Goal: Background information for offseason development
Purpose: Lay out mental and physical dimensions for improvement
Hot tip: Be specific and detail oriented. "Repetitions make reputations."
Don't tell me you're going to work on your game. Show me. Detail the process that you're using to separate and finish. Ask yourself, how does my action today impact my future?
Great players had a secret sauce to greatness. Kobe Bryant took 1000 jumpers daily for 100 days in the offseason. Larry Bird shot 500 free throws before school. As a youngster, Bill Bradley started three-hour daily (eight hours on Saturday) workouts to overcome "lack of athleticism."
Expecting that from our young players is unreasonable. A casual approach never yields excellence.
They need inspiration, wherever they can find it.
Ogunbowale eviscerates the Huskies.
They need commitment. Schedule a block of time to study the game and practice, ideally with a teammate.
They need specifics. Leave your comfort zone. "An Olympic figure skating champion is someone willing to endure 20,000 falls." Write it down. Track how often you work out and your results. Be a tracker.
They need to be detail-oriented. Appreciate the value of versatile finishes from both sides of the basket (above). Spend more time on fewer elements to excel. Become great at what you do a lot.
They need persistence. Persistence means doing what you don't want to do today so that you can do what you want to do later.
Most players won't invest the time in themselves; the exceptional player does.