Getting to the Top of the Mountain!

It is important for basketball players to do more than score. If a player wants to play at a higher level, then he/she will need to learn and dominate the non-glorious skills of basketball. Yes, it is important to be able to score. It is also important to be able to rebound, and defend, set screens. Being able to perform these skills at a high level will give players the opportunity to receive meaningful playing time. Learning and Dominating these 8 Skills can make a difference: Ball Handling Under Pressure, Rebounding from Your Position, Defending Without Fouling, Setting Screens, Talking on the Court, Building Relationships with Teammates, Mental Toughness/Decision Making, and Conditioning.

In this episode we continue to focus on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. Specifically, the 2nd habit, Begin With The End In Mind. To begin with the end in mind means you start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are in the right direction. This episode asks the athlete to create an image, a blueprint, a plan of what he/she wants their basketball journey to be and create the actions steps to make it happen. It challenges the athlete to take charge of their journey by taking personal responsibility to make their vision come to fruition. Vision. Requirements. Current Status, Action Steps. The episode encourages the athlete to change course if the action steps being taking are not achieving the athlete's vision or the desires of the athlete changes. 

An athlete who is Proactive takes responsibility for their basketball journey! They are driven by what they value. They find a way to get better in spite of their circumstances and conditions. In this episode the youth athlete will learn how to be Proactive and to take control of their basketball journey. 

For those of us that love the game of basketball we know the Grind never stops, not if we want to get to the top of the mountain. Let's be real, we all want to get to the top, to be our very best. The question is are we willing to do what it takes to get there? Today's episode covers 4 keys to get to the top of the mountain: Motivation; Visualization; Physical Conditioning; and Confidence. 

Great Defense can lead to Great Offence. Stopping the Basketball, Deflections, Steals, and Charges are attributes of a great defense! Defense is a critical basketball skill that athletes need to adapt and embrace. This episode covers 3 Basic Defensive Skills: On The Ball Defense. Up The Line Defense. Help Defense. Mastering these defensive skills can lead to more playing time and being on the floor in crucial moments of a basketball game. Players who embrace being a scorer and defender will likely earn the trust of their coach.

This episode focuses on 13 common Game Situations and Strategies for mastering those situations. These Mental and Physical situations can be mastered through simulation in practice. and game experience. Understandably not all coaches cover game situations in their practice. However; the athlete can work on these situations outside of practice with teammates. This will benefit the athlete in developing the critical Mental and Physical skills he/she will need to have an opportunity to compete at a higher level.

Basketball is a fast paced game. In a matter of seconds you can go from offense to defense right back to offense. Because it is fast paced, sometimes, there is no time to think about or dwell on good plays or bad plays. There is only time to stay in the present moment of what is happening on the basketball court.  The game does not stop to allow players to have moments of disappointment. To that end players can not stop playing the game every time something does not go his or her way. Coaches want players who are going to play offense and defense every single time. Coaches and teammates want a Two Way Player. A Two-Way Player is a common phrase in basketball. A two-way player is proficient at both the offensive side of the game and the defensive side of the game. This is the behavior a basketball player wants to model to increase his or her chances of getting playing time. How can a player accomplish this skill? In my experience Focus and Understanding what the team is trying to achieve, as well as not stopping until the final whistle is blown will help a player become a two-way player. Focus and understanding are two mental skills a player can control. It comes down to choice. A player can make the choice that no matter what happens on a play they are going to play offense and defense and keep moving until the whistles blows!

It is completely natural to be nervous, to get butterflies when an athlete is getting ready to compete against an opponent. Coaches get butterflies too! In this normal situation take deep breaths, visualize success, keep a positive mindset, and use a word or phrase that helps maintain confidence. Once the competition begins and the athlete is in the flow of the competition the nervousness should go away. There is another aspect of Performance Nervousness in which the athlete is not able to execute basketball skills at a high level in competitive situations. The athlete is able to achieve success in practice but not in competitive situations. In this situation the athlete can seek to understand what makes him/her successful in practice and how to duplicate that success against an opponent. Reflecting and caring about the outcomes in practice and choosing to see how those outcomes can impact competitive situations can be an avenue to help the athlete achieve success against an opponent.

Confidence comes from doing! Confidence is a critical mental skill needed to achieve not only in basketball but also in life. Having confidence does not mean you will not make mistakes or fail. It means that you have belief in yourself to try, too not give up.  This episode covers four strategies to help the athlete maintain confidence. Strategy number 1: Do Not Talk Yourself Out of Success. Strategy number 2: Do Not Be Afraid to Fail. Strategy number 3: Concentrate and Focus on the Skill. Strategy number 4: Spend Time With Positive People.

Being Coachable is an Attitude! To be coachable means an athlete is willing to follow the guidance of the coach and to learn a new way of doing things. To be coachable means to be open to instruction. To be coachable means that an athlete allows herself to soak up new information to add to her knowledge bank to be used for future triumphs. To be coachable means to trust your coach. To be coachable means an athlete follows the instruction of the coach and no one else, Period!. An athlete is accountable for his actions. He makes sure he is doing what is right before calling out his teammates. Being accountable means he is willing to do a little extra to get better. It means showing leadership by taking personal ownership by always using the word "We" when addressing teammates.  These mental skills are essential for the development and success of an athlete.