Reading The Court

Mastering The Moment

"The key is seeing and doing. If you're focusing on anything other than reading the court and doing what needs to be done, the moment will pass you by."

Phil Jackson

Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior

"To win, you must stay in the moment because that moment can change everything."

Augie Garrido

Life Is Yours To Win: Lessons Forged from the Purpose, Passion and Magic of Basketball

"You look for opportunities - moments some call risks - and you figure out how to manage those moments to create big moments."

Rex Ryan

Play Like You Mean It

"Greatness in sports is born in the moment."

Sam Sheridan

The Fighter's Mind
  

According to Anthony Robbins, author of "Awaken The Giant Within", you will make three decisions at any given moment of the day that will determine your future - deciding what to focus on, deciding what things mean to you and deciding what to do to create the results you want. So, in sports, and especially in a game-time situation, it is important that you are mentally prepared to make the right decisions. It is knowing how to mentally manage any moment to create a bigger moment for yourself and your team. And it begins with how you think.

Making the best decisions as a basketball player on the court is all about learning how to assimilate, anticipate and act. It is the "Triple A" formula to building a sharper mind, and knowing how to cut through anything that is a distraction, and destroys your concentration, composure and confidence. It's training your mind to continuously ask yourself - what do I see? - what do I expect? - what do I want? When you do this, you will be able to focus, put things in a positive frame of reference and be a proactive player. It's all about reading the court and mastering the moment.

You are learning how to take in, on a visual and cognitive level, what the moment is offering you, and then translating that into identifying your options and opportunities. It's mentally conditioning yourself to be present and proactive. Positioning yourself to respond to what's happening right in front of you and playing a pivotal role to help your team. To set the screen, make the backdoor cut, block and rebound, initiate the fast break or go for the layup. It's being in the right place at the right time with the right move. And all five players on your team who are on the court as playing pivotal roles.

If you want to successfully read the court, and therefore master the moment, here are a few things that you shouldn't do and actually want to refrain from doing - think about what you can't control, the mistake you just made, looking bad to others, what others say about you, how you compare to other players, why you didn't get more playing time, only yourself, your weaknesses, what you don't want to happen, the last game, the scoreboard, how good the other team is, and what is wrong.

When you think about any of these things, you can't be in the moment and you can't read the court. In fact, you are in many different places except on the court at that moment. You are essentially out of place. And you have definitely lost your opportunity to make the most of the moment in front of you.

Therefore, if you want to read the court, master the moment and become the best player you can be, then you will want to practice these mental strategies on a regular basis - think about your strengths, your purpose, what you control, why you love the game, how you can serve your teammates, what you are grateful for, what you want, what you are learning, what is right, what brings you joy, what inspires you, playing within yourself, and taking a deep breath.

It simply involves being in the moment, seeing the opportunity in that moment and believing that the moment belongs to you.  

Game Time Vows

"Alertness is a measure of how many nows you are alert to in a given period. The result is simple: you become more aware of what is going on as you learn to keep your attention in the now."
W. Timothy Gallwey
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance


"One of the best ways to create desire in yourself is to learn to really enjoy your own performance of skills well done."
Kirk Mango
Becoming A True Champion: Achieving Athletic Excellence From The Inside Out


"...if you stay focused on the immediate and realistic options that are open to you, you can transform even the most extreme situations in to meaningful experiences."
Ron Brafman
Succeeding When You're Suppose To Fail: The 6 Enduring Principles Of High Achievement



When the game begins, make three mental vows to yourself.

Now - Be Present 
Have the presence of mind to be aware of what is happening at every moment.

Wow - Be Positive
Continuously remind yourself why you are enjoying playing this game and what you admire about yourself as a player.

Pow - Be Proactive
Always focus on your task or responsibility at each moment, and decide how you can make the greatest impact.