The Mental Game
Short, practical reads on the part of basketball many players under-train — confidence, composure, and bouncing back — for young players and the parents and coaches behind them.
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Coaches love to say basketball is 90% mental — then spend most of practice on the physical part. Here's what that mental side actually is, and why training it is one of the best bets a young player has.
The shot they make easily in the driveway can clank off the front rim in a game. It may not be only a shooting problem — pressure can change how the shot feels, and there are small ways to help.
Turn the sound off on any game and you can often tell who's winning the mental battle — just from how players carry themselves. Here's one thing you can usually control on the floor, even when the shots aren't falling.
The player who hates making mistakes can end up tight and tentative. Here's how chasing "perfect" can get in a young player's way — and what to aim for instead.
The ride home is one of the moments in youth sports that's easiest to get wrong — usually with the best intentions. Here's what tends to help, what can quietly hurt, and one line worth leading with.
If your young player glances up at the bleachers after mistakes, it's worth asking why. Here's how in-game instructions from the stands can backfire, and what tends to help instead.
