Players Playbook- Five Steps to Championship Growth

 

“How can I become a great basketball player?” It all starts in the off-season. To grow and develop, it takes a plan. Here are Five Steps for Championship Growth…

DIAGNOSE

After your season is over, take some time to evaluate your game. YOU must evaluate your game. Shut all of the outside voices off as you do this. It needs to be your evaluation- not your parents, not your friends. 

If you allow the past season to “breath” a little bit, and you go back in 2-3 weeks, you will have see things in a new light. Maybe look at a couple game and look at your stats. 

What are your strengths and weaknesses? Grade yourself as a shooter, ball handler, defender, rebounder, as well as your strength, work ethic, coachability. 

Write down your diagnosis. 

DREAM

Again, make sure this is your dream, not mom or dad’s dream. What do you want next season to be like for you and for your team? What things do you want to be able to do- shooting threes, handling the ball vs pressure, guard the other team’s best player, physically being stronger? What things would make next season great- playing time, stats, wins, and more?

Write down your dreams or goals. 

PRESCRIBE

Look at your diagnosis and your dreams- based on what you are right now, what do you need to do to reach your dreams. Your workout plan must be designed to attack your weaknesses so you can reach your dreams. 

Many coaches will have a post-season meeting with you as a player. At such a meeting, it would be good to be open with the coach and say to them, “This is who I think I am as a player (your diagnosis) and these are my dreams. What do I need to reach my goals?” This might give your coach a chance to give you feedback as to whether your diagnosis is accurate and if your goals need adjusting. 

Talk is cheap, every player says they want to be good- only a few are willing to put the necessary work into becoming great. 

Your prescription (your workout plan) must match both your diagnosis and your dreams. What do you need to get from where you are right now to where you want to be next winter?

EXECUTE

Execution is the commitment to the plan, it’s the follow through. You have been honest about who you are as a player, you have spelled out your dreams, and then you built a plan to achieve your dreams. 

It is easy to say you are going to do something, and much harder to actually do the work. You have put together an organized plan to address you weaknesses and reach your goals. To become a champion, you must execute the plan. You must do the workouts. 

CONNECT

Others can make you better and you can make others better. Find a teammate or teammates with the same drive that you have, make each other better. You are still going to do your own workout plan, but sometimes workout together. Push each other. Challenge each other. Encourage each other. Praise each other. 

Success is not an accident, it is planned.

Everyone wants to win, only a few are willing to prepare to win.