9 Ways to become a tougher player

• Play in the moment:  Great shooters have no fear of the future and have the shortest memory…..they play in the moment….most adults are better players as they get older because the did not worry anymore….they play in the moment……do not wait until you are older, do it now!

 

• Play for your teammates:  If you play for your teammates you can build great chemistry!  The chemistry can grow and become magical!  You can also take pressure of yourself by playing for others.

 

• Take care of the circle:  We encourage our players to take care of 2-3 things on defense and 2-3 on offense…..we use the term the circle to talk about these priorities…..only 2-3 things can be in the circle. You need to do a great job with the things important enough to be in the circle

 

• Let you routine take over on the foul line:  Do you get nervous when are on the line, especially when the game is tight?  Great free throw shooters develop a routine and then get lost in the routine…..nothing can get them out of it:  a miss, a situation, fatigue…..they let their routine take over….and let the results take care of themselves!

 

• Pay attention to form/ not range:  Many young players want to be able to shoot 3 point shots at a young age….but of much greater importance is a players form…if a player shoots out to far, they will effect their form in a negative way…..be patient….your strength will change, but your form you will have with you forever.

 

• Believe in yourself and have true confidence:  A common statement is that a player needs confidence……confidence comes from within…..if we are honest we know what we can do well…..we develop that confidence by working on our game and playing the game….. a coach can also give us the confidence to take a risk…. encouraging us that we can do something the we did not think was possible!

 

• Do not get frustrated, get motivated:  Good players learn from a mistake and put there energy towards the next play….for example if you give up an offensive rebound…box out stronger next time….if you get beat off the dribble….move your feet next time……average players just get frustrated and do not focus on correcting a mistake!

 

• Be able to change speed and direction quickly:  Good players can go from a stopped position to full speed instantly!  Good players have an explosion as they go forward…..average players just play the same speed at all times….one way to have an explosive step is to dip your shoulder and touch the opponent’s calf so you are knifing at the basket!

 

• Win the game within the game:  Win the box out, win getting open off the screen, win beating the offensive player to a spot on defense,  win the lose ball battle, win finishing through contact…..good players understand that winning the small things leads to winning the game!