David D Comes to Improve...

I have been conducting basketball skill improvement sessions for over 8 years, and during this time I have worked with hundreds of players, from middle school up through and including professional players. I always follow the same process: conduct an evaluation of the players' skill level, review the evaluation with the player and set some goals, make a plan, start working to improve, review and repeat. Players come and players go.

David D came into the gym over two years ago, as an 11-year old player. I noted, among other things, that he was explosive and had good ball handling skills, but, he needed to work on his body control, had some poor visual habits, and needed to refine/correct his shooting mechanics. I have made similar observations about hundreds of players. David, however, was different.

David is now 13 years old, and when I look back at the video that I captured during his first session, I am amazed at the difference. He has improved dramatically in every area. The refinement of his shooting mechanics really jumps out, he now has an efficient one-piece shot that he is very accurate with. He can shoot off of the dribble or the catch. You don't have to be an expert to see the difference. How has David made these improvements? What is the secret?

David D comes into the gym, for each and every session, with one purpose. He comes to improve. He is focused. He is ready to work. He maintains a high energy level and he pushes himself on every repetition, of every drill. David is not afraid to work on areas that he is not already proficient in, he has a growth mindset. He wants to improve, and he is willing to pay the price to do so. He works on his game in between our sessions, and this is one of the keys to his improvement. David has the mental skills necessary to succeed. This is rare.

David recently attended the Duke basketball camp, along with 700+ kids with basketball dreams. I asked him how he did, and when he told me that he won the free throw contest for the entire camp, I wasn't surprised. David didn't just go up to Duke for fun, or for the experience, although those were important elements. He went to learn. He went to compete. He went to improve.