Welcome back. This is day # 2 from the “7 Day Course To Transform Your Basketball Confidence”. Today we’re gonna cover a lot of stuff, so let’s get right down to it…
There is no “I” in team is one of the oldest and most overused clichés in all of sports, so when I was asked to write original and creative content about basketball and the mental aspect of it, naturally you can assume why my boss was steamed.
Even though I hate to say it (even one more time), there is no “I” in team. It’s the truth and people continue to use it because it’s a bold statement that no matter how many times is pounded into a player’s head is still abused by that player.
Let me expand further by saying, “there is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in responsibility.”
Responsibility is the backbone of life, so don’t you think it holds relevance over the game of basketball?
Responsibility breeds…
– Team
– Success
– Winning
– Excellence
All those words sound nice don’t they? Well, they should because everyone wants to be successful, to win, and thrive in excellence. If you don’t, what rock do you live under?
So you want to be a winner, but you need to ask yourself how do I become a winner?
Winning is born from Responsibility!
I may sound like a preacher lecturing the congregation, and if that is the reaction you got from me then good, that is exactly what I’m looking for! I’m going to continue to pound responsibility into your head until you get it.
The “I” in responsibility represents the individual and their responsibility to their team. I’m not quite sure what the second and third “I” in responsibility stand for, but I’ll get back to that when I do.
So you’re an individual, you want to win, and now know that responsibility is the only way you win….so what do you do now?
You Find Your Role:
Discovering your role to the basketball team is your first responsible move.
If everyone had it their way they would be President of the United States, CEO of a fortune 500 company, or make millions of dollars playing basketball.
All our stink and disgusting ways would pile up because there wouldn’t be a janitor in sight to clean it up.
What point am I trying to make with this unusual analogy?
Every Team Needs a Janitor
And it is nothing to be ashamed of. Janitors clean up the mess of others and keep a smooth, well oiled machine. This well oiled machine that you keep running is a team, and your hard work pounding the glass, playing defense, and setting ball screens may go unnoticed to some, but never to your teammates or your coach.
What happens when a team has too many stars and not a janitor insight? You guessed it…they STINK!
Do You Enjoy Being Stinky?
I didn’t think so. So discover your role on the basketball team and stay responsible by earning the reputation of that role. If you area fantastic shooter with unlimited range, the coach is going to call upon you to hit shots night in and night out. If you are a fiery leader with outstanding ball handling skills, the coach will designate you a leader of the offense. Find your role and find support from your coach if you do not quite understand.
Simply go up to the coach if you are in doubt and ask, “Coach what is my role on this team?”
He’ll have an answer for you.
While this world is commonly unpredictable, in the game of basketball, one thing is certain. A team that does not win will lack RESPONSIBILITY and CHEMISTRY. These are what I like to refer to as the two silent killers of team.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Happiness occurs after personal satisfaction and success. Winning in basketball is the ultimate form of success. Excellence breeds from winning when a team does it often. Great teams have thrived because of the “I” in responsibility. They have accepted their roles on the team and chemistry was born.
But what happens when you think you should be the next star, but are reduced to scrub minutes off the bench? What if you are your team’s janitor? There’s nothing to be ashamed of it, but if you want to become the star you first must sit down and honestly evaluate yourself. Do I have what it takes? Do I have the skills? What skills do I lack? Answer all these questions, accept your role for this season, ask these questions again after the season, and get into the gym to improve upon them.
Ask Will Smith’s character in the outstanding film, “The Pursuit of Happyness.” At one point in his rough life, he was reduced to mopping up toilets and living on the streets. Through hard work,determination, and persistence, Smith’s character went from ajanitor to a star of his very own business.
Never doubt what you think you cannot do, but never jump to false conclusions either!
Accept your role and stay responsible to your team.