The following was written and sent to me by Darren Fenn, a 14-year professional basketball player, member of the Canisius College Sports Hall of Fame, and Buffalo News 1997 Player of the Year.
As basketball season ends in the coming weeks, it's time for serious and dedicated players to reflect, evaluate and plan. Begin by taking the time to look back on your season with as honest and detached a perspective as possible. Basketball is an intense and highly emotional game and the season can drag by or shoot past depending on factors like winning, playing time and team cohesion. Now that it's over, try to leave the emotion aside and objectively evaluate both your team's and your own play. There are some basic team related questions that every player (whether star or last player off the bench) should honestly answer:
1. Did I do my best to help my team have a successful season?
2. Was I the best teammate I could be on the court, during practice, on the bench and in the locker room or did I cause friction or a poor team atmosphere in any way?
3. Did I give every play during practice and games my maximum effort?
4. Did I continue to work to improve my game during the season, did I learn and get better?
Once those questions have been answered it's time to take assessment of your individual performance, abilities and inadequacies on the court. Ask yourself questions like these:
1. What are my biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?
2. If I focus on improving this skill _______, will my game improve drastically or will other opportunities open themselves up for me on the court?
3. What kind of a defensive impact did I make for my team this year and how do I become a better defender?
4. My goal for next year is to average _________, what do I need to improve to get there?
5. Do I need to start a strength training, plyometric or speed-agility-quickness program or does my school offer it?
6. How do I become a better overall player?
These are just some sample questions to better define who you are and what you need as a player. By now you should have a pretty good idea of what you did or didn't accomplish last season, as well as a decent list of things to work on and improve. Now it's time to define a plan or routine to take your game to the next level. Looking at your list, you should be able to see that it's simply not enough to go to the Y and shoot around or play pick-up with a couple of kids from the neighborhood to really improve. True growth comes from planned work and a relentless dedication to work that plan. Will you have 3 hours or more of focused training a week? Will you ask a friend to help? Can you look up some videos or workouts on Youtube to help with a skill? What will you try to accomplish each hour on the court? When you do play, will you focus on a certain skill set during the scrimmage?
Time is the most precious commodity to us all because it can never be recovered. If you play basketball for fun, to stay in shape or as a hobby then this article isn't necessarily for you. But, if you're serious about your game and improving, then maximize your investment of time by creating a detailed plan and executing it. During my career, from high school through the pros, I was fortunate enough to have 22 post-seasons. The ones I planned gave me the biggest returns and the best seasons. If you ever need guidance, WNY Premier Basketball Training is a phone call away and always here to help. Free 30 minute evaluation offered, no strings attached. Keep working!!!
Yours in basketball,
Darren Fenn
Owner: WNY PREMIER BASKETBALL TRAINING
716-997-1711
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