Saturday, November 29, 2025

Advice for Young Athletes

"There is nothing cheaper than free advice." Here's some for young athletes as we transition from the fall to the winter sports season. 

Know your priorities. 

Our basketball coach, Ellis Lane, now in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, emphasized: 

  • Family comes first.
  • Take care of your academic business. 
  • Basketball comes third. 
Compete. 

Remember Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements, especially the fourth "Always do your best." 


Be coachable. 

Listen and make every effort to do what your coaches want in the ways they want. If you've been taught a different way, be "professional" and discuss the technique with your coaches, working to understand both what to do and why they want it done that way. 

Build skill. 

"Become more to do more; do more to become more." The more you can do, the more likely you'll be on the court. 

Become more athletic. 

The stronger, quicker, better conditioned athlete commands attention. How many times have coaches and fans seen an athlete and marveled at either their athleticism or the year-over-year change in their athleticism? 

Take care of your body. 

  • Eat right. You wouldn't put cheap gas in a sports car. 
  • Hydrate. "Dehydration shows up as decreased performance."
  • Recover. Recovery matters with management like walking and thermal contrast (hot/cold showers). Not everyone has access to higher level management like massage. 


  • Sleep. Athletes should commit to getting at least eight hours of sleep. Inadequate rest will reduce performance. 
Develop Resilience

Few young athletes can access sports psychologists. Everyone can choose to learn about mindfulness, which is proven to improve focus, reduce stress hormones, lessen anxiety and depression. 

Via ChatGPT Plus: Here are five well-supported benefits of mindfulness training for athletes, grounded in research across sport psychology and performance science:

1. Improved Focus and Attentional Control

Mindfulness builds the ability to stay present - not worrying about the last mistake or the next possession - which sharpens decision-making and situational awareness. Athletes better recognize cues (ball flight, hitter tendencies, spacing, tempo) and avoid mental distractions.

2. Reduced Performance Anxiety and Stress Reactivity

Mindfulness lowers physiological stress markers (HR, cortisol), improves breath control, and rewires the athlete’s relationship with pressure. Instead of being overwhelmed by noise, expectations, or crowds, athletes remain grounded and calm during high-stakes moments.

3. Faster Recovery From Mistakes and Adversity

Athletes learn to observe thoughts without judgment - the serve missed, the turnover, the blocked shot - and move on. This promotes emotional regulation, short-memory resilience, and better next-play speed. Mistakes become data, not drama.

4. Enhanced Confidence and Self-Trust

By building awareness of internal states, athletes develop a more stable sense of identity and capability. Mindfulness strengthens intrinsic confidence - performance rooted not in outcomes, but in preparation, presence, and process.

5. Greater Training Efficiency and Skill Acquisition

When athletes are mentally present, reps carry more quality. Mindful training improves motor learning, body awareness, and deliberate practice -  similar to how high-level musicians and surgeons sharpen technique through focused repetition.

Adopt a Professional Attitude
  • "Act like a champion before you are one." 
  • Professionals follow comprehensive programs.
  • Professionals don't compromise themselves on social media. Don't let 140 characters on social media take away $140,000 in college scholarships. 
Lagniappe. Make better decisions with the ball. (Chris Oliver). 

Lagniappe 2. Attack zones more efficiently. 
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