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Everything worthwhile in life requires an element of sacrifice
Many high school athletes say they want to continue their sports career at the post-secondary level. Unfortunately, that will not happen for most of them. Whether it is from lack of training, unrealistic expectations or a lack of awareness of what the life of a university student athlete looks like, many high school basketball players are not prepared for what basketball after graduation entails. Here is what you need to make that jump … Time Management and Commitment Being a university student athlete is a full-time job that includes responsibilities 7 days a week. As a student, you will have at least 12 hours of class/week plus potential labs, tutorials and homework. As an athlete, you will have another 15-25 hours/week of commitments consisting of team practices and film, individual sessions, weight training and games. These combined 27-37 hours/week are a baseline and does not include travel time for games or any additional time you put in. It is one thing to like the beautiful game of basketball, but it is another thing to practice consistent discipline and organization over the course of a season (and career). If you want to be prepared for this next level of commitment, don’t wait until university - start putting the time in now so the adjustment feels more manageable! Humility and Confidence Whether you are currently coming off the bench, starting most games or being selected for every all star game imaginable, there will be players that are bigger, stronger, and more talented (+ experienced) than you on any university team. You need to be able to drop your ego at the door and embrace the challenge. Coaches do not want players who are focused on what they have already accomplished, they are looking for players who know they still have a lot to learn. However, you should not walk into the gym intimidated by those around you. Fear and self-doubt will not help you at the next level. Remember that if a coach is recruiting you or has welcomed you onto their team, you are there for a reason. It may take some time to receive a specific role on a team but staying humble & confident will help you adjust to the new level. Perseverance and Optimism You may have already faced some challenges in your life but trust me - you will face more. Whether it is an injury, lack of playing time, a disagreement with a teammate, a shooting slump, loss of an academic scholarship, a break up, etc., adversity will find you during your post-secondary career. You will have a very difficult time as student-athlete if you are not ready to persevere through some bumps in the road. Even on this path towards playing at the next level, try embracing the mindset that there is a lesson in every failure and an opportunity for improvement through every struggle. Use your friends and family to gain perspective and stay positive. Keeping the faith through the tough times can make your basketball journey unbelievably rewarding! One Special Skill Now, don’t get me wrong, to make it as a university basketball player you can’t ONLY be organized, committed, humble, confident, optimistic and determined - you also have to be able to HOOP! However, too many players get overwhelmed or distracted trying to become great at everything and just end up being good. What is the one thing you can hang your hat on? What can a coach count on you to do? You may be a lockdown defender, a knockdown shooter, a tenacious rebounder, an unstoppable slasher, an impeccable ball handler, a beast in the post...whatever your strength is, work on emphasizing it so you can stand out. Develop an irreplaceable skillset to get noticed, then round out your game using all of the characteristics above! Now that you know what it takes - do you still want it? This post was written by Right Way coach, Clare Murphy, who is currently completing her Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Ottawa while also serving as an assistant coach the Women's Varsity Basketball Team.
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Practical Ways to Build Team Cohesion
“A positive, united team is a powerful team. It does not happen by accident.” - Jon Gordon One of my favourite Theodore Roosevelt quotes is, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Simply put, when it comes to coaching: connect before you correct. Whether your players listen to you consistently or not, whether they have bought into your culture and systems or not, whether they are super talented or not - I can almost guarantee that you will get more from your current players if you invest some time outside of practice getting to know who they are as people. Your team will not develop superior trust, communication, teamwork, resilience, vulnerability, and grit by accident. To go from a team that just shows up when necessary, to a team that can count on each other on and off the court is a special transformation that can work wonders. Team bonding does not have to be expensive, time consuming or stressful. Here are a few options to think about:
I’ve won games, tournaments and championships, but some of my fondest memories as an athlete have nothing to with those. The teammates and coaches that have meant the most to me are the ones that showed me I was more than just a basketball player to them. As coaches we are not only developing athletes, but developing the next generation of leaders. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that team building is a waste of valuable on court basketball time...to leave you with another Jon Gordon quote, “Team beats talent when talent isn’t a team.” This post was written by Right Way coach, Clare Murphy, who is currently completing her Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Ottawa while also serving as an assistant coach the Women's Varsity Basketball Team. 3 Ways to Re-frame Setbacks in Sport
“I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.”- Bruce Lee When it comes to successfully dealing with adversity, injury or failure, the first thing I’d like to express is that these things are all relative. What one person considers as a failure or adversity, another person might not. I am by no means an expert on these topics, and much of what I will share in this post is based on my personal experience with leg injuries that I have encountered in the past 5 years. While I have dealt with some significant injuries that have required reconstructive surgeries, my path still looks like a walk in the park compared to others who have dealt with more significant adversity. This leads me to my first point. 1. Don’t be a victim. Instead consider that adversity can actually be a good thing. When bad things happen (losing a basketball game, getting hurt, etc) sometimes these things are out of our control. Sometimes they aren’t. In my experience, it’s usually it’s a mix of both. It doesn’t hurt to reflect on the things we may have done (or not done) that could have contributed to our shortcomings. Once we identify what those variables are, we can take responsibility for them. Once we take responsibility for them, we can start taking the necessary actions to make sure we don’t continue to make those same mistakes in the future. 2. Use past setbacks as motivation. While it’s probably valuable to reflect on our failures, I don’t think it’s beneficial to replay them in our heads over and over again, beating ourselves up over the mistakes we made. “I should have hit that foul shot.” “I shouldn’t have called that play at the end of the game.” “I should’ve followed that weight training program.” It’s only really a mistake if we do the wrong thing a second time after we know it’s wrong, so don’t crush yourself with guilt. Use the past pain you experienced to propel you forward to create a different outcome in the future. 3. Fail on purpose. Well, don't purposely fail but the more we can expose ourselves to adversity, the better we become at handling it. A good way we can use this to our advantage is by voluntarily putting ourselves in situations where we will face adversity and situations where failure is a probability. That could mean practicing with players who are older and stronger than we are. It could mean setting high standards for ourselves when we are practicing alone. For example, setting a goal of making 40 out of 50 three-point shots and not leaving the gym until it’s done. It could mean pushing ourselves to failure in the weight room, so our body is better equipped to handle physical stress on the court. By exposing ourselves to adverse conditions today, tough situations we face in the future may seem easier by comparison. So don’t be afraid to fail, and be thankful for the adversity in your life. It can only make you stronger. This post was written by Right Way coach, Sean Stoqua, who currently plays for the University of Ottawa Gee Gees Men's Varsity Basketball Team and is currently completing his Master's in Physiotherapy Degree. |
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