Happy Halloween, everyone! You know what’s really scary? Letting your basketball skills get rusty. Yikes!

Something we really get right in the U.S. of A. is holidays. From Independence Day and Christmas to more silly ones like Valentine’s Day and Halloween, we know how to party. Holidays are fun, but also just great excuses to get together with family and friends.

Unfortunately, Halloween gets a bad rap compared to some of the other holidays because a lot of people take advantage of it. Many people are going around in costumes and masks, which makes individuals think they can get away with things. Vandalism and theft are usually up around this time, often involving kids.

As athletes or student-athletes, you have a lot on your plate. It is already tough to balance your work and or school life while improving on the game that you love. With a sport like basketball, you have many teammates that depend on you to pull your weight and set a good example. For that reason (among many others) you need to remember to not let peer pressure or other temptations get you into trouble.

“The person is the player” as Rob Yanders says. Anything you do off the court has a chance to impact you on the court. One or two silly decisions may have an impact that you aren’t prepared for. You know how to conduct yourself; make smart decisions that are not going to even have a chance of negative consequence.

Before you do anything tonight with family, friends, or on your own, get some free throws up. Holidays are unique because they are seen as days-off from the norm, even ones like Halloween, where you must still go to work or school. On days in which people are soaking up time off - that may be your opportunity to get even better than normal at your craft. Days like this are the perfect opportunity to outwork your competition.

As it often is around this time, tonight is looking like it will be cool and wet. This may not be ideal for putting in work in the driveway or street, but you know where you can find a gym to get some work done in. Even a state-of-the-art facility like The Basketball Movement is simply built around some basketball hoops. Give us a shout if you would like to come in and outwork your competition.

Happy Halloween again, everyone! Remember to stay safe, soak up family and friends, and outwork everybody else during the holiday season!