A while back I read a great quote by Bob Knight, “Most people have the will to win, but few have the will to prepare to win.” I have never met a player who has said that they didn’t want to win a game, but I have met countless players who do not do everything they can to win. I’m not talking about during the game. I’m talking about everything that leads up to the game, like off-season training, team practice, and your preparation to win.
Preparing to win is not easy, its hard work! If it were easy, everyone would do it. It separates champions from the rest of the field. You need to work as hard as you can, be persistent, be dedicated and enthusiastic in your training and preparation. Ask yourself this question: Do you want to win? I’m guessing the answer is yes. Now be honest and ask yourself: Do I do everything I possibly can to put my team and myself in a position to win? Have I trained as hard as I can? Do I give maximum effort in practice or when I train? Do I study the game and learn from great players? Do I study scouting reports in order to give myself an edge over the competition? I can’t answer these questions for you, only you know the true answer. If the answer is truly yes, great! Keep doing what you are doing and success will follow. If the answer is no, challenge yourself to develop your game and preparation with dedication, persistence, and hard work, because that is the only path to success!
Here are a few tips to help you prepare to win:
1. Schedule and write down all your workouts. Stick to your schedule, don’t miss workouts. You have to decide how important being the best player you can be is to you.
2. Watch as much basketball as you can. Watch great players and study what they do to be successful on the court. Study the moves and skills that make these players great and remember the greatest players in basketball history are the hardest workers in basketball history.
3. Evaluate yourself. Be honest in your evaluation. Are you working as hard as you can? Are you doing everything possible to achieve your goals? What can you do to get better?