-week, pre-season training portfolio for high school basketball point guards.

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank "Professor" Tonya Skalon for all her support throughout my
college years, culminating with this final thesis. Her hard work and dedication given to
my college experience drove me to grow and excel as a professional beyond the
classroom and even beyond the borders of the United States.
I would also like to thank all of my friends who gave me a hard time for missing
social events in order to work on this project ... Love you guys :)

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12-Week, Pre-Season Training Portfolio for High School Basketball Point Guards
Jessica Burger

Subject Profile
The following training regimen was designed for a sixteen year old, female, high
school basketball guard. She is five foot six inches and weighs one hundred and fifty
pounds. The athlete has played basketball her entire life, so she is fundamentally sound
and highly skilled. She stays active in the off-season by running and lifting three days a
week but will not be in 'basketball shape' once the competitive season begins. The
guard has no medical restrictions, though frequently rolls her ankles while playing .
When training she prefers to mostly practice at game intensity but does wish to
breakdown more difficult skills before performing them at game pace. She spends a
considerable amount of time involved with other school organizations and homework
but wishes to improve her basketball performance for the upcoming season .

Physiological Needs Analysis

Basketball is an intermittent sport in which both the anaerobic and aerobic
metabolic systems seem to be engaged (Cuiti et aI., 1996). While competition may
require short sprints for a defensive player to catch up to her offensive counterpart,
there are also times when long periods of continuous running are necessary (e.g . full
court press). Player positions can further dictate the proportion of each metabolic
system contributed (Mackovic et al. 2012), so training goals should be developed in
regards to a specific position, in this case, a guard. Guards have been found to have the
highest V02max of all the positions (Abdelkrim et aI., 2007 ; Boone & Bourgois 2013),
spend 33% less time stationary than centers (Miller & Bartlett, 1994), and engage in
more mOderate-intensity level of activity throughout play than all others (Abdelkrim et
aI., 2007) . Thus, it appears guards should train for higher levels of aerobic fitness in
relation to the other positions. However, anaerobic training cannot be ignored. In
relation to the other positions, guards demonstrate higher reactivity, explosiveness, and
speed (Boone & Bourgois, 2013), all of which are actions of anaerobic nature. In some

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cases, guards have shown a greater vertical jump than other positions (Abdelkrim et ai,
2010; Ostojic et aI., 2006) .

Aims
Therefore, this training program was designed to improve those qualities
demanded specifically of basketball guards, whether aerobically or anaerobically based .
Furthermore, the specific aims of this program are to obtain increases in agility, speed,
jumping, strength, and endurance. To do so , the following training program has been
proposed, and should be completed weekly over the 12-weeks remaining in the off­
season .

Program Design
Periodization refers to manipulating specific training volumes and intensities to
elicit more strength gains and body improvements. Since the athlete will not be in peak
performance shape at the start of this program, the workload starts out with a moderate
frequency and intensity and gradually gets more strenuous by utilizing a periodized
program. Periodization has been shown to produce greater improvements in strength
and muscle gains than a nonperiodized program (Baker et al. 1994). The goal of a
periodized program is to apply the principal of overload (where the nervous and
muscular systems adapt to unfamiliar loads and stressors) by varying the intensity and
overload of a workout program . Overload will be applied to the variety of training
methods to elicit the desired physiological responses.
Table 1. 12-Week Training Program
Week Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1-4 Rest Intervals Shooting Circuits Rest Weights Plyometrics

5 Rest Intervals & Shooting Weights & Rest Intervals & Shooting
Circuits Plyometrics Circuits
6 Rest Weights & Shooting Intervals & Rest Weights & Shooting
Plyometrics Circuits Plyometrics
7 Rest Intervals & Shooting Weights & Rest Intervals & Shooting
Circuits Plyometrics Circuits

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8 Rest Weights & Shooting Intervals & Rest Weights & Shooting

