Originally Posted on
Everyone wants to play more, but are you putting in the extra effort to EARN more time. Every day you have to show the coaches and every teammate that you want and deserve to be on the basketball court! Have you identified what your weaknesses are that have you on the bench? If not, you need to ask your head coach to sit down and explain those to you. Once you have that info, be sure to tell him or her that you won’t miss a day of working on those weaknesses so that you can become the complete player he or she is looking for. Are you just fitting in with everyone as a comfortable bench person (DNP Posse)? Sometimes it is not cool to push for more time or make the starters look bad in practice by putting forth extra effort. Well that is BS! This isn’t a popularity contest, just like no job in your future will be. It is all about you pushing yourself beyond any limits that you thought you had to become the best that you can be.
Yes, of course, being a good teammate and working as a unit is absolutely necessary — but you letting your foot off the gas at any point of any practice is not an option. Until you become a starter your games are everyday at practice. You have to win every drill and every possession until everyone in the gym takes notice. Oh — you’re not strong enough or don’t shoot it good enough. PERFECT — now you know what to do during every available 15 minutes that you have everyday. You have to work on those weaknesses until they are strengths. Below is a random list of things that bench players should be doing everyday to show that they are into the game, into their teammates, into winning and that they should be in consideration for more playing time:
- Have a discussion with the coaching staff on what it will take for you to get more playing time. They need to know that you are hungry.
- Show up early and leave late. When you are on the court always be working on your game to show how bad you want it.
- Push the starters in practice. It is your job to make their practices as tough as possible. This will help the team get better and make your game better. COMPETE!!!
- Guard the best player on your team in every drill and every possession of practice. This will get you much better quickly and show your FIGHT!
- Sit close to the coaches on buses and meals. You will learn what they are looking for and get closer to them.
- Be involved in every timeout to know exactly what the coach is saying. He will notice that you are ready.
- Always sit far up the bench toward the coaches. You will get in the game quicker just by them seeing your face so much.
- Do extra conditioning after games to make sure you are in the top 5 fitness levels on the team and ready when your opportunity comes.
Make yourself the player that you want to be and can be! Basketball, like life, is a simple math equation. The more you put into it the better and quicker results you will get out of it. Claim your future in this incredible game by outworking everybody you know. Your goal cannot be to be a cool basketball player. Your goal has to be for everyone to know that you are the hardest working player in the area!!! Good luck.