Skill Development That Matters! A Total Workout Plan to Take Players to the Next Level

with Phil Martelli,
2025 NABC Hillyard Golden Anniversary Award;
2025 Joe Lapchick Character Award;
University of Michigan Associate Head Coach from 2019 to 2024;
2025 NABC Hillyard Golden Anniversary Award;
2020-21 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game Award for Leadership;
St. Joseph's University Head Coach from 1995 through 2019;
2016, CollegeInsider.com Gene Bartow Award;
2004 NABC, Chevrolet, AP & Naismith National Coach of the Year;
2004 Henry Iba Award, 2004 Jim Phelan Award, 2004 Adolph Rupp Cup;
4x A-10 Coach of the Year;
2005 USA Basketball Under 21 World Championship Team Head Coach

In this on-court video, coaches can watch as one of the game’s legendary coaches goes through the process of building a skill development workout that touches on all phases of the game.  

From the outset, Coach Martelli urges coaches to focus on the quality of the workout rather than just the number of hours that a player spends in the gym.  

Martelli discusses the importance of a regular skill development program that addresses some of the key fundamentals of the game of basketball and shares his belief that teams can’t improve unless individual players improve. As such, Coach Martelli poses the question, ‘How can I design a skill development program that will help my players get better?’  

By stressing the importance of having a daily practice script that fits into a longer-term monthly plan and a yearly overview, Coach Martelli details how to keep a focus on continual improvement both in-season and out of season. He also cautions against designing a complicated plan that requires extensive training props and emphasizes formulating a program that players can adapt and utilize on their own.

Starting with the warm-up, players are encouraged to have a ball in their hands and progress rapidly from stationary ball handling work to working on the move and with a defender. 

Some of the facets of the game covered include:

• Ball handling fundamentals against pressure
• Mix drills that combine ball handling and finishing skills
• Designing a drill to encourage competition
• Multiple drills to help improve defensive footwork 

Following the mantra of ‘Every day teach, every day learn,’ Coach Martelli shows coaches how to build a complete skill development workout that can be done individually or in a group by anyone with access to a basketball court.  

Don’t miss the chance to learn from one of the game’s elite coaches and help get your team on the track to year-round improvement. Help your players get the real-world basketball training they need!

78 minutes. 2023.