Through my experiences as a volunteer basketball coach at the Special Olympics New Jersey Sports Complex and working in various camps and clinics, I have found life-changing practices through teaching basketball development. Many people assume that children with autism or other disabilities do not need to learn the necessary skills and concepts associated with basketball. However, I have found that it is essential to teach autistic children the same skills and concepts as children without disabilities, but in a modified way. As an aspiring college basketball coach, I focus on individual skill development, teamwork, and communication when I volunteer. These three aspects of basketball are some keys to success when coaching sports and it is important to teach them to children at a young age. As a volunteer, I was able to learn new and innovative ways to teach individual skill development, teamwork, and communication that will help children with autism develop their basketball skills and gain confidence and skills that will help them across the general spectrum of live a healthy life. .
Individual skill development is the foundation for becoming a better basketball player and players can improve by working on their weaknesses and expand their strengths through individual skill development. In working with autistic children, I have experienced, as with some able-bodied children, that players are more inclined to focus primarily on their strengths and less interested in identifying a weakness. Additionally, players are often reluctant to work on skills that might need further development. To overcome this developmental problem, I use a principle called “rapid transition” to help children improve in weaknesses or areas in which they are not as competent. The “quick transition” principle focuses on the child’s strength as she quickly transitions to a new task that needs further development and eventually returns to the player’s comfort zone. Getting a child with autism out of their comfort zone is a challenge and I am thrilled when it happens. I have had success implementing this principle and would suggest to anyone whose challenge is to motivate children with autism to work on their strengths and weaknesses in basketball to use the “rapid transition” principle. The development of individual skills is an important element and is a very necessary skill to facilitate the use of teamwork.
Teamwork is the backbone of basketball and all other team sports. While it is important for players to improve their individual skills, everyone must play as a team to achieve an overall goal. Teamwork is the most challenging aspect of teaching children with autism, but it can be done. The key here is to begin by introducing a basic concept of two individuals cooperating together to make a pass, score a basket, make a defensive stop, or any other concept of the sport. Once players are comfortable with achieving a common goal as two people, appropriately transition to a small group by adding another person to the equation. Once they are proficient in this area, continue adding other players until you reach the goal of five players on the team who contribute to the conception of the overall goal. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the head men’s basketball coach at Duke University, has a quote that says, “Two is better than one, only if two act like one.” This quote epitomizes teamwork and encourages players to understand the concept that working and cooperating as a team will get work done more effectively and efficiently, which is essential for children with autism to learn. While teamwork is essential, teamwork must be built on communications.
Communication in basketball is one of the things that can separate a good team from being a great team. Communication is the voice that leads a team to victory because it creates energy and provides structure and order. Children with autism can have different types of communication deficits. For example, I have trained children who communicated well with me using short, precise words and sentences, and others who did not express themselves verbally at all. When I communicate with children with autism, I have learned to keep my instructions direct, precise and also to be repetitive and demonstrate exactly what I want them to do. The act of demonstrating a specific skill or concept helps greatly in developing the players’ skills and they seem to enjoy being able to have a leader to emulate. Of the three keys to success when coaching basketball for children with autism, communication seems to be the most important in developing a great team and great players.
Bottom line, as an aspiring college basketball coach, I am constantly trying to teach and learn new and innovative ways to help players develop. Additionally, I am committed to helping athletes become socially conscious and strong citizens of society. Children with autism need the same love and care as children without disabilities and should be able to participate in physical activities if they choose. Basketball is a great way to introduce the concepts of improving individual skills, teamwork, and communication, and will help achieve an overall goal. The most interesting and fascinating element of training is the satisfaction of being able to train and help various players. As I help these players of different backgrounds and abilities, they ultimately help me become a better coach, teacher, mentor, and leader. I hope this article has introduced some key concepts in basketball coaching for children with autism that you can implement in your playbook.