HS Summer Games Wrap Up- Questions Every Player Should Be Asking

In Illinois, players workouts and games with their high school teams are probably wrapping up the last weekend of June. Hopefully it has been a great opportunity to work with your high school coach and understand the coach’s expectations. As these team workouts and games finish, it is important for players to take the time to reflect about how things went, and about their goals going forward. 

I would recommend high school players reflect on the following questions:

1- From the end of last season thru today, who on your team improved the most? 

2- What can you learn from this player? What did this player do this spring to improve so much- weight room, driveway, skill workouts, played another sport, AAU? Should you put some of what they did into your plans going forward?

3- In terms of improvement from the end of last season, how would you rank yourself and how would your teammates rank you? Is there anything you wish you would have done differently this spring? Are there changes you need to make going forward?

4- Who on your team brought the most energy and effort to your practices and your games this summer? What are examples of how they brought energy and/or effort- arrived early, on the ground for loose balls, never bad mood, ran the court, etc? 

5- How would you rank yourself in terms of energy and effort? How would your teammates rank you do you think? How can you make yourself into a player with more energy and more effort?

6- Who are the best leaders on your team? What makes them the best leaders? 

7- If your team has already voted for captains, or will at the start of the season, will your teammates view you as a leader? If they would vote for you as a captain, what do you think they expect from you? If they don’t vote for you as a captain- what do you need to change about yourself to be viewed as a leader by your teammates?

8- When the going gets tough- in practice when the coach is VERY demanding or in a game when you are struggling- who are your toughest teammates who everyone can rely on? How tough are you in those situations?

9- When teammates are negative- whether in the lockeroom, on the bus, during/after a game- what do you and your teammates do? Are you silent? Do you address it?

10- In your conference- Who are the top teams you must beat? Realistically, where will your team be picked? What goal do you have in the conference?

11- Who will be the toughest teams on your schedule? Can you beat them?

12- For you to win a Sectional, who will be the top teams you must beat? What goal do you have for your team in the post season?

13- Based on how you played and practiced as a team this summer, what areas do you need to improve in as a team to reach your goals next winter?

14- Shooting Range- If you are doing a shooting drill with no defender, at what distance will you consistently make 50% of your shots? Usually what you can shoot unguarded will be 20-25% higher than what you will shoot in a game with defenders. 

15- Are you a three point threat? In summer league games, you will usually shoot a lower percentage than during the season. During the season a great three point shooter should make 40% of their threes, a good 35%, and an average 25%. So remember on the Gun, you should be shooting 20-25% higher than your game goal. 

16- How would your teammates and your coaches rate your shot selection? Do you take low percentage shots? Do your parents encourage you to take shots that you know are poor shots?

17- Based on this summer, what role did your coach have you playing? A star that the coach designed plays for you to get the ball? Starter? One of the first off the bench? Somewhere the 10th to 15th player? 

18- Is the role you played this summer, a role that you will be willing to accept next winter? If you want to play a stronger, more active role next winter, what do you think you need to do to change your role?

19- Have you talked to your coach and gotten good feedback about your strengths and weaknesses? Whether you are happy with your present situation or unhappy, take the time to talk with your coach. Don’t approach them with the standard,”What do I need to do to get more playing time?” Make your meeting more conversational. How could I have been better in practice and games this summer? What do you think are my strengths? What do I need to improve on the most? To improve, it starts with an honest and open conversation with your coach. Coaches want you to succeed because it will help the team succeed. 

20- What is the number one thing you want to work on in the next four months before winter basketball starts?

21- What are your plans for the rest of the summer to improve your game?

22- What is your plan for the Fall to improve your game? If you are not playing another sport, what are you going to do? If you are out for another sport, how many days a week can you commit 20-30 minutes to improve your game?

23- Have you talked to your parents and shared with them what YOUR GOALS are in basketball? And have you talked to them about how they can be most effective helping you reach YOUR GOALS? Do you need them to push you harder? Do you need them to be more positive? Do you need them to be more a parent and less a coach? Do your parents make you feel uncomfortable by emphasizing your personal stats?  This can be a tough conversation but it is better to try to have it now when you are not in the “heat of the season”, and maybe you can make the conversation less emotional for them.