“Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” Bill Russell

In order to be the best in your sport, you must have a strong mental game in basketball.

Basketball psychology is becoming more and more popular with athletes and teams on all levels.

There are specific techniques and strategies players can learn to help them develop and improve their mental game which in turn will help them reach their full potential.

Mental Game Coaches concentrate on the individuals as well as the team as a whole. They focus on the strengths of the athlete’s mental performance, physical abilities, and mental preparation skills.

A Mental Game Coach help athletes expand their repertoire of mental skills to achieve more control over what happens during competition by having their mind and body in sync.

The Mental Coach helps the athlete connect their mental skills and physical abilities to achieve peak performance.

They are also mindful of the players’ nonverbal communication. The body language of a player is important as it relay messages that may be difficult for the player to articulate.

A player who is unexpectedly silent and not doing a good job in practice maybe going through something that is difficult to talk about that could lead to depression then poor performance in a game; whereas a player who is upbeat, “messing around” and not taking practice seriously may be overconfident for unknown reasons, that too may interfere with performance in a game.

A team with low chemistry and selfish players’ may be an indication of grudges between players. This behavior will affect the team’s ability to work together as a unit. If the team is not working together as a unit it makes it difficult to win games and impossible to win championships.

The Mental Game Coaches may have team sessions. This will allow the coach to gets a deeper understanding of the players, how they fit into the team’s structure and their mindset.

Developing the mindset of the individual and the team is part of having a strong mental game in basketball.

LeBron James is an ambitious player. He strived for greatness.

Kobe is a hard working player. He worked hard to attain the stardom he has.

The mindset of these players determined their success and your mindset can do the same.

“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Working hard to be great is a mindset that is rooted in mental skills that will make you mentally tough.

Basketball mental toughness is a necessity for players with talent who want to make it to the next level.

By putting a plan in place it will not only improve your talent, it will improve your mental game and confidence.

This will make you a mentally tough player. By being a mentally tough player you will develop to your full potential. With your full potential developed, you will reach peak performance and win championships!

• Download the free mental game assessment and get started on Improving your Mental Game in Basketball.