The basketball season is upon us and excitement is building at all levels. For most high school athletes fall sports are coming to a close and the focus will shift to winter sports. And for those athletes, this is a new opportunity to define themselves and start fresh no matter what happened the year before.
With that being said, there are times when young basketball players are drained and maybe the excitement level isn't where you want it to be for your basketball program. Let's look at a few different ways basketball coaches can get their players excited about getting back in the gym.
1. Fresh Start
Coaches, it’s extremely important to let your players know that this is a new opportunity for them to show new skills and confidence that may not have been there last season. Let your players know you’re excited to see how much they’ve grown from the previous year and also highlight how their role could increase with more consistent play.
These simple conversations give any player hope that they can be the best version of themselves for the upcoming season. It will also increase competition and excitement because nothing seems preset. A fresh start and the conversations included can be a simple and effective way to get players pumped up this season.
2. Motivation
Simply put, motivation is one of the best ways to get players excited for the upcoming season. This could include short videos or quotes you’ve found online. Motivation could also include sit down convos with the player and staff.
The greatest coaching skill, in my opinion, is the ability to motivate someone to go beyond even what they think is possible. When this happens, it's extremely important to highlight and praise this growth because it generates excitement that will spread throughout the rest of the team. Challenge your team captains or leaders to get players going in open gym and also the start of practices. Lastly, make sure the expectations are there and when they are upheld be sure to acknowledge and praise the kids for it.
3. New Training Tools
One of the absolute best ways to get players excited is to provide them with new training tools like Dr. Dish shooting machines.
These basketball training tools will get players in the gym and keep them there longer. The ability to see shooting stats over time and the growth that comes with it is an easy way to generate excitement but also promote accountability. Players can compete against each other in Multiplayer Mode or even challenge themselves with the Me vs Me feature. Training will become more efficient and players will feel less intimidated to go into the gym by themselves to get better. The opportunity to improve is there and more than anything the chance to get better each day.
For more information on how Dr. Dish basketball shooting and rebounding machines can help increase excitement in your program, click here. And like always make sure to train hard, train smart and train with a purpose!
MORE TIPS
I recently had the privilege of sitting down with some of the top high school and college coaches to hear how they get their teams excited about the season.
Listen in to hear from:
- Mississippi State Women's Basketball Head Coach, Sam Purcell
- Wayzata High School Boy's Basketball Head Coach, Bryan Schnettler
- Lincoln High School Boy's Basketball Head Coach, Greg Berge