Basketball Blog: Become an Athlete to Stand out

Each year, our directors spend a lot of time with the many special basketball players that our program attracts, along with great observing coaches. As shared in each of our first lectures, there are two types of players who attend any summer basketball camp or player development program: athletes and campers.

Athletes, as we intentionally refer to them at Point Guard College, are the type of basketball players that attend with a mindset of maximizing improvement. Campers, on the other hand, go to basketball camps with a more casual approach of maximizing fun.

At PGC, we can quickly spot the athletes because they find a way to contribute to gym sessions; practicing each of the elements of SCHAPE (Spirit – Communication – Hustle – Approach – Precision – Enhancement). Campers contaminate the gym sessions with a ‘disease of me’ attitude, always focused on how THEY are feeling, how they are doing, and how they’re playing.

Athletes sit in the front of the class, communicate engagement with their eye contact, take the detailed notes and eagerly participate in the classroom discussions. Campers sit in the back attempting to hide and even sneak in a quick snooze mid-class.

Athletes are always present and engaged in the gym sessions, most especially during group demonstrations. Campers fiddle with the basketball, take flippant shots, and are undisciplined once a basketball drill begins.

During any basketball camp or skills training environment, athletes look at the daily schedule and think, ‘We have a full day of basketball ahead. I can’t wait!’ Campers look at the daily schedule and think, ‘When do we get to go the pool?’

Athletes are a joy to coach, have the ridiculous attention to detail all coaches love, and are constantly enhancing the environment each week this summer.

Which do you want to be? An athlete or a camper? Which do you think a winning coach would want to have on his or her team?

Also, think about it like this: When a college recruiter is scouting you from across the gym, what will they see? An athlete or a camper?

Whether you are joining us this summer, travelling with your AAU team or looking to stand out during the an upcoming college recruiting period – be an athlete, not a camper.

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