Introduction to The Activity

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Before any further tension and deadlines from the courses arise, I initiated a target to get involved in basketball activities on a weekly basis - some weeks more frequently than others, in order to ensure a minimum and adequate level of body movement in order to ensure a healthy work-life balance and a fairly satisfactory access to stress relief opportunities through outdoor exercises.

Focus

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Addressed Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.
2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.
6. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

CAS Hours

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CAS Stages

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Investigation

• Continuously research tutorials on new techniques focused on ball handling, shooting, and teamwork strategies - either videos or articles.

Preparation

• Schedule appropriate free time slots for basketball activities.
• Prepare the necessary equipment before each session - e.g. sources of hydration and basketballs.
• Assemble acquaintances and friends for collaborative practice activities.
• Warm up upon arrival.

Action

Attempt each of the following activities at least twice:

• 1 on 1 games
• Fixing the shooting form - dedicated free throw practices and "from under the hoop to the three-point line".
• Increasing hang time - practicing finishing through mid-air underhand layups.
• 2+ on 2+ games to enhance coordination skills
• Three-point shooting - around the three-point line
• Floater and runner practice
• Ball handling practice - skill reinforcement: between the legs, behind the back, crossovers, etc.
• Footwork - pivoting and beating the defender under the basket

Evidence

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19/11/2023

Activities attempted:

• 1 on 1 games
• Fixing the shooting form - dedicated free throw practices and "from under the hoop to the three-point line"

26/11/2023

Record

15/12/2023

Captured video

See this folder for a complete list of activity records.

Reflections

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25/01/2024

Previously been in contact with my friend, who attends professional training at a basketball club, we arranged a session where he talked me through some of the things he learned and we initiated a practical session together.

The opportunity to collaborate and learn aspects of practical skills that I couldn't easily acquire from online tutorials and by watching games was precious, and together we made some great improvements both in terms of theoretical knowledge and putting it into the real world.

As usually, together we picked up all of the visible trash and empty water bottles and recycled them to make sure that the areas stays as clean as possible for the next player.

15/12/2023

Today the focus was practicing acrobatic finishes; with previous practice of the easier exercise performed directly under the hoop, I increased the difficulty level, where I jumped from the left side and released mid-air on the right side.

This turned out to be a large step: The requirement of a certain level of core strength to maintain the posture when levitating above the ground posed a challenge to me, and as a result, I am considering looking into more targeted and specific ways of enhancing this particular area.

The other aspect I became aware of through the recordings is the insufficient vertical jumps that limited my hang time, which I will continuously develop into a higher standard to reach the goal of accomplishing acrobatic finishes and effectively challenging the defender in real-game scenarios.

As previously, I removed and discarded all the empty plastic bottles in the dedicated recycling cans.

26/11/2023

Using the experience and lessons learned from the video recording taken last time, I tried to slightly and gradually alter my shooting form by balancing the exertion of force on both sides of the body, in order to enhance muscle coordination.

Moreover, I dedicted a reasonable amount of time in practicing midair fiinishes - starting from under the basket as I would require incremental steps for improving hangtime and core strength.

As usual, I followed the strict guidelines of keeping the court clean by discarding empty bottles and not leaving any trash behind.

As a short-term objective for the next time playing, more time will be planned for exercises that aid in fixing my shooting form, e.g. free throw practice.

19/11/2023

The benefit of filming my own plays and shooting form provided a surprisingly effective approach for me to discover the errors and a lack of variety in gameplay strategies. I have now established a target to solely focus on improving the shooting form next time, as it builds a crucial basis in future playing of basketball.

Ethics were also taken into account: playing against a younger player required less physical contact to avoid injuries - instead of using my physical advantage, I adopted midrange shooting for most of the games.