Situational and Spacial Awareness

Building technical and tactical skills and performance with players involves helping them develop situational and spatial awareness within a game context. The first step in coaching technical skill is to teach players to understand their position and how it relates to those around them. This is spatial awareness, and it depends on the ability to process what is happening on the court and how that environment will change.

One method of helping players develop spatial awareness involves teaching players how to Scan. Scanning helps players recognize player positioning, threats, and opportunities on the court. Having the ability to process visual information dictates the type of action a player chooses. This helps players learn how to manipulate the space available to them. This is something that can be developed and practiced early with players.