Basketball: How to enhance skills at grassroots – Coach

Lateef Erinfolami, the Head Coach of First Deepwater Basketball Club of Lagos, on Saturday said that teaching basic skills and the fundamentals of the game were essential to developing youths at the grassroots.

Erinfolami gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on the sidelines of a four-day training programme tagged “Skills and Drills” of Basketball.

NAN reports that the exercise was coordinated by Erinfolami.

He said no fewer than 100 participants within ages eight and 18 took part in the camp, which took place from August 31 to September 3 at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Lagos.

Erinfolami said the programme was meant to teach participants the essentials of understanding the application of skills in the sport.

Erinfolami sated: “There are many basketball camps and training centers nationwide, but one thing I have noticed is the way most coaches teach the youths on skills and drills of the game.

“One fundamental thing that should be emphasized is that the young players must understand ball- handling, passing, bouncing and how they coordinate their feet.

“They must also understand that the game is about strength and skills, which they can learn from imitating some top professional players.

“It is important a coach imparts this knowledge to them at the grassroots.

“This is because as they grow in the game, they can always show their creativity and become outstanding in the game.”

Erinfolami urged the Nigeria Basketball Federation to coordinate the various basketball camps to ensure uniformity in what the youths were being taught.

He also commented: “The NBBF has to come to watch when coaches are training these youths at grassroots programmes.

“If we want to record tremendous success, it is at the grassroots, so that they can know how to apply their skills in a familiar pattern.”

Erinfolami said these were the reasons behind the dominance of the sport by countries like the US, Spain, Argentina and Australia at major international competitions.