Why players should focus on Growth and Development instead of results.

1. Why our efforts should focus on inputs rather than results?

Motivation should come intrinsically. The motivation, especially at a younger age, shouldn’t come from the scoreboard. I’ll even go to “stats” as the results. Getting younger athletes to understand, the game is not just stats, it’s effort, teamwork, camaraderie, it’s genuinely feeling good for a teammate that had a good game, etc… If the young athletes can connect the happy emotions to the “gym” they will become intrinsically motivated to keep coming back. If the motivation is based on winning and losing, it will be tough to connect fun with that! It’s so important, as a trainer / coach to make sure the players leave with smiles and happiness, especially at a young age. When I think of inputs, I think about “unseen hours”. The idea of the athlete getting up on their own and working on their game, on building a stronger body or working on being faster / quicker without a coach or parent telling them to work. If you can find motivation, you have something special. The stories of Kobe Bryant working during unseen hours are legendary.   

Why players shouldn’t compare themselves to others and how comparison hurts their growth
and inhibits their results? The concept that we are all unique in our make up - physically, emotionally, and psychologically;

maturation is the easiest explanation. When you walk into a gym for a 12U travel basketball tourney, boys or girls, the size
difference is staggering. Also, you walk into the same gym of boys and girls, everyone is staring at the
PID (personal isolation device / phone) and they are comparing themselves to others with social media
sites. Well, Johnny can dunk, Susie can dribble through her legs faster than me, etc… Those create
negative thoughts in most young athletes. Everyone needs to run their own race. The constant goal
needs to be individual improvement of fundamentals and skills. If the skill development is rooted in
fundamentals and not just athleticism, the athletes have a chance to continue to develop at their rate.
This does not mean that you should not push and try to get the very best out of the young athlete.
That’s where the “art” of coaching comes in. Some are ready to be pushed harder, faster, “tougher”
than others. It gets to relationships and understanding what each person can handle (physically and
psychologically).

3. How emphasizing a cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement can be the
cornerstone to a players ultimate success? 
To be a great player you must be able to “master the boring.” There are so many stories of Kobe Bryant
practicing just simple front pivots, reverse pivots, different jabs at the elbow deep into his professional
journey. He was asked: “why do you do all these simple things over and over, you are the best player in
the world?” His response was epic! “Why do you think I am the best player in the world?” The beauty of
skill development is not getting tired of doing the things that can make you a special player.
You can always dribble a ball harder and faster. You can feel more comfortable with the footwork of a
reverse pivot jump shot. You can always swish more free throws, but can you get bored from doing
these things? Of course, you can! It is up the individual (and trainer / coach) to know how to keep the
“boring” fun.
Basketball is a building block game. You must be able to master simple things to move on to the more
complex things. If you struggle to make layups, why are you obsessed with doing euro step layups? If
you struggle to make a top of the key three pointer, why are you working on step backs? Again, they are
all building blocks that need to be refined all the time!