Regarding youth sports and excelling in basketball, it is not sink or swim. There is no now or never approach in youth sports.
Our athletes are still young, and finding themselves. They are figuring out the game's dynamics and still questioning whether this is right for them. Adding that kind of pressure placed on athletes at a young age can end up causing resentment, and anxiety. It could even lead to the athlete walking away from something they loved to do. Instead of the game being a passion they see it as a must.
We must help our athletes see youth sports as a walk-or-run situation. The more effort you place in their passion the further they will advance. Building passion and love for the game will do wonders more than adding unnecessary pressure.
Sometimes athletes don’t know how to accelerate in their sport, so a community is built around them to accelerate from a fast walk into a jog. Babies don’t walk when you want them to, they grow and learn over time (by falling… a lot), but when they are ready they walk and it’s the community supporting them and cheering them on that helps that transition. Getting back up is the most important part, or they would learn to walk. Little by little our athletes will eventually move from a run to a sprint, as long as they get back up.
Coach Ben
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