A Rob Yanders quote cuts deep as we reflect on the impact your life can have on your game.
Often, we are told to shut out emotions as players. The ideal basketball player is always calm, cool, and collected. It is one thing to play with passion, but carrying feelings of sadness, anger, or even a carefree attitude onto the court can negatively impact your play. All of this may be true, but it is unrealistic to expect this from players at all times.
Whether or not you realize it, your life is affecting you on the basketball court. This can be a positive or negative thing. When things are going well in your life, you have less worries. Less worry means less distraction to take away from what you are doing in game-time situations. Basketball can be a distraction from life on its own, but life always finds its way into your thoughts and demeanor.
“The person is the player” is a favorite quote of The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Rob Yanders. This quote was first brought to my attention in an interview with Trae Bell-Haynes, a pro player in Germany. Rob understands that players are more than just guards and forwards - they are people; sons, daughters, friends, students, employees, what have you.
This understanding is what makes Rob such a great coach. He cares for his players and knows that one way to improve on the court is to have a happy life.
Eliminating negativity from your life can be important for not just basketball, but everything you do. The issue with eliminating negativity is that it isn’t always possible. You can cut out toxic friends and influences, but some potentially negative aspects of your life may be more permanent.
It may be easier said than done, but it is important to try and shape the negativity into controlled aggression, motivation, and a competitive advantage. No one knows exactly what you’re going through besides yourself. If you must dwell on those issues, put a positive spin on them. Use things like basketball to enhance your life by making you rise above your problems. Not much beats the feeling of netting a shot, outrunning an opponent for a loose ball, or skying over everyone for a rebound. The harder you play, the more the issues of the world melt away.
“There are hurdles to overcome in sport and in life. Sport is a very valuable learning ground for how to live your life in the best possible way.”
If things are generally positive in your life, you will naturally have fewer worries on the court. On the flip side though, you may have less reason to have an edge or play with a chip on your shoulder.
As a player, I personally had a pretty carefree attitude. Win-lose-or-draw, I was about the same after each game. I was happy to have been able to play and not too concerned when I didn’t get in as much as I would like. As a person, this contentment certainly seemed like a strength. As a player however, it resulted in a lack of drive that could hold me back in a competitive situation.
“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.”
Everyone is different. Each individual player has a unique situation and a unique way to cope. At The Basketball Movement, Rob Yanders and his coaches are able to bring out a competitive fire in complacent players like I used to be. They can also teach players with more difficult backgrounds to take what they feel may be holding them back and turn it into a monstrous drive to succeed.
Do your best to mold your life into what you want it to be. For help translating everything to the basketball court, contact The Basketball Movement here!