Developmental Habits

Athlete’s Developmental Habits
(Mental preparation for practice and games)

Participation in a basketball program is limited to those whose performance and attitude during tryout meet team standards. It is important that you take your participation seriously. The following guidelines for athletes have been developed to assist you to make the most out of your participation in a Basketball program.

• Take responsibility for your involvement in the program and act on it.
• Have a clear vision of the kind of athlete you want to be, what you bring to the team and what skills and attitudes are needed to achieve your vision.
• Start with the mastering of basic basketball fundamentals and work up from there. Set personal short-term goals and achieve them.
• Following practice and games reflect on areas to improve in order to work towards your vision.
• Use this reflection to take time and renew/improve your skills, attitude, self-control, cooperative spirit and vision regularly.

The result of these guidelines is the intrinsic motivation to continuously improve yourself as an athlete. In this way you will come to games and practice ready to play the best basketball you can play.

There will come a time when you find yourself playing the best game you ever played. Even the harder skills and actions you’ve never tried before seem to be working. Your teamwork has come together, you’re working hard, focusing strictly on the game, yet all seems effortless. When this happens you have entered, “The Zone.” An experience you will strive to find it in every game.