how to mentally prepare for a basketball game

Not quite! As an athlete, how much water should you drink each day? Remember to bring the ball down and hard into triple threat so others can't steal it from you. ", "Now I know how to better prepare myself physically before my basketball game. Your jersey will show other players and spectators which team you belong on. After numerous phone conversations and email exchanges we finally connected in person at a Big East college basketball game. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan specializes in basketball coaching, social media marketing, and website design. Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. If this is true there is no way around developing your mental game. Mental Preparation is a key ingredient in enhancing your performance in Basketball. Do you like to chatter and release excess energy? Mental preparation helps athletes achieve a focused, confident and trusting mindset to help them compete at their highest level. Make sure you are up early enough, get a good, light breakfast and remember to drink water in the morning. Being able to master the metal game takes time and experience. Forgetting to check in with the coach may result in you sitting the bench or getting less playing time than normal. Shooting drills, including lay-ups, free throws, three-pointers, and field-goals. So, make a real effort to relax before games. Throughout the day, prepare mentally to compete by taking deep breaths and relaxing your mind and body. Make sure to listen to all of your coach's instructions. Ball handling exercises (for point guards). Mentally picture yourself scoring the winning goal, shooting the winning basket or making an unbelievable catch in the outfield. Then slide back and forth across the floor. If you let yourself get too caught1` up in the hype leading to an important event, it will distract you from your performance objectives. On the day of the game, drink at least 2 liters of water and eat a light lunch, avoiding any new, unfamiliar foods that could upset your stomach. Also, do not eat before the game so you won't have a full stomach while you're running around. Close your eyes, relax your mind, and just focus on breathing in and out. championship to win, and I am very stressed! Read on for another quiz question. Don’t look for supernatural explanations if you fail. Ask your coach what you need to improve on. For stretches that will keep you playing your best on game day, keep reading. As thoughts come into your head, acknowledge them and then let them pass. I started to gain mental toughness at an early age when my older cousins started pushing me around. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. It’s a problem all athletes face, and one that can be extremely frustrating and discouraging throughout a career. This is easier said than done, so … Prepare yourself to perform well in all circumstances, and then do it. Warm up all your fundamentals before going into the game to make sure you have all your muscles ready for action! Learn what you can then get up, brush off your pants, and move on. With this exercise, you stand with one foot in front of the other. Choose another answer! Ryan was a two-time All-Metropolitan, All-State, and All-Conference point guard and the all-time three-point leader in the school’s history, landing him in the Caldwell University Athletic Hall of Fame. In order to motivate and focus players, your coach may reminisce about what has made your team successful in the past. Flex your knees and try to pull your heels up toward your butt. Repeat 10 times on each leg. Bend your front leg as you drive your hips towards the ground. Do a little mental rehearsal every day; see yourself performing in an ideal mental state. It even calmed me down just now. Learning how to mentally prepare for a game can be challenging. Now, we've all heard before to get a good night's sleep and drink plenty of water the night before the game, but there is something else to mentally prepare your mind that will make a big difference and that is shouting. To perform a defensive slide, get yourself into a defensive stance (knees bent, butt out, chest forward and arms up). Last Updated: November 19, 2020 Thumbs up from me. Fear leads to anxiety, which causes our bodies to tense up and our minds to second guess every decision. With millions of guys (and girls) playing basketball all over the world, it's essential that we give you tips on how to be mentally tough on the court. Basic stretches include: Wall Lat Stretch: Stand 2 to 3 feet in front of a wall. To learn more about PGC Basketball, including additional basketball training tips and videos, visit our YouTube Channel or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Basketball is a great sport because it allows you to work on both your own skills while improving the skills of the team. Ryan Tremblay is a Basketball Coach and the Owner of National Sports ID and STACK Basketball. Let me give an example and elaborate. Correct! Convince your teammates not to be afraid. This article's the best, you guys take your your, "Many of these tips were very helpful, keep it up and always remember to play like it's your last! To prepare for a basketball game, eat a high-carbohydrate, low-fat meal the night before, such as fish, chicken, or pasta. There is no rational reason that these thoughts should be given any special belief but somehow they stick in your mind. Proper mental preparation is not much more than making sure you aren’t giving in or being victimized by negative or stupid ways of thinking. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Basketball tips and hundreds of other topics. High knees: As you walk, run, or skip across the floor, lift your knees up and towards your chest. Avoid thinking about outcomes or cuts. ", "Good advice on how to prepare for a game.". Imagine your mind as a general and your body is its army. How to Prepare Yourself Mentally for a Game of Basketball. You have to challenge yourself to play a perfect game. ADAPTING BASKETBALL INSTRUCTION: INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION Basketball is a vigorous sport that requires participants to be very physically active in the standard game. The results can be very negative because if you are convinced you have a reason to perform poorly there is a much better chance that you will in fact perform poorly. Not necessarily! percent than others. How to Prepare for a Basketball Game. Maybe even take a little jog before the game to get your body warmed up. In this week’s video, join PGC Director Matt McLeod as he breaks down the keys to special leadership. "I am not a very positive basketball player when it comes to focusing on the next play after a mistake. Basketball EQ (Emotional Quotient) is a player’s ability to control emotions regardless of the changing circumstances (time and score – missed/made last three shot attempts, etc.) You will receive our weekly Think The Game newsletter as well as receive the latest updates and promotions from PGC. Definitely not! Do this for up to 20 minutes. Jog for 5 to 10 minutes. Even if you’ve had a few rough games, start believing you can succeed. The problem is players put in an immense amount of time, energy, and effort, but struggle to see their improvement. Basketball is an intense and demanding sport that requires a lot of energy and endurance. What do I do if I am very nervous and feel like I will vomit during a game? Get better. Stop overthinking. Stand with your legs in a split stance (one foot in front of the other). Discard outcome expectations or … Your primary source of energy comes in the form of carbohydrates. Place your hands on the wall and lean forward. Before a game, find a quiet place to sit. ", "I am a basketball player. