I had a coach in the community ask me a great question about what was my pre-game routine. So I wanted to ask you guys if you had any advice as well on an effective pre game routine to prepare you for the game? It could be physical, mental, spiritual, healthy habits... The question I got was focused more on how to get in the right state of mind & spiritually how did I prepare. So before I got in-depth on all those things let me share with you how I prepared my mind & spirit on game days. GAME DAY PREP (Spiritually): -My morning routine for an evening tip off involved breakfast & then a time I got away 30-60 mins in a quiet place to read the Bible & pray. This is important because I took this into the game, here's what I did. I would read 2-3 chapters in the Bible. I would pray & give that game over to the Lord. This always took the pressure off of me, I view basketball as a form of worship. I believe anytime we're using our talent or gifts God has given us it can be used in a way to honor God & worship. -Next I would pick 1 verse that I read in the Bible that really spoke to me. I'd write it down on a small slip of paper & memorize that throughout the day so I had it locked into my mind/spirit by game time. -I would put that paper into my sock before the game. It did something amazing for me because anytime I felt pressure, stress, worry, anxiousness, etc I would just reach down & touch my sock & it would remind me that God is with me & I'm worshipping him through anything that happens. It always brought me great peace, once I started doing this routine it took away much of my anxiety & stress I had leading up to games & playing in pressure situations. I truly believe that is why I hit multiple game winning shots in college/overseas because I felt no pressure & had given up every game I played to the Lord. I'm sure some may disagree with me but this was my pre game routine that worked for me. One of my primary goals with the game of basketball was to use it as a platform to point to Jesus.

Over the years as a player & now as a player development coach I have seen how confidence is built. Each player is different because of different factors (talent, coaching, roster opportunity, work ethic, etc)... Here are some major keys to growing in confidence as a player: *Work ethic & Routines- Having a strong work ethic & consistent training routines is a powerful tool to ride through the highs/lows of the season. Your routines will change depending on your work load (practice/games). Sticking to consistent work habits keeps a player from relaxing when things are going well & from quitting when things are going bad. The work is the work, it has a way of balancing all things out in the end. Confidence comes from the trust in your EXTRA WORK. **Watching Film- The old saying is 'film don't lie.' But even for younger players to watch themselves play it helps to actually see yourself in game. You know what you were thinking, you can see your effort level & its honestly accountability. Film doesn't lie, you can improve by watching film if you approach it as a student trying to learn. You'll gain confidence knowing the areas to address. ***Adjust your shooting/dribbling routine for the system & looks you're getting. When you're in season you start getting a defined role & understand what is expected of you. So you will begin to see exactly what type of shots you're getting, what type of situations you're in, what type of defenses you are going against. This will help you create a new in season routine to improve at those specific things. You'll gain more confidence when you feel more prepared. ****Mind & Spirit- Basketball is very spiritual. I'm a follower of Jesus, so for me one of my daily & game day routines was getting alone. Reading 1-2 chapters in the Bible & praying. I made a post about this recently in this community. I would write down 1 verse on a slip of paper & put that in my sock before each game. I would memorize it & it had a real calming effect on how I played & processed pressure situations. Its so important to calm your mind & spirit throughout the season, finding that quiet space is so important.

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