Unit Title

Our unit title is ‘Connecting and Reconnecting’. My understanding of this unit title is that sports can connect people
from various different backgrounds, ethnicities, races and cultures. Sports can help you form new relationships and
connections. This Sports can help people come together and achieve many things. For example, in a basketball team, if
you don't connect with your teammates, you won't be able to achieve success. No matter how different everyone is from
you, you have to connect in order to achieve something, especially in team sports such as football or basketball. Sports
fans come together from different places and backgrounds to cheer on their favourite teams. Even though the fans have
different races or nationalities, they all connect when it comes to supporting their favourite team. Another example in
basketball is that if there is an American Lakers fan and a British Lakers fan, they might connect because of the similar
interest they share in this specific basketball team. If people don’t connect with each other, it can be mentally damaging.
We need socialization and need to connect with other human beings. Not connecting/socializing can lead to depression
and anxiety. Connecting with people can help us expand our knowledge regarding many aspects of our physical, mental
and emotional health, depending on who it is that you’re connecting with.
Global Context
Our global context for this unit is ‘Globalization and Sustainability’ (Diversity and interconnection). Personally, I think
this global context conveys that we can connect with people using the resources we already have. For example, the
resources we have is one basketball and there are two people who share an interest in the game of basketball. If they
play a match or do some practicing together, there is a high chance that they’ll connect no matter their background,
religion, nationality, race etc. As for the unit title, I think the global context has a very clear connection to it. We can
globally connect with so many different people just through sports. People with different beliefs, nationalities, religions,
races etc. connect to play or watch sports. Through social media, sports fans connect a lot, due to their similar interests in
a sport or a sports team. Due to globalization, the diversity of basketball players, coaches and fans has increased.
Globalization has also brought in many new resources which can be used in sports.
Key Concept
Our key concept for this unit is ‘Relationships’. To connect with someone means to form a relationship with someone.
For example, if two people share an interest in football, and they talk about it, they will connect and form a relationship.
That relationship could be acquaintances, friends etc. If you don’t have a connection with someone, you can’t form a
relationship with them. Relationships/connections can be formed globally if you’re very passionate about something.
These relationships might be formed through social media or through sitting in the bleachers with someone who has an
interest in the same sport as you. For example, if two people are sitting next to each other watching a live football match,
they are likely to bond and form a relationship/connection.
Related Concept
Our related concept for this unit is ‘Perspective’. I think this means that while making connections, you have to keep in
mind that everyone has their own perspective when it comes to sports, and you should be open-minded about that. Some
people might share the same perspective as you regarding one thing and have a different perspective regarding another.
You should be a good sport about everyone’s opinion and learn to respect it. To make connections/relationships, you
have to learn to tolerate everyone’s opinion. Connections can only be formed globally if you either regard someone’s
different perspective or you agree with their perspective. Finding out about other people’s perspectives might also help us
think in a broader mindset. If you don’t respect someone’s opinion, it might lead to conflict and form a relationship, but not
necessarily a good one.
Statement of Inquiry
Our statement of inquiry for this unit is ‘New perspectives can enhance our health and wellbeing’. I think this means
that when we find out about someone’s perspective, that new point of view might help us improve our health and our
wellbeing. The new-found knowledge can prove useful. For example, you’re having leg pain and someone shares their
perspective with you on how they think you can make it better. If you choose to try out that person’s perspective, and it
works, then it’s additional knowledge and better physical health for you. I’m going to use this same example to sum up all
of the above and say, if you make connections/relationships with different people (different gender, race, religion, etc.),
you need to learn to respect their opinions. Those opinions might also be useful to you as additional knowledge or be
used to improve your health and wellbeing.
Factual
What factors cause a change in perspective? Making connections with other people and finding out about their
perspectives may help us in rethinking our own opinion about something. Seeing something through the point of view of
another person can further educate us and help us fall into a deeper thought about our own perspective. For example,
your perspective on the famous basketball player, LeBron James, is that he is overrated. Your friend, who has a very high
opinion of LeBron, tells you about all the games he’s won and why he is not overrated. The new knowledge given to you
by your friend might change your perspective about him.
What perspectives do coaches bring to the success of an athlete? Perspectives from coaches can also be
considered as feedback. For example, your coach shares their perspective about how you could improve your
performance in a sport. If you acknowledge their perspective, it can bring you success. In this scenario, the coach’s
perspective is feedback.
What resources has globalization brought to coaching? Globalization has brought a variety of coaching methods,
access to online learning, better technology and access to research. Things like mobile coaching apps and devices that
analyse the player's performance is part of the technology that has made coaching much easier. Using the internet/web to
help with coaching is also very efficient.
