Chronicle – The mind in basketball: fundamentals | Basketball Europe

Each month, Basketball Europe offers you a chronicle, a real Masterclass on one of the most important aspects, but often neglected: the mind. Last month, we detailed the free throw approach. Today, place to the fundamental importance of mental performance in young basketball players.

The best players in the world never got tired of repeating the fundamentals. Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic… all have made fundamentals their trademark. They had, or have, in their game a total control of the supports, their dribbles, their shots and continued to perfect the simplest basics to reach a level of excellence where many were enough to execute more or less these same fundamentals correctly. One of the differences between an exceptional champion and a good player is there, in the detail and the degree of execution.

Working on the mental aspect in young people must become the norm

In mental work it is the same. As the teams return to training, how many players worked on their minds during the summer? How many will still let their emotions play tricks on them during an important free throw, a last possession, or a game where there is more adversity than usual?

CHRONICLE – THE MIND IN BASKETBALL
Episode 1 – The basics of mental preparation
Episode 2 – Meditation, the mystical tool of performance
Episode 3 – The perilous exercise of the free throw

The best players have understood that it is essential to find the balance between their technical, physical and mental abilities. A very athletic player but without good technique will not be able to help his team despite his physical qualities. On the other hand, a technical player who does not work on his physique will also be limited by a lack of cardio, strength or speed. Finally, a player with a big mind will surely help his team on and off the pitch, but he won’t be able to do much if he is not technically or physically up to it.

A school for life

There is therefore an essential balance to be found. Until 20 to 30 years ago, technique was the major element of basketball. Since then, physique and athletic qualities have taken on another dimension in the world of the orange ball. The next step in the development of the basketball player is therefore the mental approach.

Yet so accessible and easy to understand by all, the mind is still and always neglected, for lack of consideration, not knowing with whom or how to work with it regularly in order to be able to develop one’s skills and reach a higher level.

However, as with each of the values ​​that sport can transmit, learning mental skills allows young basketball players to be more successful in everyday life, because these techniques serve them daily to face the challenges. adversity they encounter (studies, couple, family, work). Hence the importance of developing these qualities.

“The book you don’t read can’t help you…”

During the summer, I too did my holiday homework by publishing the first book that serves as a mental guide for (young) basketball players in French and English – the Lithuanian, Spanish and Slovenian versions will follow in the coming weeks.

Entitled 1 on 1 with yourselfthis little 58-page book gives access to the mental techniques used by the greatest champions as well as 20 situations experienced in matches, and how to mentally prepare for them to be in control of your emotions. and be able to perform as regularly as possible.

This book was not written thinking it was THE ultimate truth, it was written with humility by a fiery ex-player and passionate coach who needed to understand how to handle certain situations in the past. It aims to help young players find solutions within themselves and open up to thinking about mental preparation in basketball.

Available on the Amazon website in paperback or e-book format.

Nico BOURGADE
Coach in mental performance – Certified in hypnosis for sports performance – Holder of the State Basketball Certificate 1
Such. : 06 28 18 40 29
Email: mentalperformancecoachnico@gmail.com

Photo: FIBA, Basketball Europe editing