Winning the Margins - Part II
The pregame warmup. This idea stemmed from a tweet i wrote back in 2019 that picked up steam with a thread by @bbaperformance on a similar topic in football.
For context, here is the thread from @bbaperformance.
So, what can we learn that will help us create a better pre-game warmup, within the time constraints, that will actually help our players get better and maximize the time that we do have?
to standardize, let’s assume two different scenarios: one for high school, one for college. high school teams we will standardize to 20 minutes on the clock to warm up, college teams we’ll standardize to 30. many college teams spend an hour on the court ahead of the game, which can be counterproductive as stated in coach zweifel’s thread - by his measurements in football, something like 4000-6000 extra yards just in pregame alone!
high school warmup math: 20 minutes x 25 games = 500 minutes =
4.17 full practices
what are the highest yield things we do in practice? can we stack those on top of each other to maximize time on task and do enough movement preparation to where our players are mentally and physically prepared and fresh to play. there is a fine line between getting a sweat/being warm and overkill to exhaust.
Here is a sample pregame warmup that i used as a high school coach:
20:002 minutes BDT shoulder game – start close and move out2 minutes 2 on 1 Shooting2 minutes 3 on 2 shootingOTHER GROUP = dynamic warmup and stretching – see notecard14:00Switch8:004 on 3 shooting – entire team. Pass/Shoot 1:45, Drive & Live 1:45.4:30Baseline 3 on 3 – entire team – figure out your rotations1:00To the bench for breakdown and final instructions before anthem & tipoff0:00AnthemThis warmup included variations of what we did in practice every day, and the constraints/cues were largely the same - we even would change them based on the scout or based on what we did in practice leading up to the game. instead of rote shooting drills or on-air practice, we used those 20 minutes to get better at what we do and utilize the space (one basket) to its fullest. if the team did not have instructions before heading onto the court, and it was not clear from scout and practice what we were trying to do on game day - that is solely my fault and no one else’s - their warmup time need not suffer because i as the coach was unprepared.
college warmup math: 30 mins x 25 games = 750 minutes.
6.25 full practices.
six and a quarter full practices. most coaches wish they could six more practices to put in their sets or practice more 5 on 0. you’ve been given an absolute gift, as a coach, of mandated warmup times. why not use them in a manner that is going to augment your player development strategy? we as coaches must be masters at ‘stealing time’ and being able to use it for the optimal purpose of preparing players for competition (which should be happening every day in practice to mitigate that anxiety coach zweifel references in his thread) and taking every opportunity to help our players improve. before you read further: ask yourself and really raca this - does your team really need 60 minutes to warm up for a game when they might only get 15 minutes to warm up for practice? what are your priorities in athlete preparation both physical and mental?
That said, here is a sample pregame warmup for a 60 minute college warmup. Keep in mind, if you don’t practice this way, this really won’t make sense to do. It’s up to you to match your warmup to what matters in your practice. ultimately, we want to be great at what happens the most.
60:00-50:00
Any individualized work players want to do - playing 1 on 1, games of 21, anything they feel they need to do to get in a rhythm, understand their bodies and how they feel, or just be ready in general. 50:00-46:00Any variation of tag or reactive agility work. Check out this article here if you need suggestions.46:00-40:00Keep away with the entire team - each completed pass is 1 point. Play for a winner. Winner chooses next sets.40:00-31:00Winning Group: 3 minutes BDT shoulder game – start close and move out3 minutes 2 on 1 Shooting3 minutes 3 on 2 shootingLosing Group = dynamic stretch – see notecard31:00-22:00Switch22:00-20:00Team huddle and regroup - reminders - breathing - meditation - adjustment to tape/socks/uniform, etc.20:00-16:004 on 3 shooting - entire team (any variation, cues, etc)16:00-10:004 on 4 Spurs Cut Throat - play to 7, stops are worth 1. 10:00-6:0085 Half (Some call this Olympic Shooting) - 2 points for 3, 1 point for 2. Mission: score 85 in 4 minutes.6:00-1:00Team time - reminders, celebrations, traditions, etc. Team can go into LR, off the court - no coaches. Time also for getting re-taped, any sort of treatment, etc. 1:00-0:00Final instructions at the bench.0:00AnthemIf you take the 30 minute approach, adjust what is above and do anything in the locker room ahead of time. even with the 60 minute approach, to warmup, leave the court to go to the locker room and cool down, and then go back and do another 20-25 minute warmup does not help athletes perform at their best. in fact, in reading coach zweifel’s (@bbaperformance) thread, it works counter to what athletes’ bodies and brains need.
when we pursue the science behind the warmup and give players choice and freedom in how they want to prepare themselves, i think we will not only win the margins of time in our season, but ultimately have a more fulfilling experience all the way around. the warmup, for too long, has been seen as part of coach speak. “i want to see how that kid warms up!”
if the kid is warming up in layup lines, that have no real context to the game or any sort of bearing on how they operate as a player, we are hitting the bullseye of the wrong target. warmups should be messy. they should be full of learning, just like our practices would be. what better way to get ready to play than to experience the patterns of exactly what it is we are seeking in our pre-game warmup? one could even go as far as to count the average number of “game passes,” and, “game shots,” and, “game speed,” reps their players would get in doing it this way - and i hope you do - to push the thinking further about what is possible even in the established pre-game warmup.
