3 Ways to Motivate Your Players Without Burning Them Out

As the basketball season comes closer to the end, many coaches struggle with figuring out ways to motivate their players without burning them out. Starters have played major minutes, bench players have practiced everyday without seeing significant game time, and oftentimes, the team in general is having a tough year. It’s every coach's hope and desire to get the most out of their team and here are 3 ways to get it done.

1. Switch it up

After months of practice, players typically know what to expect each day when they hit the court. Routine is great, but at times it’s a good idea to switch things up to generate excitement. This could include new drills or competitions. It could also include giving the players an opportunity to say what they’d like to do or work on during practice. In a way, it gives the power to the players for the day and it’s a great way to make them feel included. Change, even for a day, can be difficult for any coach, but try this and see how it helps motivate and reengage your team.

2. more out of less

At Dr. Dish, we preach purposeful reps. This means working hard and getting the most out of the time you have. Oftentimes, coaches feel like they have to fill time and extend practices as they believe it will help. But, in reality it can be wasted time. A great way to get players motivated is to shorten practices towards the end of the season and make them more efficient. It’s important that coaches let their players know the desire is to see them work harder in a shorter amount of time. Another idea is utilizing training equipment like Dr. Dish shooting machines to get more shots up and skill development in.

3. utilizing a different voice

Another great way to motivate is having another person come in to chat or work with your players. This could be a professional motivational speaker, it could also be a teacher or even past alumni. Sometimes these people can say the same things coaches are saying but in a different way. A new voice can better resonate late in the season and help ignite a fire under players that may have taken their foot off the pedal late in the season. 

Try these at the end of this year and see if it generates a positive reaction. Remember, players burning out is a real thing and it can hurt their growth and team success. Get your players motivated when it counts and I can guarantee growth and success will follow!