Building Your Basketball Confidence

How to Build Your Basketball Confidence

The wonderful world of basketball. Basketball players have to build their basketball confidence to excel on the court. Yes, you have to be skilled and understand the fundamentals, but without basketball confidence, you can’t become the best player that you want to become.

In a different light, for many of us, there’s nothing like good old-fashion fun. Sports and exercise compliment a healthier lifestyle. According to Live Strong, not only is playing sports physically beneficial, but athletes are statistically proven to be more social, have higher academic performance, and even have an edge in the business world.

Personally, without basketball, the guidance of my family and the man upstairs, I’m not sure where I would be today relative to my social skills, health, intellect and business acumen. Even though basketball helped facilitate a life that I couldn’t imagine, it can be both physically and mentally challenging.

A game of basketball can be so intense and exhausting for coaches, players and parents. I just coached a 6th grade team yesterday and am mentally exhausted. We lost by 3 points and the game was so fast paced.

From a coaches’ standpoint, you become mentally exhausted because you are trying to get the players to do what they have practiced. You want them to compete on every play and ultimately win the game.

The game is intense for the players because so much is going on and they are trying to do the same things that I just mentioned in the previous sentence. The next statement is true for basketball as well, the better a player is, the longer they will stay on the court and ultimately the more challenges they will face throughout the course of the game!

When you are tired you may not have as much focus and lose your concentration on what you are trying to accomplish. Sports and life can be a physical and mental game. Instead of saying can I, figure out a way to just do it!

To be successful at any sport, you must have confidence in your abilities. In your basketball games, do you have confidence? Are you overall a confident person?

If not, did you know that you can build your basketball confidence?

Practicing is the key ingredient to building basketball confidence. Many of the greatest athletes practice so much harder and longer in comparison to other great athletes.

Michael Jordan would shoot hundreds of free throws and 3 point jumpers daily, often being the last person to leave the gym. The more you spend time engaged in the same techniques, the more you become familiar with them and the better you get at doing them.

Getting the right coach to assist with your basketball IQ can help your basketball confidence. The right coach can be your mentor and counselor on and off of the court. Practice, and get help! Its necessary if you want to develop your skills and confidence. Coaches prepare you to play and build your basketball confidence within a team environment.

Also, try playing with a different amount of players. A full court of 6-8 players consist of everyone covering more space. The less people you have on the court may require you to play more roles. A good game of one-on-one is keen when developing basketball confidence.

True story, one day I played 1 on 5. I was home from college and went to the local recreational center and 5 high school kids who played at the local high school team was playing pickup. I felt that my skills had improved tremendously by playing at the college level, so I audaciously asked them to play 1 on 5, they smirked not knowing who I was and agreed to play. I won 15 to 13!

Of course the kids shot long jumpers and didn’t play smart basketball. I positioned myself under the rim when they shot the ball, they didn’t double team me and I scored at will. The point is, I was able to build my basketball confidence going back in to my sophomore season by beating them.

I was forced to work on my ball-handling as they corralled me, my jumper from all areas as they had 5 bodies on the court and I had to guard multiple players to win the game.

When developing your skills you are also developing your confidence. Always practice as practice makes perfect. Learn your strengths and weaknesses on the court. Always look to improve. One easy way to aim for improvement is to stay competitive.

Play with players more skilled than yourself in order to improve. Birds of a feather flock together, and as you play with more athletic players, you will become a better basketball player.