Former Galesburg High School girls basketball coach Evan Massey shares his insights on the game and other topics through his Massey Basketball blog, now featured here on WGIL.
•••
Participation in high school sports can be a valuable experience. Studies point out the value of participation in athletics. Many successful people point back to their athletic experience as being important to their success later in life.
Athletics can be used to build self-confidence, the ability to handle adversity, teach value of teamwork, foster leadership skills, and build pride.
Here are 10 Tips to Help Athletes Have a Successful Experience:
1- Being a good student is more important than being a good athlete. In life there are more doors opened by being a good student than by being a good athlete.
2- Focus on the process. Enjoy the experience of being part of a team, sweating together, and competing together. Enjoy celebrating wins and grow from handling losses.
3- Want practices and games that challenge you physically and mentally. If you develop a mindset of toughness, you and your team will be prepared and handle challenges in games. Learning to handle tough challenges will help build a self-confidence that will help you pursue challenges in life.
4- In sports you may experience losing a close game, missing shots, the referees not making good calls, and even not getting into a game. Learn from the bad things, grow from the bad things, and go onto the next play. Learning to handle adversity is an important life skill.
5- If you are not happy with your role, have a conversation with your coach. Have a conversation not a debate. The purpose of your conversation should always be to understand what the coach is thinking. Be willing to do a personal inventory of your strengths and weaknesses in relation to what the coach wants. You will not change the coach’s opinion with your conversation but the conversation can provide a road map to success. Your coach wants you to succeed.
6- Have a conversation with your parents about your participation in sports. Share with your parents why you are out for the sport. Share with them what your goals are in the sport. Listen to what their goals are for you. And share with your parents how they can help make your sports experience a positive experience.
7- Use sports to develop leadership skills. Whether you are a star or you are playing very little- you can be a leader. Look for opportunities to impact others by being a leader. Leadership skills will help you throughout life.
8- Bring energy and enthusiasm everyday. Don’t have good days and bad days in terms of mood and energy. Learning to be an energy giver will help you in all aspects of your life.
9- The greatest joy in athletics is to be part of a team. Enjoy your teammates. Learn to be a good teammate. Being a good teammate will be a skill that aids you throughout life.
10- Have pride in yourself as an athlete. Being an athlete on a high school team requires commitment, work, and sacrifice. By being out for sports you are showing qualities that will be important throughout life.
Click here to visit Evan Massey’s blog Massey Basketball.
Follow Massey Basketball on Twitter
Follow Massey Basketball on Faccbook
