Mid Season Opportunities
Opportunity #1- Good players and team learn from victories. Often victories and defeat are separated by a key play here and a key play there. Keep searching for the areas you can improve even in victory. Don’t become comfortable just because you won? Coaches will constantly look to areas for improvement. Listen to your coach because the goal is not winning, but a winning effort…..And a winning effort can always get better. Also, be honest with yourself with what you need to work on and then attack it!
Opportunity #2- Learn from a loss, but do not dwell on it:Listen to your coach. He wants the team to be successful! Acknowledge the areas you could have done better. After assessing areas for improvement move on to the next game!
Opportunity #3- Resiliency:Good players bounce back from a bad game. Good players are focused on what they are doing, not what they have done or what they will do. They focus on the moment at hand!
Opportunity #4- Leave it all on the floor: Every game you should be winded after 4/5 minutes because you are giving it everything you. Often players are saving themselves or wait until they are down to play reckless. Good teams and players know that it takes 32 minutes of everything you have. Our goal is 32 minutes of recklessness!
Opportunity #5- Make the right basketball play: Often when the game is on the line a player tries to make a special play rather then simply make the right basketball play.Make the right play by reading the defense and good things will happen.
Opportunity #6- Play for your teammates: What can your team count on you to do? Good teams know what they can can count on from each team member. Give the extra effort for each other and the sum will be greater then your individual parts!
Opportunity #7- Embrace tight games: As we said before a few plays decide close games and evenly matched teams. Embrace the battle on each possession……it is fun to compete against a worthy opponent. This ties into leaving it all on the floor. Love giving it everything you have and let the chips fall where they may!
Opportunity #8- Play in the moment: Good players are totally focused in the moment. They have a short memory and have no fear of the future. They are totally focused on what they are doing!
Opportunity #9- Dominate an area: Good teams have players that dominate an area individually. They have great rebounders, great defenders, and great playmakers who get their teammates shots. Ask each team member what can we count on from you game in and game out! What areas are you dominating for your team? What areas do you dominate as a team?
Opportunity #10- Togetherness: Be together as a group in both good time and bad situations. Average teams cheer for each other, play hard, communicate, and have each other’s back when they are winning. Great teams do all of these things whether they are winning or losing. Be a winning team regardless of the score.
Opportunity #11- Communicate: Communication makes sure we are all on the same page and that we are together. Talk to each other about what defense you are in, what you are going to do next, and about how WE are going to get a stop, rebound, or a great shot…..communication builds togetherness.
Opportunity #12- Take away a team’s practice habits: Good teams take away what the other team likes to do. If they like to run, get back in transition…..if they are good on the backboards, box out strong…..if they have a key scorer, make him go without the ball.
Opportunity #13- Set strong screens and read how to use them: Good teams can set great screens for each other and read what the defense is doing. This leads to great ball movement and great shots.
Opportunity #14- Take care of the little things: The little things make the big things happen. Little things like sprinting to change ends, guarding the ball, and taking charges lead to success on the floor. Furthermore running down lose balls, boxing out and then going to get the ball, communication, playing reckless, reading the defense, setting great screens and reading screens as you use them, being coachable, and being together plus many more lead to championships.