Plyometrics Circuits Plyometrics

9 Rest Intervals & Shooting Weights & Rest Intervals & Shooting
Circuits Plyometrics Circuits

10 Rest Weights & Shooting Intervals & Rest Weights & Shooting
Plyometrics Circuits Plyometrics

11 Rest Intervals & Shooting Weights & Rest Intervals & Shooting
Circuits Plyometrics Circuits

12 Rest Weights & Shooting Intervals & Rest Weights & Shooting
Plyometrics Circuits Plyometrics

Skidmore et al. (2012) found that combining aerobic circuit training with interval
training produces an even greater improvement in aerobic capacity than either training
method used alone. Thus, the two are combined further in the program as the athlete
develops her motor skills within each type of exercise and her stress tolerance.
Likewise, weight training and plyometrics are combined further along in the training
program, as plyometrics has been found in a group of basketball players to be more
beneficial in improving motor performance skills when paired with resistance training
(Andrejic 2012).
'Shooting days' have been built in as active rest periods, as active rest periods
have been shown to more effectively recover the muscles (Mukaimoto et al. 2014) . This
strategy will also be implemented to minimize the risk of overtraining .

Aerobic Circuit Training

Jacobs et al. (2001) found that after 12-weeks of resistance circuit training, both
cardiorespiratory
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endurance and muscular strength increased in the subjects. However,
Waller et al. (2011) did not find traditional circuit weight training to significantly increase
aerobic fitness. It seems that if an aerobic aspect were added to the circuit, perhaps by
jogging from station to station, aerobic endurance would likely increase more than if a
weight training circuit was used. Indeed, Chittibabu & Akilan (2013) found aerobic circuit
training to increase the aerobic capacity of male basketball players by over three
percent in comparison to the one percent increases gained by males who underwent

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regular physical activity training . Taken together this research suggests that aerobic
circuit training would be more beneficial in improving the cardiovascular system and
increasing overall aerobic fitness. Circuit training also provides maximal benefits in a
limited amount of time (Skidmore 2012), which should appeal to the busy athlete for
whom this program was designed .

High Intensity Interval Training

Hawley et al. (1997) defines high intensity interval training (HilT) as repeated
bouts of high-intensity activity interspersed with recovery periods of low-intensity
exercise or rest. Interval exercise would thus mimic the continuous variation of exercise
intensities encountered during a basketball game, providing a more specific-to­
basketball method of fitness training.
HilT training has been shown to increase many aspects of exercise performance
for both the aerobic and anaerobic metabolic systems. Since basketball is an
intermittent sport in which both the anaerobic and aerobic metabolic systems are
engaged (Cuiti et aI., 1996), it would seem that increasing efficiency of both metabolic
systems would be beneficial. MacDougall et al. (1998) performed a 7 week study that
tested the effects of HilT training on participants who were previously active. The
participants participated in 4 weekly training sessions that grew progressively in
intensity as well as progressively decreased the rest periods between intervals. The
findings of this study indicated that the participants increased both their glycolytic and
oxidative capacities as indicated by increases in anaerobic peak power and V02max.
Enzyme involvement of both metabolic systems also significantly increased following
the HilT training, indicating the up-regulation of both metabolic systems. HilT training is
also a time efficient way to train (Gillen & Gibala 2014), which is beneficial as the
participant is busy with many other extracurricular activities and homework.

Plyometric Training
As defined by Voight and Draovitch (1991), plyometric exercises are quick
powerful contractions involving pre-stretching or countermovement of the muscle and
thereby activating the stretch shortening cycle of the muscle in order to excite the

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neurological system and get the greatest response from the neuromuscular system.
Because this type of muscle exercise creates greater muscle tension than traditional
resistance training (Asmussen & Bonde-Peterson, 1974), plyometrics are widely used to
increase vertical jumps (Verkhoshanski, 1973), an area of improvement desired by the
individual for whom this study is designed.
Plyometric exercise has been incorporated into many basketball off-season
training regimens (Adkins et aI., 2007). Furthermore, Voight and Draovitch (1991) say
that plyometrics provide a functional form of exercise that should be used just before
sport-specific training . Incorporating plyometrics into this individual training program will
follow both of these recommendations. The ind ividual will be partaking in plyometric
training during the remaining 12 weeks of the off season and develop the necessary
neurological and neuromuscular adaptations needed before starting more sport specific
training once the season commences .

