When the Houston Rocket’s selected Royce White as the 16^th pick of the 2012 draft, it was common knowledge that he possessed tremendous basketball skill.  He proved this throughout his high school and college careers in Minnesota and Iowa.  He impressed throughout the NBA combine. Still, the professional scouts viewed him as a significant risk resulting from his battle with anxiety disorder. The mental game of basketball is considered critical to wins and success on the court. However, Houston coach Kevin McHale pushed for Royce as his next power forward, and convinced the rest of the Rocket staff to take the chance.

Anxiety disorder covers a broad spectrum of mental issues that create stress from many situations.  White is extremely candid about his disorder, and his journey to manage the effect it has on his life and basketball performance.  He understands the severity of panic attacks, and their mind numbing ability to crush a person’s mental confidence.  He suffers fear of groups of people, and missed media day for the Rockets as a result.  His biggest challenge is his fear of flying in airplanes. Although he managed through a flight to meet with Rocket officials the morning after they announced his name in the draft, he still constantly worries about the travel schedule required for an NBA player.

His journey requires a vigilant effort to maintain a basketball mental toughness, while addressing constant fears and anxiety. White made a short documentary that followed him through the night of the draft, and relayed this about his fears, “Panic attacks are like, if you have one you are susceptible to another one. Your mind races and the adrenaline starts to pump. The adrenaline is so powerful it makes your heart beat faster. That sends it back to your mind, and you’re like, my heart is beating. Panic on top of panic on top of panic. It feels like you’re dying.” 

The mental aspect of the basketball game is more prevalent today than ever. Sports psychology in basketball is just as important to winning championships as strength and physical conditioning.  Many professional players retain a sports psychologist or mental game coach to properly deal with not only the pressures on the basketball court, but just like Royce White, anxieties that occur in everyday life as well.  Fear of flying is just one example of a fear that creates crippling anxiety that spills over into a player’s basketball mental toughness for the game.

Any athlete struggling with anxiety and a negative thought process should consider seeking a qualified sports psychologist or mental game coach who is not only knowledgeable, but also creates a method of communication that strengthens the player providing clear instructions and support.  At the all levels of play, utilizing the ideas and practices in basketball psychology improves a player’s mental game and ultimately physical performance. A mental game coach creates a plan to diminish anxieties, and alleviate the pressures of competition, thereby greatly improving the overall mental toughness of the athlete.

The power of the mind lifts an athlete to fantastic play beyond their physical ability, and also causes subpar performance that has nothing to do with muscular weakness, basketball finesse, or conditioning. The use of sports psychology in basketball to harness that power in a positive way achieves greater performance and improved quality of life with the right instruction and guidance. Royce White’s transparency into his struggles is inspiring to many that they can still function and succeed while dealing with a mental illness.  His fans hope he finds the right support to move on to the level of the NBA while dealing with travel schedules and all the pressures associated with a professional athlete.