While each situation can be different, our stance or opinion tends to be this: Be patient and evaluate what your child is doing away from the games. If little individual practice is happening, it would be irrational for parents to push their sons/daughters to be aggressive in the games. The most aggressive players typically put in the most time practicing on their own. This is where their confidence comes from. It is difficult to be aggressive without confidence. A confident player is more willing to take chances and make an aggressive play with the basketball whether or not they are successful in doing so. Players that lack this confidence tend to avoid taking chances and will stay within their comfort zone (which usually means deferring to another player to be aggressive). Confident players are less concerned with the results of failure.
"How do you develop confidence?" Confidence on the court does not translate in the same manner as we see it in every day life. Walking tall and acting confident can be faked off the court. On the court, confidence is revealed through how the game is played. Simply saying "I can do this" is not sufficient in athletics especially basketball. There has to be some background or previous evidence that will give the player that "push" to take a chance and make an aggressive play. This is where practice and repetition come in. John Wooden has often stated that confidence is attained simply doing something over and over again the right way and seeing positive results. If a player is to be confident in making an aggressive basketball play, there must have first been practice of that skill away from competition. Competition will give the player the experience to demonstrate that skill after they practice, but we cannot expect a player to be aggressive in a game unless there has been significant quality practice.
At TIBBS, our instruction cannot start with "Be confident because you can do it"...We put players in positions in a non-intrusive practice session in which they can practice their skills at game speeds with successes and mistakes happening often. (Mistakes are necessary for improvement!!) They receive instant feedback because there are only 2-3 players working with one coach. This type of practice will lead to improvement. Obviously, the more practice...the more improvement. That improvement and success in practice will then lead to developing confidence which will carry over to the games. Even as I write this, it seems like a simple concept and formula, but the individual practice aspect is not as evident in players with the abundance of games that are being played. (I won't go back into that as I already discussed that topic in a previous post!!)
Unfortunately, the pace at which confidence is gained is immeasurable and varies from player to player. One certainty remains: practice is necessary for improvement in skills and confidence, and confidence is necessary for performance. As always, we appreciate all who have allowed us the opportunity to work with your sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters. We are very lucky to be able to work with great kids and parents!!
Matt Wilber
Matt Wilber
