Player Development: Self-Evaluation and Goal Setting
“You can’t play next year’s games with this year’s press clippings.” During the off season players must improve to be successful. Spring is the time to improve individual offensive and defensive playing skills along with recovering, physically and mentally, after a long season.
While things are fresh in their minds, players with their coach’s input, should compile a list of the skills that they did well this past season, along with a list of skills that they must or could improve. They should use this information to set goals and objectives for their off season improvement. Emphasis should be on those skills and techniques that will make them a more solid, stronger, aggressive and intelligent player.
Dreams and Goals
Success is not by chance or luck. Successful people have learned the value of setting specific goals and focusing their efforts toward achieving them. “Goals are the bridges that allow you to cross from DREAMS to REALITY.” A player “without goals is like a ship without a rudder.” Goals are what give direction to physical and mental training and improvement. They are the basis of self-motivation and the foundation of all achievements. However, goals must be personal. Something that players, personally, want and have a strong desire to pursue and achieve. It is because of this intense, personal desire to reach goals that will push them through adversity to success.
“It is not about the shoes” – Click Here to Watch Video (1 min)
Caution: setting goals, like potential energy, is useless until action is taken to implement and achieve them.
High Ambitions, Not Expectations
High expectations can only lead to big disappointments. High ambitions never get disappointed and are a root of all success. Players must stay ambitious, making every day the best it can be. One day at a time. The best and most productive place to be is in the present. Too much time thinking about the past causes regret. Too much thinking about the future causes worry.
Accomplishing goals and making dreams come through is incredibly satisfying. However, it is the journey, not the destination, that is the most important and rewarding part of dreams. Players must never stop improving and making it a goal to get better each and every day in some small way. Daily improvements eventually add up to huge gains. They should always keep moving forward setting new goals and dreaming new dreams. Players may never reach their ultimate, long term dream. However, this is irrelevant. The important thing is that they will become like their dreams.
Player Development: Off-Season Training
Players must take their own initiative and responsibility when it comes to improving their basketball skills. To be successful, they do not need to depend on coaches, parents or personal trainers. In fact, individual improvement is an entirely individual effort. Much of this off season skill development is repetitive, monotonous and tedious – not all fun and games. However, remember: “If it’s going to be. . . It’s up to me.” – George Raveling.
“Just do it!” – Click Here to Watch Nike Video (1 min)
Caution: Off–Season full court games and scrimages only exhibit existing player skills. They do not improve them.
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