What Is Game Intelligence?

Physical performance isn’t the only measurement of excellence. In fact, if you’re working with someone who is training for a team sport, it’s good to let them know that success isn’t just about a slam dunk. A first-time international survey of performance indicators used during recruitment by coaches of elite basketball players found that psychological attributes and “game intelligence” are the most important factors if an athlete wants to excel.

Game intelligence is widely understood as a player’s ability to, during gameplay, quickly assess situations, make decisions and innovate under pressure to find the best solutions. Both cognitive processes (like memory, reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making) and psychological processes (like motivation, optimism and resilience) are required.

“Coaches look for players who are competitive, have a strong work ethic, are excellent communicators, [are] good teammates and can ‘read’ the game,” said lead study author Michael Rogers, PhD candidate at University of South Australia in Adelaide. “Being super fit is a given. It is the other traits that make a difference to the scoreboard. Resilience, motivation and good communication on the court are crucial in separating the ‘best from the rest’ once players reach elite level, according to the coaches we surveyed.”

The study is published in Sports Medicine (2021; doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01584-w).

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