Conceptual
In what ways does a different perspective promote improvement? Having many different perspectives can help us in
thinking of a variety of solutions during problem-solving. Having several diverse perspectives gives us opportunities for
deeper thinking and additional information. All these will improve our overall performance.
In what ways has globalization changed the way that we coach? Without globalization, there would be no advanced
technology. Without advanced technology, coaching would be done through videotapes, written notes and knowledge
from the community. Coaches used to find out knowledge about coaching from their community and then implemented it.
Debatable
Has globalization enhanced or hindered the sustainability of sport? Personally, I think it has enhanced the
sustainability of sports in general. The videos we make can be saved forever in Google Drive, and it’s much more
sustainable than videotapes. The advanced technology makes it easier for both the coach and the client. A significant
example is a digital stopwatch, which is more exact than the analogue stopwatch and is easier to use.
Client sports link with the unit title
My client chose basketball as her sport. Basketball links with our unit title in a variety of ways. Firstly, I would like to state
that basketball is a team sport. You cannot play if you don’t connect with your coaches and teammates. Basketball can
also help with our mental wellbeing. It can help us with self-confidence, relieving stress and allows us to reconnect with
ourselves. The mere act of passing a ball in basketball requires a connection between you and the teammate you’re
passing the ball to. Practice sessions are a good opportunity for you to connect with your teammates. The stronger the
connection, the higher the chance of success. The teams we watch are different people with different backgrounds, yet
they still find a way to connect despite their differences.

Client Interview
My client is 14 years old. Her height is 5 feet 3 inches and her weight is 46kg. Her BMI is 18. The average BMI is
18.5–24.9, hence she is underweight. She is right-handed. The sport she wants to learn is basketball. In basketball, she
wants to improve shooting from farther distances. This includes quarter shots and free throws. She wants to improve in
this specific area because she thinks it’ll make her a better player and will improve her arm strength. Her desire to
become better in basketball and acquire more strength is her motivation. During the interview, the client told me she has
been playing basketball for quite some time, yet she always lacked in this area, so now she wants to improve. She has 3
years of experience in basketball, used to be a full-time player and was in the MYP school team. She stopped playing
after 8th grade. My client thinks her level on the sports development pyramid (when it comes to basketball) is
‘participation’.
Factual
My client’s factual knowledge about basketball is quite impressive. She knows about the types of shots, types of dribble,
types of passes, knows where to do a free throw from, knows why a player is given a free throw, knows about the rules
(5-second rule, 3-second rule etc.) and the types of fouls (travel, double dribble etc.). Although, she doesn’t know how to
do a quarter shot or where to do it from. And when I asked her what kind of foul it is if you kick a basketball, she didn't
know the answer.
Conceptual
My client thinks that hand-eye coordination is an extremely important skill to have in basketball. She says this because
she thinks that hand-eye coordination helps in shooting, which is a main part of basketball. Next, she expressed that she
personally thinks that speed is a crucial skill to have in basketball. She said that she thinks that speed is important
because it can confuse the opponent and definitely be something that will affect her team positively.
Procedural
My client can do a fast break with a layup, she can drive the ball, control the ball during a match, dribble, do the main
shots and is able to play a basketball match without external guidance. She can perform all passes (chest pass, bounce
pass, etc.) with strength and speed. She cannot achieve a successful quarter shot and free throw.

Routine & Analysis

My client’s routine includes: Wakes up at 5:30, Goes to school from 8am–3pm, arrives home, rests until 5pm, does any
assignments or homework, has an Islamiyat tuition from 7pm-8pm, eats dinner between 6–8pm, engages in entertaining
activities and goes to sleep by 11pm. Personally, I think her routine is quite healthy for her age. This routine will also have
a very positive effect on her mentality. Her most frequently eaten nutrients are carbohydrates and dairy, which is not that
healthy. She should eat a bit of every nutrient every day. She avoids caffeine (coffee), which will have a good impact on
her physical and mental health. My client drinks 2–3 cups of water in a day. Her water intake could certainly be improved.
I think if she improves her diet, it will automatically make her BMI better and help greatly in her performance. Though, I
can't help but noticed the lack of physical activity on her routine.
