Off-Season Preparation

When you play playoff basketball, you are zoned in on the game one minute and then, after you lose, thrust into the off-season. You go from playing your most intense (and hopefully finest) basketball to preparing for the next go-around. All in (at least it seems) a minute.

Well one thing that I have learned over the years is that after one season ends, it is good, first, to take a breather. To get away. To relax. Regenerate and rejuvenate. How much time away varies on the individual. But no matter who you are, time off is necessary and good.

During that time, however, it seems vital (and this is the second thing) to think through the season that just passed and to spend some time preparing for the preparation period for the season that comes next. That might be a mouth full, but that is what I am trying to communicate. Prepare to prepare for the coming season. Rest, rejuvenate. Absolutely. But while doing so, think through how you might best utilize the off-season for the season that comes next.

In order to do this effectively, it seems best to write things down. Don’t just think through some things now and again. But set aside some time to brainstorm a bit. Watch a few games from the previous seasons. Note your strengths. Note your weaknesses. Then think about how you might better strengthen both your strengths and weaknesses. Do you need a personal trainer? What summer leagues are best? How can you tailor your workouts to improve your game, so that the player you are for next season is much, much better than the player you were before.

You know there are a lot of players that are very talented at a young age, but never really improve upon their game as the years go by. This is due, in large part, to a lack of commitment to get better. Or a lack of vision for who they want to be. Or a lack of preparation for how they are going to get there.

So take advantage of this off-season. It is the time to improve. So it is well worth setting aside the time to adequately prepare for the season of preparation.