This video is clip from one of my confidence workshops & the topic is "Overcoming the fear of failure." I used this MJ commercial to teach a powerful lesson that many players will need as they enter a long season of ups & downs. I'm always amazed at how many players have mentally checked out by the time we get to Thanksgiving. I saw this in high school & college with many of my teammates but also could see it in other teams. True story, last season I went to a Univ. of Louisville mens basketball game in the preseason vs a small college. I went bc I was training the starting point guard on the small college but I sat behind UofL's bench that game in mid-Oct. What I saw on the bench told me everything I needed to know about that UofL team & the season they were about to have. They had no energy, during timeouts half the players were not engaged at all or not even paying attention. The players weren't smiling, they weren't clapping or encouraging each other & they just looked like they didn't like each other. They won a blow out game of course because of their talent & size but I walked away saying this team doesn't like each other & they having a loser's mindset... They ended up winning 8 games the whole season. I say this because as a player your confidence is something you have to protect at all costs & continue to build especially in the early part of the season to avoid a long miserable season. There are many hurdles you may need to overcome (injury, lack of playing time, a tough coach, a losing culture, selfish teammates, losing or toxic mindset, etc). These can happen anywhere & at all levels. The key is you protect your energy, your emotions & keep making deposits into your confidence bank. Here's a few tips: 1. Feed your mind & body correctly. Be very careful about what you let into your temple while you're in season & need to perform at a high level. The food you eat matters, it fuels & controls your emotions more than you think. More importantly the things you let into your mind (thoughts, music, what you look at & who you listen too) all create the environment you will perform out of. Protect it. 2. Give yourself room to accept failures & grow. Referencing the MJ commercial & lesson I posted its important that you view the season as a marathon that MUST include failures & valleys. Allow & accept that this will happen & it is actually NECESSARY for your growth as a player & person. This takes the pressure off of being perfect at every moment. 3. Stick to a Routine. Routines remove the array of emotions from getting your work in. Some days we're motivated but often we're not or we're going through it emotionally & just don't feel like putting in the work. By having a set routine (skill work, lifting, stretching, prayer, diet, sleep, etc) it allows you to weather those storms you go through because that is where most people lose confidence, in the storms.

I uploaded in the "Classroom" tab a this new course called the "Beginners Academy" & its an inside look into how we teach & develop beginners who are just starting to play. This is the front gate we all come through into the game & such a crucial time to build confidence, help a player gain quick victories & fall in love with the game. We have been running this academy in person in KY for years and the parents/players love it. So I filmed our drills, teaching points & live academy to give away for free! I originally was going to sell this program but after praying on it, God put it on my heart to make this free always. It is my gift to the basketball world, I wanted to remove any stumbling block to getting it. I've seen how this academy has helped so many young players & families so I want to share it freely to hopefully help others I never get a chance to meet in person. The format is broken down into 6 videos, 6 week course if done live. I hope you enjoy it, here's a preview of week 1: The skill of dribbling & teaching points.

💪As you may have seen recently, I'm focusing on improving this community Unfortunately over 400 people here were completely inactive, so we removed them. 🤯What's crazy is that 95.2% of people are STILL at level 1... Part of a thriving community is the sense of community itself 🫥Which lacks when a large chunk of the people are invisible. So if you haven't already, introduce yourself here and start to engage in the comments! 🏀We're all here to become better Point Guards, so let's help each other out!

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.

Giving kids the next step to be able to use their skills and be confident under pressure is so important and I feel this next step is often missing - looking forward to all the drills that can help out. Enjoying this community so far!