The Mental Game: Cognitive Training, Creativity, and Game Intelligence in Basketball

World-class basketball players like Nikola Jokic and Caitlin Clark seem to effortlessly conjure not only unusual but also masterful technical and tactical plays on the court. Coaches of elite players know that to be able to play at such a top level requires fast thinking and sharp game intelligence. This book offers a theoretical framework in which anticipation, perception, attention, and memory processes play a big role in training. Diagnostic tools and useful examples for training cognitive abilities are provided to help the coach and player understand the science behind training mental speed. To round out training, the authors also include more than 50 game activities which can be incorporated into practice to train players' cognitive skills and improve their mental game.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Memmert is executive head of the Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics at the German Sports University Cologne. His main research areas are movement science, sport psychology, and sport informatics. He holds trainer licenses in soccer, snowboarding, and alpine skiing, and he is the author of books on modern sport training. In addition, he cooperates with national and international professional clubs, the German national team, and DAX companies. He organized the first international master's degree in Game Analysis. Prof. Dr. Stefan König is a professor at the Sports Center as well as director of the Research Center for Secondary Education at the Weingarten University of Education. His scientific work focuses on training science (effects of training processes in school, recreational, and health sports); school sports research (effects of physical education, school sports concepts, sports teacher research); sports game research (mediation concepts, tactics, leadership behavior); and research methodology (mixed methods research).