What If Your Coach Yells At You?

“A successful person is not one who has found the right set of circumstances, but rather, one who has developed the right set of attitudes.”
—Dick DeVenzio

Mental Toughness is about what you choose to focus on. Players that are not mentally tough focus on petty problems like:

• It’s too hot.
• There’s no AC in the gym.
• The ball is flat.
• The floor is slippery.

Mentally tough players are more noble minded. They put their focus and attention on the things that really matter like winning a championship or what it takes to be a special player. To be noble minded is to be focused on:

•Attitude
•Approach
•Effort and intensity
•Team interactions
•Tone of voice.

Players that are noble minded pride themselves on being mentally prepared for any situation.
They go into a game and say:

• “It’s hot in here?” Excellent!
• “The ball doesn’t have any air in it?” Great!
• “We have bad referees tonight?” Terrific!

Mentally tough players know these are the kind of petty problems that their opponent is going to be distracted by or use as an excuse to not do their best.
When you are mentally tough, you’re prepared to do your best no matter what the circumstances. Conditions don’t distract you.

How Do You Know You Have Mental Toughness?

When a referee makes a bad call…
Do you complain? Do you get all frustrated?
or
Do you pride yourself in not accepting any gifts from a referee?

What happens when someone talks trash?
Do you get all hot and bothered and lose your focus?
or
Do you smile and walk away and get even more focused and more determined?

What happens when coach yells at you for something that is not your fault?
Do you pout and feel sorry for yourself and angry?
or
Do you look him in the eye and listen to what he’s saying and try to find the learning?

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge of controversy.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Take pride in your “un-ruffle-ability”, your nobility of mind and your ability to routinely rise above petty problems. You can’t afford to major in minor things if you want to win a championship. If you can learn to choose your attitude moment to moment, it will give you a huge advantage in basketball and in life.

PGC basketball camps develop self-discipline, initiative, laser-like focus and the mental toughness it takes to lead your team to win a championship.