This shift toward game-like training naturally led Jeff to discover research-backed training methods that aligned with his coaching instincts-methods that successful trainers like Tyler Leclerc have also used to scale their basketball training businesses from solo operations to multi-location facilities.
Discovering the constraints-led approach for basketball training
Jeff's journey into the constraints-led approach (CLA) and differential learning (DL) wasn't academic-it was practical. He was already searching for ways to simplify training and make it more game-relevant when he encountered these frameworks that basketball coaches worldwide are adopting.
"I ran into the CLA, I ran into DL shooting, I ran into all this evidence-based basketball," Jeff said. "It just kind of synced with me. Principles of play, all those things-I was looking for those things anyway to simplify."
For trainers unfamiliar with these approaches:
Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) in basketball focuses on the performance side of player development. Rather than teaching isolated skills through repetition, CLA creates practice environments that encourage players to solve problems and adapt. Jeff describes it as using constraints-rules, space limitations, defensive pressure-to guide learning without prescriptive instruction.
Differential Learning (DL) emphasizes variability, particularly in shooting. Instead of drilling one "perfect" form through thousands of identical reps, DL introduces variations that help players adapt to game situations. As Jeff puts it: "If you watch good shooters, they shoot it different ways every game. Steph Curry shoots 10 shots in a game-all 10 shots are going to look a little bit different."
Ecological Dynamics is the movement side of the same coin-the idea that skill emerges from the interaction between the athlete, the environment, and the specific task in front of them. In practice, it means making players more fluid and adaptable rather than locking them into one rigid pattern. Jeff applies all three frameworks to the same group: "Every day is kind of a blank canvas. I might have a college player, I might have a third grader. And it all applies."
Jeff's challenge was translating research into practical application. Without a background in motor learning or sports science, he sought out practitioners who could explain these concepts in accessible terms.
"I wanted to find people that could explain it in layman's terms that I could simplify even more," he said, "so I can give it to an eight-year-old, a ten-year-old, a fourteen-year-old, or a parent who has no background in CLA."
This focus on simplification and real-world application defines Jeff's coaching. Every session becomes an opportunity to experiment with constraints, test variability, and refine his understanding-exactly what modern basketball training approaches demand.
The business model: small groups, big impact
Schmidt Performance doesn't operate like most training businesses. Jeff runs exclusively small group sessions-no one-on-ones unless only a single client signs up for a time slot.
"I want it to feel and look like a game, so we want that context every single time they step into the gym with us," Jeff explained.
His groups typically include hired coaches who can defend, compete, and create decision-making opportunities for clients. This model serves multiple purposes:
