Blue Chip Elite’s player support system has had tremendous growth over the last several years. The BC Intense Development Program is dynamic so players will need to be flexible in dealing with potential movements between groups and schedule changes around the system as it adjusts for the player pool size and school gym availabilities.
Our development coaches do a tremendous amount of work evaluating and analyzing players in the current pool. If a player/parent disagrees with their placement, it is the player’s responsibility to ask the lead coach why they are placed in a current group and what they need to do to move to the next level. The criteria listed in this document outline general expectations from players to consistently demonstrate mastery. Evaluation coaches may also be asked to produce a report card on what weaknesses the player is demonstrating to help them learn what they need to work on to move to the next level.
BC IDP Fundamental Sessions Directors
Justin Kuralt/Terrance Gatling
BC IDP Advanced-Elite Directors
Christian Laettner/Terrance Gatling
Current Evaluator Contact Emails
gatling@bluechipelite.com
justin@bluechipelite.com
Player Pool Development Structure/Ladder & Basic Criteria
Blue Chip Ballers – Developmental Program K-6th (Kuralt)
Brand new players lacking basic basketball skills and knowledge and/or players who need significant work on their agility and conditioning.Have not mastered the basic skills and concepts outlined in Level 1 practice plan.
Blue Chip IDP – WHITE (Kurault/Gatling)
Typically 4-7th grade players who have intermediate skills or athleticism, but still need significant work on their fundamental ball handling, passing and ability to follow the Cardinal Rules, rules in advantage situations and how to play our basic defense, man to man and zone offense. Need to pass evaluation criteria by mastering Level 1 practice plan.
Blue Chip IDP – BLUE (Laettner/Gatling)
Same criteria as Red but generally 4-7th grade players
Blue Chip IDP – BLACK (Kuralt/Gatling)
Generally, 8-12th grade players who have deficiencies in being able to meet the evaluation criteria in Level 1 practice plan or lacking in physicality, skill or basketball IQ, to currently be in the Red group.
Blue Chip IDP – RED (Laettner/Gatling)
Generally, 8-12th grade players who have demonstrated intermediate to advanced skills and basketball IQ who generally adhere to our Cardinal rules, advantage situation rules, know our basic offenses/defenses and have demonstrated these in competitive games, but still need more reps, consistency and more work on strength/conditioning to start to move into an elite session. If there is not an Elite pool for a group, potential Elite players at this age will queue and when enough are accumulated they will move into a separate Elite player pool session.
Blue Chip IDP – Purple – Grade School – Middle School (Gatling)
Follow what we teach and execute successfully in upper-level competitive games. This is the primary pool drawn from for A division and AAU Travel D1 tournaments.
Blue Chip Elite – High School (Laettner/Gatling)
Follow what we teach and execute successfully in upper-level competitive games. This is the primary pool drawn from for A division and AAU Travel D1 tournaments.
Player BASIC Evaluation Report Card (Level 1 click to see content)
Communication & Information Standards
- Responds to RSVPs and communicate using Team App
- Studies Team App homework
- Has guardians who do not coach/distract players from the stands
- Has guardians who do not address coaches until at least 48 hours after a game has passed and only communicates with coach respectfully through Team App.
Game & Practice Standards
- Proper appearance (wears full uniform, properly configured and tucked in, to practices and games)
- No dribbling or shooting during breaks
- Acting with speed, sense and urgency during games or practice
- Run to positions
- Run to the sideline during timeouts
- Run to spots and end of lines during drills
- Make sharp and fundamental passes at all times during drills
- Clear the active area during drills
- Responding to coaching or officials respectfully, no talk-back
- Respond to coaching verbally so coaches know you are listening
- Ball at side during coaching or when not actively executing a drill, not fiddling with the ball
Basic character-building principals
- Do what’s right
- Do your best
- Treat everyone the way you want to be treated
Basic accountability principals
- On-time or early
- Keeps their word
- Respectful to others
- Leads by example
Follow Cardinal Rules
- Catch and face
- Catch the ball with 2 hands
- Pass the ball with 2 hands
- Reach for the ball with 2 hands
- Step to meet the ball/pass with 2 hands
- No one-handed passes off the dribble
- When the ball leaves your hands cut to the bucket (pursuing the face cut)
- Keep one eye on the player who threw you the ball
- Call/yell for the ball when you are wide open
- Do not waste your dribble or overdribble
Avoid Cardinal Sins
- Throwing a 1 handed pass off the dribble
- Dribbling loose balls instead of reaching and grabbing with 2 hands
- Reaching for loose balls or passes with 1 hand
- Catching and dribbling right away
- Wasted dribble/overdribbling
- Not being aggressive and waiting for balls to arrive
- Passing and standing
- Not keeping one eye on the player who threw you the ball
- Not yelling for the ball when you are open
- Not within 1 arm’s distance of your man when he has the ball and still has their dribble
- Not straddling a ball handler’s pivot foot and tracing the ball when they lose their dribble
- Not communicating on offense and especially on defense
- Not pursuing the face cut
- Ball watching
- Not sprinting to below the line of the ball on defense
- Not recognizing proper man-to-man defensive positioning (1-2-3 pass away)
Basketball skill/IQ evaluation points
- Ability to recognize proper spacing and position, athletic stance, proper 15-18 ft spacing @ 45-degree angles
- Ability to recognize and communicate picking and screening situations on offense and defense.
- Ability to execute fundamental passes at optimal 15-18 ft spacing
- Ability to dribble penetrate and recognize when to go off 1 foot, 2 feet make pass fakes or come to a controlled jump stop and pivot to make a good pass or shot decision
Mastering every element demonstrated in the videos below
Elite Level Criteria
We consider players as “Elite level” when they master all of the report card criteria above and additionally
Looks like an Elite basketball player at all times in their attitude and appearance on and off the court
Plays like an Elite player by
Communicating effectively on offense and especially defense
- Always being in athletic stances, especially when on defense
- Understanding and executing team offensive and defensive sets and objectives
- Ability to follow direction and demonstrates the ability to execute and make adjustments during game situations
- Playing like a creative basketball player, ability to recognize opportunities to make natural basketball offensive and defensive plays instinctually, not being a robot
- Looking like a threat when on offense by
- Ability to receive the ball, catch, face, pivot all with strength and under control
- Ability to change pace rapidly and know when to go fast or slow down and make a proper passing, dribbling or shooting decision
- Not getting excessive travels or player-control fouls
- On defense by
- Proper man-man and zone positioning and advanced techniques like jumping to the ball, stunting, when to help and recover
- Recognizing 1 arm away and on pivot foot situations
- 2 man trap triggers
- How and when to defensive slide as well as the ability to recognize
- Willingness and ability to take defensive charges
- Always hustling on defense
Displays a positive attitude, on and off the court
Values, strives for and maintains high academic standards
Displays exceptional technique, physicality, communication, and defensive aggressiveness when measured against their peers.
For players who reach the Elite Level in our program, we will use all of our influence to ensure our player gets fair opportunities to make their school teams, to excel and progress to whatever goals they want to achieve.
