If you are looking to work hard, make sacrifices and improve then join us at Boot Camp next week. Don't join unless you are "all in". I hope to get a chance to work with you. Below is a short note from our Boot Camp Director
Sincerely, Chad Williams (Game 7 Instructor)
CONFIDENCE
Every October our Game 7 office receives numerous calls from parents who would like to get some basketball training for their son or daughter. They usually say "try outs for the high school basketball team are next week and we want little Johnny to work on his skills so that he has confidence going into try outs". These are the toughest phone calls because the previous statement makes no sense and many players do not understand why it's a ridiculous statement. Let us explain.
Playing at the high school level is very special. Let's look at the typical town in any metropolitan area. At the local high school there are about 1200 students in the school. That means there are about 300 kids per grade. It's safe to say that just about everyone joins the local basketball league in 4th grade so there are about 150 boys in your town playing in the fourth grade. By the time you try out for your high school team the coach is usually looking for 10 or 11 players and he will be choosing from freshman thru seniors. You do the math. Very few players will get to play in high school. It's difficult. It requires a lot of work, a huge sacrifice of time and a lot of energy, passion and effort. Why do so many people think that confidence is something you can purchase or get from someone else? It does not come in a liquid or a pill. It doesn't come in a bottle. You cannot buy it. Get real folks! Confidence is something that is intangible. You must sacrifice for it in your preparation. Making your varsity team is like preparing for the SAT or ACT. You cannot cram for the test. It's impossible. You must gradually acquire the skills needed to perform well over the course of many years. It cannot be done in a day or a week.
A peak performer will have confidence when they have prepared themselves and they are ready to give their maximum effort. If you practice enough it will produce success, that success will breed confidence and confidence will make you a believer that you can continuously improve.
Don't confuse confidence with your self-image. You should always be cultivating a positive self-image. Winners in any field see themselves as successful long before success actually happens because they had a positive self-image.
Practice, practice, practice - that's what builds confidence. Ray Allen from the Boston Celtics is a great example of a player with extreme confidence. His confidence is 100% pure.
But he has earned that confidence.
"A basketball player" plays basketball all year round. Many of them play other sports but they do not ignore the training requirements needed during the off season to become great players. They do not sacrifice their basketball training when they are playing another sport. They still find ways to get their shooting workout in. They complete their ball handling drills late at night or early in the morning. They get to the park, rec center or gym on the weekends. They study the game, watch the game and discuss it with other knowledgeable people.
Basketball players don't play to get in shape - they get in shape to play basketball. They train and set goals. They jump rope; they do their pushups, sit ups, and core exercises. They dream about being a hero and hitting that last second shot. They shoot 350 free throws a week. They try to run 2 miles in 12 minutes. They sacrifice going out with their friends, going to the movies, hanging out and partying in order to train and improve their game. Sometimes they play when they don't feel like it. They often train when they don't feel like it. Basketball players do not want to be like "everyone else". They want to be a little different. They want to be on the court and not in the stands during their senior year in high school. Only 5 players will be on the court in your senior year. Will you be one of them????
Marc Von Essen
Coach Game 7 Basketball
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