Off-Court Development

Most youngsters who have held a basketball in their hands dream to be a star, they may
picture themselves making that buzzer beater or getting the crowd off their seats with a
spectacular dunk. But those sportsmen and women who do actually make it big quickly
realize that what happens off the court is a very important part of managing their
professional careers. This happens all the time.
FIBA’s efforts to increase player awareness of some of the key off-court issues have
resulted in the development of the Athletes Guide to Off-Court Development. This document
aims to provide professional athletes with a reliable and trustworthy source of basic
advice specifically tailored to the needs of sports professionals.
This guide takes four fundamental on-court parameters - team, skills, rules and game plan
– and applies them to off-court situations, for an easy to understand entry level guide
to managing a career in basketball.
One of the main ideas behind the this comparative approach is to illustrate that many of
the keys to success on the court can be easily applied off the court, contributing towards
a management of the athletes career that is just as important, but that can have a
tendency to be neglected.
Team
Every player is aware of the importance of working together with teammates, his coaches
and medical staff. If no player can make it alone on the court, the same applies off the
court.
Teamwork includes working with FIBA, agents, media and sponsors, which is essential if a
player is to maximise his professional and financial opportunities. Working alongside
other stakeholders can also help demonstrate the values of the sport in a positive way,
which is not only a moral responsibility, but also an beneficial career move for the
athlete.
Skills
Players spend large amounts of time working on improving their fundamentals, their
technique and their skills.
In the same way, improving and developing communication skills, presentation skills and
general professionalism is essential if a player is to make a positive impression on those
who can impact their careers in the short and long-term.
Rules
For professional basketball players, knowing how to play by the rules off-the-court is
just as important as knowing those that govern the game from jump-ball to buzzer.
Living with and adjusting to new cultures is more important than ever today, when careers
often involve moving from one country to another and travelling from continent to
continent.
Managing conflict off-the-court and avoiding unnecessary obstacles that distract players
from performing on-the-court are also part of the daily lives of players.
Game plan
To succeed as a team and an individual, having a pre-defined plan in place before taking
to the court is an essential dimension to basketball as with all sports. Similarly, having
the right plan in place for managing each step of their career, including life after
retirement, deserves a little thought and consideration. Players should set long-term
career goals and decide the necessary steps to achieve them (e.g. education, training,
etc.).
To set up the right game plan requires a large number of parameters to be taken into
account. An important of these include financial considerations, which can be hard to
understand and yet have very important consequences.