Mental Toughness

Basketball on the Edge – How Spiritual Sports and the Growth Mindset Can Make You Invincible by Trevor Huffman

Jordan Laney

Tremendous article by my friend Trevor Huffman this week. The article helps us answer the question – How would you react if the thing you cared about doing most is taken away from you?

Michael Jordan came out of practice and wasn’t on the varsity player team list. Do you know what it’s like to not be on the list? It sucks, it sucks bad. You can fast forward to my sad story on getting cut from the “7 Seconds or Less Phoenix Suns.”

Then the MJ story goes, he went home, locked himself in his bedroom, a young teenage boy, and cried for hours. MJ didn’t come out until the next morning. This sad event wrecked his day. Maybe even his week.

How would you react if the thing you cared about doing most is taken away from you?

Click here to read the article by Trevor Huffman

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Basketball on the Edge – 10 Things To Do When The Clock Is Stopped – Vintage Edition

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1. Check the time and score.

Good players always know the time and the score. Be sure to remind your teammates of the game situation and how that impacts your strategy. Are we ahead or behind? Do we need to foul?

2. Make sure your teammates know who they are guarding.

Get everyone on your team to talk and point and communicate. This is especially important the younger you are. Missed assignments often result in easy baskets for the other team!

3. Remind a teammate individually of their responsibility.

Examples of this might include, “You’re taking the ball out of bounds against the press” or “Make sure you set the backscreen when we run the offense next time down,”

4. Gather your team together for a quick huddle.

You can’t take too much time, but just a quick word of encouragement, “Let’s D-up” or “Come on, we need to get a good shot next time down.” can help your entire team come together at critical moments in the game.

5. Compliment a teammate for a nice play.

“Nice pass on that last fast break!” or “Great defense against their pick and roll!” can go a long way toward encouraging your teammates to keep their effort level high and their head in the game.

6. Look to your coach.

Often your coach will use a stop in play to give instructions. If the gym is loud you may not hear, by giving the coach a quick glance when the whistle blows you’ll know if he or she is trying to get your attention.

7. Focus on what you need to do in the moment.

What are your responsibilities? Focus in on your role and what you can do to help your team on the next possession. Are you guarding the inbounder? Are you supposed to set a screen for a teammate? Is the other team pressing? Where should you be on the court? These are all things that you can be mentally rehearsing during a stop in play.

8. Catch your breath.

Your adrenalin level is high and you have been hustling all over the floor (you have been right?). Take a second when the whistle blows to take a deep breath and compose yourself so you are ready when play resumes.

9. Let your teammates know your time-out situation.

Do you have time-outs left? Tell your teammates “We have a time-out if we need it.” Do you have no time-outs? Tell your teammates “No time-outs left!” Games have been won and lost because teams didn’t know their time-out situation.

10. Let your teammates know the foul situation.

Are you in the one and one or double bonus? Let your teammates know. Comments like “Be strong with the ball, they have to foul” or “Let’s take the ball hard to the basket, we’re in the bonus” can help remind teammates to take advantage of opportunities to get to the free throw line.

These are ten things that good players can do when the clock is stopped during a basketball game. Many players use this time to look into the crowd, complain to an official, or get down on themselves for something that already happened. Don’t be that type of player. Instead, use the time when the clock is stopped to do one or more of the valuable things on this list to help your team win more games.

Click here to register for one of our upcoming programs!

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Basketball on the Edge – The Coach that Taught Me to Compete Like Michael Jordan by Trevor Huffman

Jordan

Tremendous article by my friend and fellow Kent State Basketball alum Trevor Huffman.  Trevor writes about the lessons he learned from his High School JV Coach, Matt Tamm that he carried with him through high school, college, and the pros.  Great advice here for players, parents, and coaches. 

Click here to read the article by Trevor Huffman

Click here to register for one of our upcoming programs!

