HOW DO YOU BECOME AN “ELITE” BASKETBALL PLAYER?
This year marks my 10th year as a youth basketball coach.
I have had the pleasure of coaching many elite players. “ELITE”, meaning they are “ superior in terms of abilities or qualities to the rest of a group.”
The purpose of this article is to help bring to everyone's attention what the best players do. I don’t expect every basketball player to want to become elite, and there is no pressure nor judgment on your level of commitment to the game. But my hope is that you can incorporate a few of these ideas into your daily life, whether it be for basketball or something else.
GW believes in having a growth mindset
There are a few easily recognizable traits all of these athletes had, and specific behaviors that all of these athletes followed: All of these are easily attainable if you want to be ELITE.
#1 - They watch basketball
Why is watching basketball important?
It provides you with visual learning rather than just physical.
It allows you to better understand your coaches because you can reference their examples.
It gives you an opportunity to learn new moves and to go out and practice those moves.
It inspires you to model your your game after a certain player.
#2 -They managed their time wisely
“I don’t have any time to watch games or practice on my own”.
“I didn’t have time to review my team's plays last night, I was so busy!”
These are some excuses that I hear from non-elite players.
Being busy is a great thing. It is important to stay busy whether it be with homework, family, friends or other sports.
The issue is when the term “I was too busy” becomes an excuse or a mental block for not prioritizing important tasks.
If you want to be an ELITE basketball player you will find 30 minutes per day to work on your game;
you will find time to watch 10 minutes of basketball highlights or flick on the TV to catch a few minutes of a Pro/College game.
You need to retrain your brain to stop using the term “I’m too busy”, and instead say “I didn’t get my shots up today, I need to make sure to make time to practice tomorrow”.
#3 - They seek out extra gym time & coaching
Elite basketball players are gym rats! They are constantly in training and getting feedback from experienced professionals.
I usually go to bed each night with a few texts from the Elite players in the region asking for gym time the next day, and this is part of the reason why they are considered some of the best young players in the Okanagan, and even in the province.
Regarding getting extra time with coaches, stop overthinking and assume a coach is too busy to help you. Coaches are in the business of player development. We all want to see you get better.
Stop overthinking
Start asking
Did you enjoy this article?
I hope that you learned something from it and maybe feel inspired to put in the extra effort to take your game to the next level.
If you’re interested in getting in some extra training time then check out our Early-Risers Crew
Good luck!
Mitchell Goodwin