Resistance Training
According to the National Basketball Conditioning Coaches Association (2007),
strength is a key characteristic identified in high-performing basketball players, and
strength can be increased through strength training. Indeed, strength training has been
identified as an important part of basketball training programs in order to improve motor
performance (Micheli & Purcell 2007) and decrease muscle injury (McKeag 2003).
Given that guards frequently utilize strength in contact situations such as using their
non-dribbling arm to hold off defenders who are trying to steal the ball or holding their
ground in a trap situation, a strength aspect should be incorporated into the training
program . Guards are also generally the shorter players on the court, and given that
strength training has also been found to Significantly improve vertical jump performance
(Marzilli, 2008), strength training could benefit rebounding as well.
Timing and duration of the training must be considered to prevent an adverse
effect on performance . Training for improved strength has been used frequently in the
pre-season (Price 2006), and Fleck and Kramer (1997) found that hypertrophy, rather
than neural adaptations, occurs only after 10 weeks of training . Such research

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correlates perfectly with the needs of the individual for which this program is designed
given that she has 12 weeks until the start of the competitive season.

Three Individual Training Sessions

Stretching
Many types of stretching are currently in literature today, so a brief overview of a
few stretching techniques will first be given. Dynamic stretching consists of controlled
swinging of body parts while gently increasing reach and speed of movement in order to
push the limits of a person's range of motion. This technique of stretching is not to be
confused with ballistic stretching , which uses momentum of the body to push a muscle
or other body part beyond its normal range of motion, increasing the risk of injury. A
third type of stretching is static stretching , which entails stretching a muscle as far as
possible and then holding that position for a set amount of time. Similar to static
stretching is passive stretching , but instead of the athlete holding the pose on his or her
own, an assistant is holding that body part and muscle in the stretch.
According to Hough et al. (2009), static stretching beforehand had a negative
effect on vertical jump performance whereas dynamic stretching prior to the movement
had a positive enhancement. McMillian et al. also found dynamic stretching during warm
up to positively augment performance on selected measure of power and agility. Taken
together, these studies strongly suggest that dynamic stretching before competition or
training - plus the exclusion of static stretching - can significantly improve athletic
performance. Therefore, before each exercise session, the athlete will perform dynamic
stretches (see Table 2) that will incorporate major muscles groups and movements that
are necessary for her during competitive play.
Table 2. Dynamic stretches during warm up
Exercise Description Major Muscle Group
Butt kicks Jog in place, bringing the heel of the foot to the Quadriceps
gluteus with every step .
Tin Men Start with arms straight out in front, palm down . Hamstrings
Keeping the legs straight, swing legs to touch toes

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 to the opposite hand, crunching the stomach .
Alternate legs.
High Knees Jog in place, bringing the knee up as close to the Gluteus
chest as possible every step.
Step and Take a step and land on the heel with the ankle Gastrocnemius
Reach dorsiflexed. Simultaneously, reach the opposite
hand down to touch the toes. Alternate with every
step.
Butterflies Lean slightly forward from the waist. Briskly cross Pectoral , Trapezius,
arms in front of chest and then extend them out Deltoids, Triceps,
behind the back. Biceps
Windmill Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Lean to one Abdominals,
Side Bends side, dropping that same hand towards the floor Latissimus Dorsi
and bringing the opposite hand over top of the
head. Lean the other way and reverse the hands.
Continue to alternate .

Training Session One - Circuits (week one)

The athlete should jog a quarter-mile and conclude her warm up with dynamic
stretching (reference Table 2). She should start the workout by performing the activity at
a station for 30 seconds (see Table 3). Utilizing how Chittibabu & Akilan (2013)
demonstrated that basketball specific endurance circuit training with a work to rest ratio
of 1:1 is effective in improving aerobic capacity and cardiovascular fitness, the athlete
should then take 30 seconds of active rest to lightly should jog a lap around half court
and move forward one station. As Takahashi et al. (2001) found that cooling down after
exercise enhances the recovery of the post exercise heart rate, the player should finish
her training session by cooling down with a four minute walk, starting at a brisk pace
and gradually slowing to a leisurely gate by the end of the four minutes.

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 Table 3. Circuit Training
Station Activity Description

1 Arched ball dribble lay face down on floor, lift chest off ground while dribbling
a basketball
2 Shuttle run shuffle side to side across the paint, touch the line with
opposite hand, quickly as possible
3 Juggling sit ups sit ups while fingertip juggling the basketball held above
the forehead
4 Power shots get own rebound and alternate sides, don't let the ball
touch the floor, jump high on every shot, quickly as
possible
5 Ball control (arms) use basketball to make figure eights through the legs,
circles around the back, waist, and ankles, quickly as
possible
6 Dribbling player dribbles in and out through circle of cones,
switches dribbling hand at every cone, quickly as possible

Progression will be achieved by increasing the duration of performance at each

station while still maintaining a 1: 1 work to rest ratio . This will develop greater muscular
and aerobic endurance while still allowing adequate rest periods to adequately recover
the fatigued muscles.

