Building Focus and Confidence in Your Team

I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get a team ready to play a difficult game.  You know the types of games I'm talking about.  The types of games where the opposition is a big rival or is a superior team to yours in terms of skill.  How do you keep the players focused on the game at hand and not the potential consequences of having to play a tough team?  I like to use some of the following methods:
  1. Remind the kids to have fun out there.  Basketball is just a game.  There will be a tomorrow regardless of what the score ends up being (it should be noted that I don't usually bring up score results in this conversation).  What I usually like to remind the kids is to take a deep breath and have fun.
  2. Place key words on the white board and mention them during pre-game.  These are process behaviors which help the team get into a focus mentally for the game.  The words/phrases should be simple and preferably words that you use repeatedly in practice.  Use words/phrases such as be aggressive, nothing easy in the lane (our house), have fun, play with pride, play for each other, play loose and many more to get your team dialed in mentally.
  3. I also like to remind my team that I don't want them to worry about making mistakes.  If you miss a shot so what.  If they steal the ball so what.  If they block your shot so what.  Play loose and play free.  Have fun!  
  4. There is nothing better than playing in an intense game against a good team.  Nothing.  Make sure your players understand that the moment at hand is a great opportunity to taste what it's like to play against high level competition or in a pressure packed environment.
  5. If things don't start well make sure you don't panic. As a coach, your team will feed off of your energy.  If your energy is high and confident then most of the time so will your team's.
In general, when you are preparing your team for a tough game you need to remind them to have fun and not to worry about making mistakes.  Go out there and play your game.  Always respect your opponent but never fear them.

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