“Basic” Fundamentals?

My oldest daughter plays on a travel basketball team, and her team participated in a tournament over the weekend.  As a parent, coach, and mentor to many athletes and coaches… I love to witness the many dynamics of sport and fitness.  With that said, when I go to watch my daughter play I try to position myself in a place where I can appreciate the game, and observe the players, coaches and their interactions, etc. without the distraction of yelling parents.  I did just that at her tournament, and I observed some great athletic performances and coaching dynamics.

Basic Fundamentals…

During the regular basketball season, my daughter's basketball team played well.  At the recent tournament, they lost two games, each by larger margins than any game they played during the regular season.  As I reflected on my observations, it was clear as to why… basic fundamentals.  The teams that she lost to dribbled better, passed better, caught passes better, shot better and rebounded better.  Each of those things are the basic fundamental properties of basketball, and the best players master those basic fundamentals to the point that they become automatic… so there is no thought required.  The more I reflected, I could pinpoint the coaches who were invested in coaching basic fundamentals, and who were not.  The coach-to-athlete dynamics are so valuable and important at the youth level, that I believe passing over basic fundamentals is a detriment to the athletic development of any young player in any sport.

The same goes for us too… especially on the rubber mats, in the rig and on your barbell! 

When you learn to play an instrument, you start with the very basic fundamental properties of the instrument… like putting it together, along with learning and knowing how it works and why.

It's no different in the gym… or dare I say "CrossFit"?!?

So… when you want to master the snatch, butterfly pull-up, t2b, muscle-up or double under… where do you start?  Can you perform the basic fundamental movements in the gym?  Is your mastery of the basics "automatic"?  Have you mastered the fundamental pieces of your ultimate goals? 

These are great questions for each of us to consider when we are working towards our goals in the gym!

And what of fitness?  Competition?  Competitive fitness?  Can we compete without possession of the basic fundamentals of fitness?  Yes, of course we can, but we probably won't do very well without a strong aerobic base, sensibly trained systems that use lactic acid as fuel, and an explosive anaerobic capacity.

The basic fundamentals are essential for success in all aspects of life, work and play… and success is achieved by committing to learning, practicing, training and mastering the basics!!

We are all on a journey… and when we hit major roadblocks along the way, follow the signs that lead you back to the basic fundamentals… all it takes is a pit stop, and you will be back on your way to greatness!!