WHY I WROTE MIND GAMES

Last night I was playing in my usual pickup run (often the oldest one there by anywhere from 5 to 25 years, but can still hold my own!).

Three games had three different situations that had me reflecting on my own writing.

Two easy turnovers on easy passes I have made a thousand times in my sleep, with one costing my team the game.

Then there was a blown wide-open layup, with only space and opportunity between me and the hoop, that would have sealed the victory (we still ended up winning). A right-handed simple layup that I’ve been making for over four decades.

Over forty years of playing and thirty years of coaching, I still walked off the court thinking the same thing I have told hundreds of players.

Next play mentality.

But I am also human, so yes, I did spend a couple of minutes on the sideline being angry at myself after the game we lost.

When you coach long enough, you stop being surprised by talent. Last night reminded me that age and experience don’t mean you aren’t prone to mistakes.

I have coached players with better handles, better shooting touch, and who can fly down the court. And yet there were others who played more, because the more skilled/athletic kid couldn’t keep their head straight when the clutch moments arrived.

Composure. Confidence under pressure. The ability to reset after a bad possession instead of carrying it into the rest of the game.

None of that shows up on the stat sheet, and most of the time it isn’t part of a normal practice plan. We drill our body for hours, but leave our mind to figure it out on the fly.

There are tons of physical training resources available for young players: personal training coaches, online drill videos, conditioning programs, etc., but it’s hard to come by something that is beneficial for youth from the mental side.

Yes, there are sports psychology books, but many of those are filled with big words and not exactly written for a 10- to 17-year-old who could actually sit down and work through chapter by chapter.

But what if players had access to a book with written or physical exercises that help improve their mindset, like they improve their jumper?

With reps.

This is where MIND GAMES came into play, taking what I have learned and seen firsthand during my playing and coaching career (as well as through my time as a youth worker).

Created as a 16-chapter workbook, organized into four “quarters,” MIND GAMES walks players through a variety of mindset habits that translate both on and off the court.

Every chapter has exercises and reflection tools, not just a bunch of words to read. It’s meant to be used time after time, not just read and finished. Grab the book here.

So who is this book for?

Everyone.

Young players who want to improve the mental side of their game to match their physical one.

High school players chasing a scholarship or even a better spot in the rotation.

Rec players who want to feel more confident in a gym mixed with friends and strangers.

And for coaches who have experienced these issues on their own teams and may not have had a tool/resource to provide for their players.

If any part of what you just read sounds like a player you have coached, played with, or raised, this book was written for them.

And apparently, it was written for me too.

Now, time to hit the court and work on my layups and chest passes!