The Mind Game
of Basketball
Elevate your game - Master your mind
"Mindset is what separates the good from the best" Stephen Curry
The importance of the mental in sports is not any more to prove. With the same technique and the same athletic potential, it is the mind that makes the difference and Basketball is no exception to the rule. Whether at the highest level or in the youth categories, the mind is a key element in the performance and well-being of players.
While the greatest champions in tennis, golf, baseball, and many other sports have been working on their mental skills for decades, it is also becoming a considered asset in the world of basketball.
"Basketball is a mental game first and foremost: you have to control your mind to control the game." - Phil Jackson
Basketball players have developed technical and athletic skills tremendously over the last twenty years thanks to the work done by physical trainers and individual skills coaches. However, we are only at the very beginning of what can be done in terms of exploitation and development of mental skills.
From meditation, democratized by Jordan's Bulls, to visualization, hypnosis, Neuro Linguistic Programming and positive psychology, many techniques can be used and the potential of the basketball player clearly has a high margin of progression.
Remember when players were shooting between the legs with both hands...
Imagine doing only ten push-ups a month as your only physical training...
This is the statement that we must make today by recognizing where we are mentally. It is time to make the necessary changes and allow players to take full control of their destiny by helping them reach their true potential, the one they can reach by taking control of their emotions and their inner game...
Mental Health
Promoting the health and well-being of basketball players on and off the court by improving stress management, motivation, self-confidence, focus, decision making, and resilience through mental skills training.
The balance between mental health and mental performance is a key element
Mental Performance
Adapting mental skills to situations on the court:
Raising free throw percentage, managing foul trouble, dealing with frustration, better shot selection, higher self-control on a final possession, better rebounding efficiency, accepting referee decisions, understanding how to produce maximum intensity at the right time, developing a "killer instinct," ignoring animosity in the stands...
The best players in the World, as for the youngest, also have emotions to manage...