If I ask any of the high school players I train what their school GPA is, they can immediately give me a number down to the tenth of a point. However, if I ask them the same question as it relates to basketball, I get a blank stare. So I ask them again, “If you had to assign yourself a basketball GPA, what would it be?” Most of the time the answer is much lower than their academic GPA. So what’s the difference? If both academics and sports matter to them, why do we systematically track their progress in one and not the other? I say…Let’s start!
Most coaches will tell you that training is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. If that is the case, then why do we spend so much of our time and resources on training for the 20 percent and ignoring the 80 percent? If we ignored studying 80 percent of the material for an upcoming science test, we would probably fail. However, in the same breath, we think it is perfectly acceptable to prepare our athletes for competitions while ignoring the mental training aspect and expect a favorable outcome.
In my opinion, an excellent sports training regimen is comprehensive, structured, consistent, tailored to the appropriate season, and personalized. And while many programs have mastered these areas in the physical training realm, I have yet to find a holistic one that properly addresses the mental aspects. I mean, when is the last time you dropped your child off for a one on one training session with a Mental Conditioning Coach? My guess is NEVER!
I am going to be the spark to ignite the movement towards changing the way we train our youth. I am writing this here so all of you will hold me accountable. In 2018 I will launch a Virtual Training curriculum designed to address both the mental and physical training aspects of basketball. This will be a structured class designed for each individual to track their results. It will also give each player the confidence to train autonomously, a trait I try to instill in not only my players, but my own kids. If we can help the youth of today have the confidence to step outside the box to problem-solve, I believe our world will be a much brighter place. I am doing a virtual class versus an in-person class so anyone in the world can participate; the more people I can help, the bigger the ripple effect in this world.
So, please join me on my journey. I am entering uncharted waters and I would love some explorers to join me on my quest to push past the limits of our minds.
Charlie Miller is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and master basketball trainer. He has owned his business, ATTACK Basketball Academy for 6 years and is passionate about mentoring the youth of today. You can contact him by email at charlie@attackbball.com.
