fbpx

Basketball Mental Skills Article

Elements of Mental Toughness

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 just dribbling the ball and scoring.

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

Every day, it is essential to make yourself better and be the best in your game.

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

Being mentally tough plays to the advantage of the player, especially when they are playing a hard 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 in a team and not attack nor compete unnecessarily among themselves.
  • Resilience. Basketball mental toughness requires resilience. Resilience is the ability to keep going even when the odds are playing against the team, and they are facing a difficult situation. Also, developing the basketball mind needs resilience so that players can 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 times of adversity. They are open to re-educating themselves and are not afraid to go back 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 when on and off the court and can react accordingly to save a seemingly hopeless situation. 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 tact whenever necessary.

How to Develop Mental Toughness

Developing mental toughness may be a difficult task for you as an athlete.

However, it is important to remember that you have more power and strength at heart than you know.

If you feel like you are facing a limitation, remember it is just a hurdle in mind that you can overcome.

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

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *