Developing Poise In Our Players
Poise….all great players have it, yet some talented players do not. If a talented player does not have poise he can not become great no matter how high he can jump, how well he shoots, or how he quick he is.
At Adidas Nations Basketball Camp two years ago, Don Mclean (the UCLA and NBA great) and myself coached this years freshman phenoms on one team: Jahlil Okafur, Emmanuel Mudiay, Theo Pinson, Trey Lyles, Cliff Alexander, Melo Trimble and D’Angelo Russell. They were all super talented and they all were great young men, but this unique group was great because they all had poise. They did not get rattled, they moved on to the next play, and they were comfortable with themselves as players and as people. So the question remains, ‘how do you develop poise in an athlete?
Parental example: Parents who have a level head and understand that basketball, just like life, is a process. That process includes highs and lows. The parent that allows their child to experience these highs and lows and is supportive throughout will help their child develop poise. Be an example to your child on how to live life with poise.
Dedication to the game: Great players commit themselves to the game on a daily basis by creating confidence through repetition. When the game is on the line they feel confident because they have taken literally tens of thousands of shots. Melo Trimble would arrive at school at 6 AM to shoot for 45 minutes when he was in High School. That was just one of the many things he did to dedicate himself to the game. Is it a surprise he is comfortable with himself on the court?
Focus: Great players play in the moment. They have no fear of the future and no memory of the past. They are comfortable because they are focused on the task at hand. They have tunnel vision to what they are doing on the court. They are focused on the process and allow the skills they have developed to take over.
Drive: A player with poise is never satisfied. He raises his level everyday. He is in a constant state of growth and he is driven to succeed.
Be able to read and react to the defense: Have the ability to finish at the rim in more then one way or come off the ball screen in multiple ways. A player with poise can beat you in multiple ways and they know it.
A player that has poise is invaluable to his team and above all makes his team better.