Teaching and developing basketball with the CABB Method

ARGENTINA - For a little over than a year, the Argentine Basketball Confederation (CABB) has been teaching basketball through a manual for the training coach known as El Método CABB (the CABB Method), a tool that seeks to draw transversal lines for basketball development. It is a starting point to spread knowledge and to try to leave learning processes intact.

Its objective is to become a tool to standardize the line of work, behavior and principles; starting in formative years and leading up to the national adult team. Since it was envisioned it was supported by the presence of CABB President Federico Susbielles, the coaches from the adult national teams, Sergio Hernández and Cristian Santander, as well as National Educational Director Silvio Santander. The CABB Method is in constant expansion and has gained popularity in many other countries.

Silvio Santander, coach and assistant in the Argentine national team, is also the creator of the Manual, and shares how the idea came up to create the Method: “For several years after we got together, we debated and exchanged opinions in a group of coaches and professors. We saw there was a market interested in the result, and that in fundamental categories they're preparing teams to win. We saw that they were ignoring, in some cases, teaching as a priority.”

"Eight workshops took place around the country. We wrote a manual for the training coach, and we created a YouTube channel called CABB Formativo that has surpassed 200,000 visits. We also created the Global Rules and this year we’re starting to certify clubs and associations," assured the coach, who also added that “there have been enormous results. El Manual has reached more than 50 countries, places you'd never dream of reaching. Several federations have consulted us to make their own, and the idea is to celebrate a National Education Congress during the winter holidays where we can update our contents.”

The book consists of 200 pages divided in 12 chapters, which encompass subjects that include the philosophy of minor categories (both men's and women's), physical and nutritional guides, and the perspectives of specialists, players, former players and coaches, technical and tactical backgrounds, and many other concepts.

"We could see that there was a lot of emphasis in result-seeking and we wanted to emphasize that competition should not be over-valued; instead, we should place special attention to the Method within the Manual, so that kids can play, and we can bring back the value of education, while also limiting the number of games (played). We try to make a philosophical shift and, little by little, we've had the best results," stated Santander.

The Manual also has Work Programs that vary according to the institution and its rank, as well as a chapter dedicated to the day-to-day, where national men’s team coach Manuel Álvarez and the stars of the Golden Generation share how they built their careers. The book concludes with a chapter dedicated to important basketball figures.

“This is just the beginning of a new idea - being able to unite diverse teachings. Then, we’ll regulate the competition and research. We’ll update this every year, since we're in constant communication with coaches and professors. We’ll celebrate conferences, debates and talks that will serve as feedback to improve over time," he added.

“This is a project that, without a doubt, will contribute to the growth of Argentine basketball,” stated CABB President Federico Susbielles.

Meanwhile, Hernández, coach of the senior men's team, shared: "Silvio is a perfectionist, he's keen to details, and he's the type of person that's always trying to learn something new. I'm proud of the job he's done. This is a country that relies too much on spontaneity. But the Method, without trying to be the only truth, will guide us.

"We must be proud of what CABB is working on with its collaborators. The Manual is worthy of admiration throughout the world. The idea is that everyone is able to access it, which has something to do with the common trait shared by all in Argentine basketball - generosity."

He also pointed out: “We must take our sport to the children and not wait for them to come to the sport. Sport is the most important tool that humanity has to educate, integrate and improve society."

"We always think that it’s something that has nothing to do with knowledge, but quite to the contrary, training coaches in Argentina are very capable. However, these 'shortcuts' to triumphs encouraged us to design a method that, among other things, tries to establish global rules for the whole country so that we can recover the value of teaching and establish rules for U13, U15 and U17 categories, which will allow us to improve the development (of the sport)," emphasized Santander in declarations to FIBA.

"Another important step that CABB has taken is to recover the Mini Basketball Department, thanks to professors Juan Lofrano and Pablo Genga. This way, we've started to use the Method since the initial stages, covering the introduction to the sport up to the junior years."

"El Método will take some time. The idea is not for everyone to play the same, it's more oriented toward having an institutional program in each club and that the child moves through each category with a game program that enriches (his experience). It also sets out to massify the sport. From a philosophical standpoint, it's about coming to an agreement to develop the youth without leaving behind competition or rules," Santander assured.

Like this, the Argentine Basketball Confederation continues to set its sights on developing the youth with the concepts that were the foundation of the senior national men’s team known as the Golden Generation - and today's El Alma (The Spirit) - in their road to reaching their goal - sharing their teachings through sport.

FIBA