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Basketball on the Edge – Simple Ways Any Player Can Increase Their Basketball IQ – Vintage Edition

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If you watch or listen to basketball on tv or radio you will often hear analysts, experts, and coaches talking about basketball IQ. Some players have a high basketball IQ, others not so much. What exactly does it mean to have a high basketball IQ? Simply put, players with a high basketball IQ make the right play at the right time during the course of a game. Basketball requires multiple split second decisions to be made all the time as players react to what happens out on the floor. Players must decide whether to take a shot or pass to a teammate, to help on defense or stay with their own player, to pop out and receive a pass or cut backdoor. All of these decisions must be made constantly under the pressure and fast pace of game play. Players with a high basketball IQ are those that are able to process all of the available information and quickly choose the “right” basketball play.

The best way to develop a high basketball IQ is simple. Build your skills and spend more time playing the game. The combination of deliberate practice and putting yourself in game situations is the fastest way to improve your basketball IQ. Short squad games are a great way to get more opportunities to build basketball skills and improve decision making.

What about during time away from the court? What are some simple things a young player can do to improve their basketball IQ during times they are not playing or practicing?

1. Keep a journal

This is a great way to have a record of everything you’re doing to get better as a player. Great players have a plan. Writing down what you learned will help you remember so you can apply your newly acquired knowledge in your next workout, practice, or game. A journal is also a good source of motivation to keep you accountable. You will want to learn and practice more if you know that at the end of the day you’ll have to record your daily activity and learning. Refer back to your journal frequently to build your basketball IQ.

2. Make an “I Did” list.

At the end of each day, write down what you accomplished as a basketball player that day. You can add this “I Did” list to your journal. Writing down your accomplishments will help you reflect on how productive you were, what you learned and how you can re-structure your workout plans for the next day. Each time you write an “I Did” statement, your basketball IQ will be growing.

3. Instead of playing video games or watching tv, study great players.

Don’t waste countless hours playing video games or watching mindless tv shows. With YouTube you can watch video clips of NBA players and learn from the very best in the game. Focus in on the footwork of great players and you’ll see techniques that you can begin to incorporate into your game as your skills level improves. Watch the action away from the ball to learn how great players cut, set screens, and move without the ball. Watch how defenders work together to provide help for their teammates. These are all small details that you can learn by watching video. Then, take what you’ve learned out on the court to increase your basketball IQ.

4. Read books about basketball.

There are many great books available for free at your local library that can help you improve your basketball IQ. Take a few minutes to browse through shelves and pick out a book or two that will increase your knowledge of the game. If you are looking for one book to read that will definitely increase your basketball IQ, I highly recommend “Stuff Good Players Should Know”, by Dick DeVenzio. This book is full of simple tips that will help you think the game better!

Two other great books to check out from authors that have been guests on the Hoop Heads Podcast:

“Why the Best are the Best” by Kevin Eastman

“Raise Your Game” by Alan Stein, Jr.

5. Ask questions.

This might be off the court, it might be on the court, but asking questions is a great way to learn. Ask your coach what skills you need to improve. Then ask them to show you a drill you can use to improve that skill. Ask an older player about their experiences in the game or how they handled certain situations when they were your age. Ask a teammate to help you understand a certain play or defensive assignment that you may be struggling with. Asking the right questions will get you the right answers that can improve your basketball IQ.

There is no substitute for hard work and effort out on the court, but f you want to be a great player, you can also take advantage of your time off the court to improve your basketball IQ. Try to become one of those players that coaches and teammates love. One that always makes the “right” play because of their high basketball IQ.

Click here to register for one of our upcoming programs!

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Basketball on the Edge – 10 Commandments for Leaders by Ganon Baker

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Want to know what a team leader should be doing every day to inspire, encourage, and motivate their teammates? These 10 commandments are a must read for every player!

Click here to read the article by Ganon Baker

Click here to register for one of our upcoming programs!

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Addicted to Getting Better - On and Off the Court