Dear Coach, Parents, Players
Welcome to the July addition of our summer newsletter. Time is fast approaching to our 20th annual JAM Fall League. Make sure to view our website for fall league registration and all future events. Our #1 priority for JAM continues helping coaches and parents build confidence in today’s youth. Summer is going fast, make sure plans are in line to improve your game.
- Mark Sharpley
The Comfort Zone
One of the most significant ingredients to success is a player’s ability to be comfortable being uncomfortable. The comfort zone is a player’s enemy. It leads to or keeps a player soft. It leads to complacency.
You have to constantly and consistently step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. There is no reward for leaving out hard work. The player who can push themselves further once the situation gets uncomfortable is the one who will win. That is what makes great players so amazing. They thrive in adversity.
In addition to helping players get stronger, quicker, and in great shape, it is the coach’s goal to push players out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. It is their goal to help them increase their tolerance for discomfort (mental and physical). Coach’s request players train hard so the critical aspects of the game of basketball become less tasking.
Two great training quotes from Coach Mike Krzyzewski include; “Temporary discomfort leads to permanent improvement.” additionally, “You can have the pain of discipline or the pain of regret… take your choice.” Both quotes exemplify the same point – if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone now… you will reap the benefits ten times over in the future. But you have to have the courage to sacrifice your immediate personal contentment.
When you are working on your ball handling, do you spend extra time on your less dominant hand even though you make more mistakes? Or do you just keep doing the drills you are already good at?
When you are getting up shots, are you a “casual shooter” or do you run through every rep at game speed? Do you come off of imaginary screens and make hard cuts… or do you simply do spot shooting?
When you are working out doing push ups, crunches, or a high school athlete lifting weights, do you stop as soon as there is a slight “burn”… or do you push through and do a few more reps? When you are running sprints, do you stop as soon as you are a little “winded”… or do you stay the course and run a few more?
The answers to these questions will determine how successful you will be next season. Remember, you have to deserve success. And to do that you have to leave your comfort zone now. Train hard. Train smart.
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