Jokic, summer open gyms, and brand-new product

Your Breakthrough Basketball Mailbag   Welcome to this week's mailbag edition! We've received some great questions and feedback from our community, and we're excited to address a few key topics–including best practices for open gyms this summer, Nikola Jokic’s approach to the game, and optimal basketball size.  Plus, we have an exciting announcement about a brand-new product we’re releasing on Thursday. More details to come this week, but make sure you keep your eyes on your inbox!  Today’s Mailbag  Earlier in the week, we talked about a unique tip for open gyms to make them more intense by playing shorter games to 3, 5, or 7 points. Plus, if you want to get even more creative, you could add a free throw as a finisher so you practice playing in clutch situations. This sparked a great conversation--here’s one reply that includes another valuable open gym tactic to create strong habits:  We play "3 ball" which is 3v3 full court to 3 points, 3 dribble limit (each time a player gets the ball), 15-second shot clock, and everyone must be inside 3 point line when the ball hits the rim (to prevent lazy play). Anyone who is not inside the 3-point line has to go out of bounds and do three pushups and then rejoins the game but while he is out, play goes on without him. The winner stays in and gets the ball after making their winning shot and switches to the other basket. The new team has to get on the floor quickly to prevent a fast break. Fouls = 1 point and the fouled team gets/keeps the ball. This is great for conditioning and keeps everyone involved since a game might only last a few seconds.  We also talked about playing with smaller basketballs and adjusting the rim height, and here’s a helpful reply we received that provides you with another way to think about this topic. We actually implemented this idea in the initial article we sent out–you can [view the update here]( and check out the reply below:  You’ve got a great platform and “voice” with which to be heard in the industry.  Add one more column after ball size for “rim height” as the two are definitely correlated to success, or simply said go together.  Also, ages can be difficult from a practical implementation, so I use grade levels as follows:  K – 4   size 5 ball, and 8’ rim height 5 – 6    size 6 ball, and 9’ rim height 7+      pro size 7, and 10’ height  I explain to parents the “reverse engineering” of it…, i.e., that there’s no reason young kids should be playing on pro size hoops with NBA balls.  The goal should be to be acclimated by high school, and so I target the “pre-HS” age, or grades 7th and 8th \; hence, the above. By 7th and 8th grade, they can be a pro/ college/ HS levels, but no real need or “rush” to be any time before. Fifth and sixth grade is great for using the size 6 ball combined with a 9-foot rim for fluidity and transition from most standard youth programs and high school. Open to thoughts. Again, you have the greatest reach, and so I hope you find this logic and approach useful.   In light of the NBA Finals, we sent an email that discussed Nikola Jokic’s unique approach and skill set that makes him such an unstoppable force, and we received the following great reply with additional context about his approach to the game:  Hey there, I love your columns so I diligently tried to research the quote below. The true source is actually more meaningful than the mythical hyperbole apparently circulating.  It's actually from a 2017 Sports Illustrated article...  Excerpt:  ....“Will he ever look like DeAndre Jordan? No,” Hess says. “Will he ever have a 40-inch vertical? No.” Can he still be the best playmaking center in the NBA? Of course. “I believe the only muscles you need in basketball,” Jokic says, “are the ones in your brain.” While the modern big man glides across the court—think Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Porzingis—the 21-year-old Jokic intentionally plods. “I like to slow those guys down,” he explains, “and get them at my pace.”  Whether he’s leading the fast break or trailing it, setting up in the high or low post, time stops when he holds the ball. He takes a mental snapshot of the floor. Then he imagines how the picture will change. “I know my teammates better than opponents know them,” Jokic says. “If I can see my teammate in one moment, I know where he’ll be in the next moment. I don’t need to see him again.”   Breakthrough Basketball Camp Update  Attendance for our 2023 Camps continues to break records, and we officially kicked off the summer sessions this past week with great success!  Over 75 camps have already sold out, and there are many more with only a few spots remaining. So if you’d like to include basketball on your agenda as you finalize your summer plans, then [click here to view the entire schedule]( and register before it’s too late.  Also, in case you’re wondering what past attendees, parents, and coaches have to say about the camp, check out a few of our more recent reviews below: “I enjoyed seeing my sons not only learn skills and moves on the court but also, in the classroom. I liked the fact they were provided a guide and required to bring it to camp. I agree with this approach. You must become a student of the game. That makes the difference between someone that just hoops and someone that becomes an actual basketball player. Given the student, a methodology to approach the game will develop my boys into a successful passionate basketball players.” —Sebastian V. “The clear instruction- each move builds into the next and it all comes together. The need to have each athlete lead- don’t wait for direction- make decisions promptly and quickly. Loved all the drills- including footwork, dribbling and shooting all together- not a single practice session in other capacities does this- sole focus is shooting. The rotation drill from basket to basket was really good.” —Kole R. “Coaches were very engaged with the players, focusing on proper technique and mechanics. They spent the necessary time to ensure each player was able to perform the drills correctly. Very well organized and professional, my daughter, Miranda enjoyed the camp very much, I would highly recommend it to friends or acquaintances with children playing basketball. Thanks, coach Rob!” —Miranda C.  Featured Programs of the Week As mentioned at the top of this Mailbag, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes over the last 6+ months putting together a brand-new product that will be the perfect addition to your summer training program. It’s a unique approach that has swept the basketball world by storm, and resulted in numerous championships at the state, regional, and national levels!  That’s all I’ll say for now, but we’ll be releasing more details on Wednesday before we officially launch on Thursday. So make sure to check your inbox throughout the week for exclusive details and a special discount! Closing Notes Thanks so much for reading this edition of the Breakthrough Basketball Mailbag! Stay tuned for upcoming editions, featuring more of your questions and comments. We value your input and look forward to helping you on your journey to success. If you have any thoughts on the type of content you’d like to see more of in upcoming mailings, please feel free to shoot us a reply and let us know! All the best, Joe Haefner Breakthrough Basketball             This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please [Change Your Email Preferences]( or [Unsubscribe All]( Copyright © Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. | 5001 1st Ave. SE, Ste 105 #254 | Cedar Rapids | IA | 52402 [email.gif]  .  It’s our mission to build a strong community centered around basketball, personal development and most importantly - fun! We love to create extraordinary and useful products and share them with you! 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