Outplayed vs. Out-Talented

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Players, Motivation & Health | 0 comments

I’ve read a great article of Wayne Goldsmith, who runs the blog The Sports Coaching Brain. He writes about the reasons why athletes and teams lose and brings it down to two basic aspects: You lose by being outplayed, rather then by being out-talented.

I like the way he sees it and puts it straight to the point. Let’s be honest: Who hasn’t said things after a tough loss like “They had better calls from the refs!” or “They had more luck than we did.” etc.

Clear your mind and accept defeat

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents, For Players, Motivation & Health | 0 comments

In a game like Basketball one team has to win and the other has to accept defeat. This does not demean a team in anyway, but yes it does tell the defeating team that its time they pull up their socks and learn from their mistakes.

No matter how sweet success can be, defeat has to be equally accepted, and when you got beaten you have two choices: either lick up your wounds, and move on determined to play the next game well, or put blame on team mates, coaches or referees. Make your choice wisely!

The game of Basketball is much like the game of life, which is filled with bumps and defeats. It is your ability to accept the defeat, understand what went wrong. Practice and improve on your shortcomings and give your very best in the next game. It is a matter of pursuance and there is nothing better than to know you did your very best to win the game.

Preparing kids for their first Game

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents | 0 comments

Dealing with youths is slightly different then dealing with a professional lot of players. Youths are fresh to the game, and while they are still competitive, they are more playing the game to make friends, be with friends, or because it’s something to do. Very rarely are youth in a league to take their team to the championship, or to go undefeated. They are there to blow off steam and have fun. Coaches need to nurture this while teaching the basics of the game without attempting to force the competitive side of the game.

Winning and Losing with Class

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents, For Players | 0 comments

While it is fun to strut your stuff when you win, there is a line that you come to where the celebration can be excessive. The same comes on the flipside of that coin, if you lose the game, you can’t just sulk around and hide. Sore losers and sore winners can often tarnish what otherwise was a hard fought, excellent contest. This is an issue and needs to be addressed even before games so that players cannot claim they didn’t know they might have crossed some lines. It is easy to get caught up in the moment, but takes real class to know the true limits.