4 Cornerstones of Training To Win In Basketball

Basketball is a fun game… training to win requires higher focus and work ethic within the fun framework.   It allows for so much creativity and a showcase of various skills. But basketball is also a competitive sport, one that pits two teams against each other to determine a clear winner. The beauty of the game is merging talent, skills and teamwork together to gain a victory over the other team. That being said, the game is won and lost on more than just skills. Here are some tips for being a winning basketball player every time you play.

Take Pride in Your Basketball Performance

This is something kids playing youth basketball all need to learn. Although you should truly be loose and free playing the game, know that how you perform while on the floor affects the outcome of the game. So you need to take pride in how you perform. Personal pride in your own performance can have more affect on your game than a coach’s instructions. For example, if the man you are guarding has scored on you a couple of times in a row, personal pride is going to make sure you start locking in, giving a greater effort and playing more soundly the next time he tries to score on you. This sense of personal pride will carry more weight to you than your coach barking instructions to you from the sidelines. And this type of attitude breeds winning. On the other hand, a player with no personal pride would not make the necessary effort to tighten up on defense no matter how much the coach instructs him to do so. A player like this is not playing winning basketball.

 Don’t Be Discouraged In Training or Games

Youth basketball games range anywhere from 24-40 minutes in duration. That’s a long time running, jumping, shooting and rebounding. There are ebbs and slows throughout the game. If things are not going well at a certain point, do not get discouraged. There’s still time on the clock to turn it around because the game is not over until the final buzzer sounds. This can be hard for young players to understand, as sometimes getting scored on a couple of times or missing a couple of shots can cause them to lose confidence. But keep fighting. There have been so many epic comebacks in the game of basketball because a team kept fighting and believing. And remember, if you are playing discouraged basketball, you are doing the other team’s work for them. Don’t help them in their cause to beat you down. Keep putting pressure on the other team by fighting until the final buzzer.

Be Selfless As A Basketball Teammate

Selfless players and teams are winning players and teams. Selfish players do things that hinder winning. Being selfless means doing little things like passing to the open man and encouraging teammates. After all, if the goal is winning you want your teammates to stay encouraged the entire game. Passing to an open teammate when you feel like you want to try to score may cause you to lose out on a shot attempt, but winning players don’t let personal stats get in the way of team success. In actuality good stats have a funny way of following winning players.

Be Fearless on the Basketball Court

An important aspect of winning in basketball competition is being fearless. You don’t want to be the type of player who looks good in practices and drills, but when it comes to games you all of a sudden freeze up. If you’re known as a shooter, in games your team needs you to shoot. If you’re a good driver and scorer, in games your team needs that from you. In competitive basketball, you can’t consistently win if you’re not giving it your all. You can practice being fearless by being aggressive at the beginning of games when you are nervous. Eventually the nerves will go away and you can focus on using your skills and talent to help your team win. Being fearless is VERY important in winning basketball, so learn to develop this quality now.

Competition, whether it is in basketball or anything else, is about playing to win. Along with developing your physical skills, work on developing a winning attitude towards the game of basketball. That includes implementing the tips here, along with some others. Get with your local basketball trainer today to help you with that development. We can’t wait to see you out there playing to win using the 4 cornerstones of winning basketball training.