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. The morning of your game, eat a basic, filling breakfast. During this meeting, your coach might go over plays, the starting-line up, and/or substitution patterns. Confidence is the number one objective of your mental preparation. There’s a better option out there! The best preparation is no preparation. Train smart. How can you cope with distractions prepare mentally for a big game? Your preparation is what you have been doing all year long—practicing, repeating, repeating, practicing. So, during your tryouts, use the skills you have that day, no matter how good you feel about your game, and trust what you have. There are many ways to help kids prepare mentally. Eat high-carbohydrate, low-fat meals the night and day before a game. Bend forward and hold one foot. He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. As an athlete, you should strive to drink 2 liters, or half a gallon, of water everyday. How do I get tougher, stronger and scrappy? Yes! Story Links. Yup! Mentally review defensive breakouts, as this can often set the tone for the game. Relax your mind to relax your body. It is fine to do a little mental picturing, as discussed above, but don’t overdo it. It is your responsibility to find the coach, not the coach's responsibility to find you. That's it. There are as many ways to prepare mentally for a basketball game as there are players. ", "It's simple and tells you everything you need to know. Then during the game, i just play the songs over in my head. Talk to supportive friends before a game as it might help calm your nerves. Talk with your teammates and shoot around to prepare for the game. Most importantly, always stay open. Try to stick to water, especially on game day. If you have a big test or assignment for school, start studying for it or working on it earlier in the week so you're not up late cramming or doing homework the night before a game. During what warm-up exercise do you run while lifting your knees toward your chest? There are always other games to play and new challenges ahead. how to get ready for a basketball game...Hoopers be saying the Lord's prayer but really be thinking THE BASKETBALL PRAYER instead to get ready for their game The night before a game, consume a high-carb, low-fat dinner. Or Contact Us HereYou can also check out our FAQ page here. Repeat on the left side. You can use meditation to clear your mind of negative and/or stressful thoughts. What can I do to improve my rebounding? Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. Read on for another quiz question. Normally 10 minutes will be fine, but if you're getting really relaxed then keep at it! Once comfortable, close your eyes and take the next 10 to 20 minutes to just focus on breathing in and out. Shouting out loud is a good way to relieve the pregame tension you feel. “If I shoot well in practice the day before the game, I don’t shoot well in the game.” Or, “If I shoot well in warm ups before the game, I won’t shoot well during the actual game itself.” Conversely, “If I’m missing in warm ups, I usually hit during the game.”. Basketball Coach. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Don’t Overthink It! He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. It is your responsibility to check in; it does not grant you any brownie points. Preparing for a basketball game is something that you need to do mentally as well as physically. Don't laugh; even the pros meditate before games. Turn every event, every circumstance, every condition in your favor. Straighten your front leg as you lift up your hips. I want to share with you a problem I have faced. Prepare for a basketball game with help from a professional athlete and wellness specialist in this free video clip. What if I'm playing against a team that has always crushed my team? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 208,802 times. On the night before your game, don’t spend tons of time stewing over the game. To discover how to master the subtleties of the game that most coaches don’t have time to teach, join us at a PGC camp near you. Don’t become anxious about your nerves, you will need an … You can alternate between drinking water and a sports drink. Throughout the basketball game, try to drink between 4 to 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes. Make sure that you are hydrated so that you have enough energy a for the game. Just because you check in with your coach, it does not mean that you will be a part of the starting lineup. Part of the series: LS - Basketball & Sports Training. Bring your right foot forward and pick up your head. Check your planner everyday to ensure that your are staying on track or ahead in school. How To: Officiate charging or blocking in a basketball game How To: Officiate a traveling call in a basketball game How To: Jab, step back and shoot a 3 pointer in basketball How To: Power dribble in basketball How To: Prepare Young Volleyball Players for Travel Teams The mind gives commands and your body does them. I started to gain mental toughness at an early age when my older cousins started pushing me around.I was able to transfer that state of mind to the basketball basketball court by saying in my head that, “I’m the best player on the court!” This article helped me a lot. I choose to be one of those athletes.” Period. It has benefits because of the sugar, so I would say have a glass or a bottle of it 30 minutes to an hour before your game, but other than that, stick to water. You can work to improve your shot during practice. Cooling With Your Teammates If you enjoy laughing, having fun, and being around people, this one of the best techniques you can do to prepare mentally for a basketball game. What is the best way to get hyped up before a game? Or, do you feel like when you attend basketball clinics it just isn't enough? Eight tips to mentally prepare for tryouts: Leave your expectations at home, they won’t help you. The afternoon before your game, eat a light lunch. Nerves show that you care abut the game, but they can be a horrible feeling. Instead, he had a general circuit of drills. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Prepare-for-a-Basketball-Game-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Prepare-for-a-Basketball-Game-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Prepare-for-a-Basketball-Game-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid473938-v4-728px-Prepare-for-a-Basketball-Game-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"