Becoming a Physically Tough Player

I talked about mental toughness in my first blog post and it talked about how in order to be successful you have to stay mentally tough and never give up. In basketball, you have to also be very tough physically so you can take hits and bumps and keep going. In the book The Hoops Whisper Idan Ravin really analyzes how becoming physically tough can take you to new heights in your career than you ever imagined. "They compete against aggressive players defenders who slap at their injuries-- targeting the torn ligaments on their wrist and thumb when they release the ball or attack the basket-- in an effort to hurt them, scare them, and remind them of their pain" (137). This quote shows what NBA basketball players go through every game and they can only take this pain if they are physically tough. The author says in order to develop mental toughness you have to first be not the weakest and not the slowest in the league. He also says mental toughness helps physical toughness and both help each other. To develop physical toughness you need to be able to take hits after hits and always keep your head up.

"Toughness is as toughness does" (139). For me to develop toughness I have to get stronger and faster which I am working on right now with my training. I have done weight training class at school to focus on my strength. I can lift 20 more pounds now than at the beginning of the semester, but I keep on working at it. Also in training, I make layups and other shots as my trainer bumps me as I come around to shoot the ball. I need to do this more to increase my physical toughness so I can take more hits and bumps in games. Mentally, I need to start keeping my head up after I miss a shot so it doesn't affect how I play the next few possessions. If I improve my mental and physical toughness, I will become a better player.


Which do you think is more important physical toughness or mental toughness?
Ravin, Idan. The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players

Getting Better

Getting better has always been about hard work and the desire to get better at whatever you put your mind to. In the book The Hoops Whisperer, the author and trainer starts preparing soon-to-be NBA all-star Chris Paul for the draft. They start doing drills that simulate game situations and the training gets more intense in order to prepare Chris for the NBA. "In order to play in the NBA as a regular-size person, you have to become quick and fast, but you also have to become comfortable with contact - finding it and taking it" (82).

 

"I created a few drills for Chris to acclimate him to the contact he faces in every game, the pushing and slapping he can expect from defenders" (82). This relates to me because I have started to use these same drills in my training because I'm a regular size guard playing against bigger opponents. I have incorporated these drills into my training to get better in game situations. I have used many different types of  equipment to change the way I train to improve my game.  In the drills to simulate game situations, I dribble the ball at cones as if they're defenders and practice moves to get around them just like in a game.  I am also starting to work more on quick footwork to improve my speed.  I almost always try to go game speed which is the main change I've made. This helps me get used to anything and be able to play faster and at a higher tempo.

When have you ever needed to change your training style to improve in something?

Ravin, Idan. The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players

Chance

In life, chance can play a huge factor for anyone trying to reach a goal, get a job or even a spot on a basketball team. You have to work hard, but a little luck can go a long way. The author of The Hoops Whisperer wanted to work in the NBA as a coach but he didn't have the right connections and they gave the job to someone else. He got a chance at an extremely good law firm instead and moved up the ladder. Law wasn't what he wanted to do but he did it anyway for the money. "But when we took off all the makeup, I was still practicing law, and law just didn't do it for me." (53)

Eventually he started to find time to workout players again in his free time and the people who would show up to these trainings started to get good. The players he trained became great college basketball players who went on to win championships and make it to the NBA. "From working with Steve Francis and Juan Dixon, word of my sessions spread, and soon they resembled a U of Maryland practice, with Juan, Steve, Blake, Lonny Baxter and Drew Nicolas all attending and working their butt off."(54)  

 

 

This resembles me from when I was young. I played on a Renton rec team for a few years. In the summer of 4th grade someone from that team asked me to come play for their select team which was a lot better than the rec team. I have stayed on this select basketball team ever since 4th grade with the same guys. It was just chance that I knew the person who was starting the select team and now these players are some of my best friends. 

 Currently with the help of my select team coaches and by playing in some high-profile tournaments, I hope to be able to meet the right people to help me reach the next level of basketball. 

You never know when someone may take notice of what you can do and help propel you to reach your goals.

Have you ever had a situation where luck played into reaching a goal?




Ravin, Idan. The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players

Perseverance

In every sport, you need to keep working hard and have a good attitude towards anything that is difficult and very tiring. Sports is very humbling. In the book The Hoops Whisper, the author does not get any scholarships to any schools for basketball. Even though his basketball career is basically over he still runs and practices every day to get better. When he goes to college he gets a chance for a walk-on spot at a D-1 school and all his perseverance paid off. He did not make the team that year because the coach had promised 5 players a spot even before the tryout had started. After the tryout the coach comes up to him and tells him to keep practicing and that he would've been the best walk-on. "Despite the academic demands--or maybe because of them--I still skipped rope, ran sprints, and practiced every day on my own." (24)

"So there it was: I was the last player cut from walk-on tryouts at a major division I university." (26) This relates to me when I was done playing select basketball year-round in the 8th grade I thought that I was ready for high school hoops. I didn't practice a lot and then when the summer league tryouts came I got a wake-up call and I didn't make it. Then over the summer I started working again (really hard) and got better and made the normal season team in winter.
Now I don’t take making the team for granted. I still train and work-out outside of normal basketball practice with the hope of making varsity next year. Sometimes I get tired and it seems overwhelming, but I love the game and like the author that motivates me to keep working at it.




Have you ever hit a wall and had to persevere to get through the challenge?
Ravin, Idan. The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players

 

Mental toughness

Mental toughness is a big factor  in order to be successful at any sport you play. If you are the most skilled and athletic player on your team, but aren't mentally tough then you are not as good as you think you are. I agree with the author of The Hoops Whisperer that a coach would rather have a mentally tough player rather than an extremely talented, but soft or overly emotional player.


In the book, author Idan Ravin uses Life of Pi as an example of mental toughness (13-14). Ravin talks about how Pi had to stay strong physically and mentally.  Pi had to stake out his own space and show the tiger that he needed him for food.  Pi had value to the tiger and they needed to co-exist on the raft.  This week we played our first game for JV basketball and I was not one of the starters for the team. I think this book can help me because I need to learn to coexist with the better players, demonstrate my unique value to the team and be tough enough to earn a starting spot. I need to stake my own claim on the team like Pi Patel with the tiger, Richard Parker.

Ravin said in the book, "I learned to coexist with Bron, CP, Melo, KD, Dwight, and the other Richard Parkers of the NBA by carving out my territory on the raft." (13) I need to be more tough about my work habits and get all my school work done early so I can have more time to practice. If I plan on becoming a starter for JV and eventually a varsity player, I can't be intimidated by better players and I need to show my value to the team.


Have you ever needed to be mentally tough to succeed? What steps did you take to help yourself becoming mentally tough?


Ravin, Idan. The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players