Mental Skill Development

We work in 3 areas of Skill Development for our players:
1.  Skill Sets (that are specific to on the court)
2.  Physical Sets (strength, agilities, quickness & conditioning)
3.  Mental Skills

We all talk about Mental Toughness.  We understand that it comes down to how players handle adversity and anxiety. Anxiety beyond butterflies is what gets a player.

First, we have to look at mental energy.  This is the ability to sustain thought.  To concentrate. Especially in something that they do not like.

Next, it's key to realize that one person's anxiety, may not be another's.

Muscle memory originates in the mind.

Thoughts on Efficiency

All the greats know how to keep it simple. Efficiency is crucial. Below are a few thoughts on efficiency as we prepare for our practices for the rest of the pre-season.


•Review production of each player and the team.
•Keep specific stats of areas emphasized.
•Spend time and energy on things needed to produce.
•It's not about making plays, it's about eliminating poor judgment, carelessness and a casual apporach.
•Chart and track the things that are important to you.
•As a coach, it's not what we Know, it's what they Execute.

Protecting Your Confidence

As coaches, we hear about our player's confidence constantly. We must be aware of their confidence. Bill Parcells said, "Confidence comes from demonstrated ability."

One of the things that we often see with players that are having confidence issues is that their focus is off, not their confidence. They choose not to focus on the areas where they have demonstrated ability.

Their minds are cluttered with things outside their control, or they are pursuing things, skills in which they haven't demonstrated ability.

Here are 4 ways for players to protect their confidence:

1. Focus on the things that are working

2. Maintain a positive focus

3. Have multiple streams to feed your confidence. Look at the different ways in which you are demonstrating ability.

4. Be grateful for what is working (the areas you are demonstrating ability).

Andy Andrews--"The Buck Stops Here"

Andy Andrews shares 7 decision we must choose to make in our pursuit of greatness in his book The Traveler's Gift. The first decsion we must make:

THE BUCK STOPS HERE
1.  Your future is what you decide it will be.
2.  Our thinking creates a pathway to success or failure.
3.  Outside influences are not responsible for where you are mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, or financially
4.  Your thinking dictates your decisions. Decisions are choices.
5.  The words, "It's not my fault should never come from our mouths"

3 Thoughts On The Use of the Dribble

3 Thoughts On The Use Of The Dribble

1. Misunderstood

2. Over-used

3. Best decision you can make when you receive the ball is to SAVE the dribble.

The Mirror Principle--Leading Yourself

Learning to lead yourself is one of the most important things you will ever do as a leader.
Leading yourself means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR
The "Mirror Principle"--The first person we must examine ourselves. If we don't look at ourselves realistically, you will never understand where your personal difficulties are coming from.

Most people use two different sets of criteria for judging themselves and judging others. We tend to judge others according to their actions. It's very cut-and-dried. However, we judge ourselves by our intentions. Even if we do the wrong thing, we let ourselves off the hook if we believe our intentions are good. That's part of the reason we allow ourselves to make the same mistakes over and over again before we are willing to make real changes.

KEYS TO LEADING YOURSELF
1. Learn Followership--learn to obey. Only a leader who has followed well knows how to lead others.
2. Develop Self-Discipline--It's said one day, thta Frederick the Great of Prussia was walking on the outskirts of Berlin when he encountered an old man walking down the street in the opposite direction.
"Who are you?" Frederick asked the old man.
"I am a king", replied the old man.
"A king!" laughed Frederick. "Over what kingdom do you reign?"
"Over myself," was the proud man's reply.

Each of us is a monarch over our own lives. We are responsible for ruling out actions and decisions.

3. Practice Patience
Leadership isn't to cross the finish the finish line first; it's to take people across the finish line with you.

TAKE ACTION:
In which of the 3 preceding areas--followership, self-discipline, or patience--do you most need to grow? What new taks or practice could yo take on to develop in that area? Give yourself a conrete goal and a deadline.

4. SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability isn't just the willingness to explain your actions to others. It begins ling before we act. It starts with seeking and acccepting advice from others.

A HIGHER STANDARD
Leading yourself means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.
Leadership is a trust, not a right. For that reason, you must "fix" yourself earlier than others may be required to.

Thomas Watson--"Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself."

What leaders do day-to-day always pays off in the long run. Success or failure isn't an event, but a process.

7 Qualities Elite Performers Share

Listed below from Juan Pablo Favero are seven qualities that elite, mentally tough players share. We are sharing this with our team today. The thoughts in the parentheses are specific thoughts for our players:
1. A strong desire to succeed (must first define success)
2. Positivity in the face of challenges and pressure (what does this look like?)
3. Controlling the "controllables" mentally (what are some examples)
4. A high commitment/ balanced attitude approach (what is your commitment)
5. A high level of belief in self and team (describe this)
6. Process oriented thinking (give an example for practice)
7. Positive communication and body language (give a situation and example)