Learning Concepts

I got this concept in one of my classes and I thought it had some training value for those of you working
on learning basketball or any new skill.  There are three domains where learning can take place.  Understanding
that these three domains exist and working to spend time in each of them can have a positive impact on
your learning process.  The three domains are the cognitive, affective and psychomotor.

The cognitive domain is the mental processing domain.  This is where you're going to be analyzing and processing
the theory of the game.  Spending time learning basketball theory or the X's and O's is centered in the
cognitive domain.  Analyzing dribbling moves, shooting mechanics and passing techniques are also in this
domain.  This domain is important because it is where you get the "book knowledge" of the game.  It's
great to be able to be make a pass or shot, but if you have no clue why you are doing it, then your ability
to get better will have limits.

Our next domain is the affective domain.  This is the emotional domain.  When we spend time in this domain
we are learning about our feelings about learning.  We are examining motivations and feelings toward the
subject we are undertaking.  This is important because if we only spend time in the cognitive domain, we may
not nurture the motivation we need to keep the cognitive learning efficient.  Understanding psychology and applying
it to your oppenents would also be operating in this domain.

The last domain is the psycho-motor domain.  This is where the repetition comes into play.  The hours and hours
on the court tweaking shooting mechanics or dribbling the ball.  I think this domain is the most apparent as to it's
importance.  As great as visualization is, there is only so much "balling" you can do from the couch.

Each of these domains contribute to holistic process of learning.  Each of these areas brings their own benefits
to the overall learning picture.  If you were to spend all your time learning the theory of the game and practicing
moves, but neglect to examine motives and feelings about the game, your overall growth will no doubt suffer.
If you spend time visualizing and dribbling, but never work on cognitively processing the game: same results.

Now that you have this knowledge, put it to good use.  Understand that your brain is a complex machine that
needs to be fed information on all kinds of different levels.  Start charting out your practice time and figure
out what domains you spend most of your learning time in.  Start adding practice time into your other domains
to become a more rounded player.  Basketball theory, leadership training, psychology, plyometrics and constant
repetition are all areas that will help make you better than you were yesterday.  In the end, that's all we can do
in life: Be better than we were yesterday.  Take care and I wish you success with your game.