You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.-Jerry West

Being a great basketball player involves more than dribbling the ball and scoring.

To be a great player, you have to do just as much within as you do on the court.

It is essential to make yourself better and be the best.

Mental toughness is one aspect that many coaches and players may ignore but needs to be integrated into a player’s daily routine.

Being mentally tough plays to the player’s advantage, especially when playing a challenging game.

Below are elements of mental toughness and how basketball players can learn to be mentally tough.

Elements of Mental Toughness

• Sportsmanship. As a sportsperson, any basketball player will likely face disappointments. However, game-ready athletes know how to handle disappointments because their basketball confidence is high.

Psychology for basketball speculates that players are more likely to experience disappointment and feel low after a loss, but good athletes handle it well.

Sportsmanship also means that players can work together and not attack or compete unnecessarily among themselves.

• Resilience. Basketball mental toughness requires resilience.

Resilience is the ability to keep going even when the odds are against the team and facing a difficult situation. Also, developing the basketball mind needs resilience to adjust accordingly if need be.

• Flexibility. Flexible players can take whatever comes their way and turn it into a positive experience without becoming defensive.

Basketball psychology shows that flexible players are more likely to make the best out of their situations because they can think differently during adversity.

They are open to re-educating themselves and are not afraid to return to the drawing board if a plan needs revisiting.

• Responsiveness. Responsiveness for players has been discussed in several basketball psychology articles.

A responsive player is always alert on and off the court and can react accordingly to seemingly hopeless situations.

It is, therefore, important for players to understand that for them to succeed or win, they have to be ready to conquer the unexpected and change whenever necessary.

How to Develop Mental Toughness

Here are seven powerful ways to build mental toughness.

1. Emotional stability
2. Perspective
3. Readiness for change
4. Detachment
5. Strength under stress
6. Preparation for challenges
7. Focus

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