Benchmark & Benchmark Analysis
I conducted a basketball benchmark for my client. First, I tested her on the basics of basketball. I made her do crossover
dribbling, dribbling with right hand, dribbling with left hand and zigzag dribbling. Her left-handed dribble is a bit weak since
she is right-handed, but the rest are fine. One thing I noticed is that my client looks down while dribbling. The client has
good control over the ball and can run while dribbling. For the crossover, right-handed and left-handed dribble, I made my
client dribble the full (vertical) length of the basketball court. For the zigzag dribble, I placed cones in a zigzag pattern and
told my client to dribble along the cones. Next, I tested her on her shooting skills. I made her shoot from various distances
and areas. She did ten boat shots, all of which she got in. Then she did two layups where she started from half court, and
she got one in. Once this was done, she did three normal layups and all three went through the hoop. After this, I made
her do nine quarter shots from the 45 angle. She got none in and only one touched the hoop. Then I made her do three
quarter shots from a 90 degree angle (baseline forward position). She got none in. I then made her do three free throws.
Not a single shot went in and in all three shots, she cut the line. Finally, I made her do a two on two match to see how well
her skills are under pressure. I observed her passing skills (giving and receiving). Her giving passes is strong, but her
receiving passes are not so much. I also observed how well she can shoot while someone is defending her. What I have
analysed from this is that my client can shoot when she is near to the ring, but she cannot shoot when she is far from the
ring. This means she doesn’t have such good power (specifically arm strength) and this needs to be improved. This
again circles back to her underweight BMI and not so healthy diet. I think that if she improves her diet and starts doing
more physical activity in her daily routine, she will surely improve. I also believe that improving my client’s mentality could
help her in her performance. She doubts herself a lot and is very discouraged.
Dribbling Strengths
She has a strong and fast dribble. Through all three types of dribbles (right-handed, left-handed and crossover), her
dribbling remains fast and powerful. This can help keep control over the ball during a match, especially in situations
where there is a crowd of players. And a quicker dribble sometimes confuses the opposing team and can cause fouls to
be done by opponents.
Dribbling Weaknesses
She looks down at the ball whilst dribbling. She should be looking straight ahead, not at the ball. Looking straight ahead
while dribbling can make the player aware of what’s happening on the court. The player can see who to pass it to or
where to shoot from. Seeing where the opposing team’s players are standing helps a lot. I can make my client do simple
dribbling drills in which I stand in front of her and show her numbers while she dribbles on the spot. She will have to tell
me what number I'm showing her, and automatically she’ll be looking up while dribbling.
Shooting Strengths
My client performs a flawless layup shot. She has good hand-eye coordination. Even during boat shots, she didn't miss a
single shot. During a layup shot, my client uses the board, which ensures success every time. Her using the board while
shooting is great because the board gives the ball support and increases the chances of success. In a basketball match,
when there is a side ball, there is always an opportunity to do a layup. Being skilled in layup and along with that having a
strong and fast dribble, my client can do a fast break and then a layup. Being good at boat shots helps too, especially
when you play the position of a centre. Overall, being skilled in dribbling, and these two shots will help a lot in future
basketball matches.
Shooting Weaknesses
I have come to the conclusion that my client cannot shoot from far distances. I made her do a free throw and a quarter
shot from different angles. Both shots didn't so much as touch the hoop. I think this is what needs to be improved
immediately because shooting from far distances is crucial in basketball matches. If the red area (3 second area) is
crowded, then the player can shoot from the blue area instead.
Passing Strengths
My client always throws a straight and direct pass. This can help immensely in basketball matches. It can ensure that the
pass is received by someone from the client’s own team and not the opposing team. She also gives passes smartly and
logically. Her hold on the ball while throwing a chest pass is fine, too.
Passing Weaknesses
My client does not receive passes very well. When the player doing defense on her is defending her nicely, she gets
confused and doesn't know how to dodge the defense. It is very important to know how to dodge defense, especially in a
basketball match. Dodging the opposing team’s players to receive a pass is extremely helpful during a match and can
lead to a win.
Skill Goal
The skill goal I chose for my client is Power. I chose this because it links with the main goal, which is to shoot from far
distances. My client needs more power in her body in order to acquire the ability to successfully shoot from far distances
(such as free throws, quarter shots etc.). I can improve her power by making her do strength training which is appropriate
for her age and by helping her set goals (SMART). Setting a goal might mentally motivate her to achieve it.
Health Goal
The health goal I chose is Strength. This clearly links to the whole benchmark, as she needs a lot of strength (especially
arm strength) to successfully shoot from a far distance. As I said in the benchmark, I made her shoot from different
distances. When she was closer to the ring (boat shot and layup), the ball always touched the hoop or went in. Although,
when she was farther away from the hoop (quarter shot and free throw), then her ball wouldn’t even touch the hoop, let
alone go in. To improve this, I could make her do strength related exercises or ask her to bend her knees more. I also
think if she held the ball closer to her chest, it would put more force in the ball.