Training Session Two - HilT Training (week one)

The athlete should jog a quarter-mile and finish her warm up with dynamic
stretching (reference Table 2). With the understanding that Acevedo and Goldfarb
(1989) demonstrated how aerobic endurance significantly improves as exercise
intensity increases when done by performing intervals at a rate 90-95% of heart rate
max, the athlete should perform seven, 30-second intervals (see table 4) at 90-95% of
heart rate max. A rest period of 30-seconds between each interval should be allocated
to correspond with Chittibabu & Akilan's (2013) research that depicted how a work to
rest ratio of 1: 1 was effective in recovery and improving endurance . As Takahashi et al.

9
(2001) found that cooling down after exercise enhances the recovery of the post
exercise heart rate, the player should finish her training session by cooling down with a
four minute walk, starting at a brisk pace and gradually slowing to a leisurely gate by the
end of the four minutes.
Table 4. High Intensity Interval Training Exercises
Interval Exercises
1 Sprint 35 meters, 10 pushups, repeat
2 15 squats, 15 jumping jacks, repeat
3 Jump rope 15 times, 15 mountain climbers, repeat
4 15 burpees, 15 jumping jacks, repeat
5 15 box jumps, 10 pushups, repeat
6 Sprint 35 meters, 10 burpees, repeat
7 Jump rope 15 times, 15 mummy kicks, repeat

Progression will be achieved by increasing the duration of each interval bout

while maintaining the intensity and a 1: 1 work to rest ratio. This will improve muscular
and aerobic endurance while still allotting adequate rest periods to adequately recover
the fatigued muscles.

Training Session Three - Weight Training (week one)

The athlete should jog a quarter-mile and end her warm up with dynamic
stretching (reference Table 2) . Because the athlete has previous experience with lifting,
she should begin this program trying to hypertrophy, which the ACSM guidelines (2010)
suggest as 8-12 repetitions at a resistance (60-80% 1-RM) that fatigues the muscle
without bringing it to failure. Therefore she should perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions (at
70% 1-RM) for the major muscle groups (see Table 5) with 30 seconds of rest between
each set. Lifting load will be established once the 1-RM for the individual has been
determined . As Takahashi et al. (2001) found that cooling down after exercise enhances
the recovery of the post exercise heart rate, the player should finish her training session
by cooling down with a four minute walk, starting at a brisk pace and gradually slowing
to a leisurely gate by the end of the four minutes.

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 Table 5. Resistance training for specific muscle groups
Bice~s Bicep Curls Abdominals Weighted Crunches
Trice~s Skull Crushers Quadrice~s Leg Extensions
Deltoids Dumbbell Lateral Raise Hamstrings Leg Curls
Pectoral Butterfly Gastrocnemius Calf Raises
TraQezius Shoulder Shrugs Latissimus Dorsi Lat Pull Downs

Progression will be achieved by progressive overload (ACSM, 2010), which

means increasing the weight while maintaining the same number of repetitions as the
muscles get stronger. This will achieve gains in strength rather than just muscle
maintenance.

Conclusion
A fully justified twelve week portfolio based on underpinning scientific theory has
been described as a potential training program for a high school point guard . The
portfolio included an in-depth description of the individual and a complete sport analysis
evaluating the positional demands of point guards in basketball. Included was a
rationale for the overall program design and a description of the key features. Detailed
plans for three individual training sessions were also described, providing exercise
selection, exercise intensity, work to rest ratio, and suggested methods of progressing
the session in the future . All aspects of each session were supported through reference
to appropriate theoretical material.
During this 12-week training program , continual assessment in strength, speed,
and power should be utilized every three weeks to ensure the athlete is benefiting from
the proposed program. The aims of this program are to improve motor performances
that will lead to an increase in basketball performance . Therefore , improvement, rather
than maintenance, of agility, speed, jumping, strength, and endurance should be
developing .

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