EP154: Transforming Clinic on the Inner Game of Basketball with Felix Engel

About this episode

George and Felix Engel discuss the inner game of basketball and its impact on player development.

In this episode, George is joined by Felix Engel to explore the inner game of basketball and how awareness, mindset, and learning environments shape player development. Felix shares insights from his experience coaching youth players and working with coaches around the world, explaining why the best coaches focus less on control and more on helping players discover solutions themselves. Chapters: 01:00 – Introduction to Felix and his coaching background 02:00 – What the "inner game" of basketball means for coaches and players 04:00 – Why awareness is a key driver of player development 06:00 – Moving from instruction-based coaching to discovery-based learning 08:00 – Helping players solve problems instead of giving them answers 10:00 – Building trust and autonomy in young athletes 12:00 – The coach's role in shaping effective learning environments 14:00 – Balancing structure with player freedom in practice 16:00 – Encouraging decision-making through game-like situations 18:00 – Differences between coaching youth and more experienced players 20:00 – Practical ways to apply inner-game principles in everyday practice 22:00 – Creating practices that encourage curiosity and…

People in this episode

Host: George

Guest: Felix Engel

Topics covered

• inner game of basketball
• player development
• coaching methods
• awareness
• mindset
• learning environments

Keywords

• inner game
• coaching
• player autonomy
• discovery-based learning
• youth basketball
• mindset
• awareness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Transforming Basketball

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