A recent study by ExpressVPN on sports streaming habits in the US showed that basketball is the second most streamed sport in America, right after football. Bearing that in mind, young players now have easier access to their favorite basketball games, which can significantly improve their knowledge of the sport and help them to develop analytical skills for their own performance on the field. Aside from watching the games, journaling is another method of improving their technical skills.
As I’ve studied player development, I’ve come to the conclusion that a “Basketball Journal” is a critical part of any self-improvement plan. A simple spiral notebook will work just fine for capturing your thoughts and ideas. Let’s see how it can help you to improve yourself.
1. To capture knowledge from coaches and games.
At the end of practice or a training session, what is your level of recall? Do you remember all the drills two days later? The insights your coach shared? Most players tend to forget over time. Develop the habit of heading to your Basketball Journal shortly after practice or a game to write down your thoughts, ideas, and what you learned. It’s also so easy to stream almost any game now that you can take notes while watching NBA, college, and even high school games.
2. To capture your own original ideas.
A Basketball Journal allows you to capture ideas until you can put them in motion. Once you make the Basketball Journal a habit, you’ll find that Ideas are all around you. Write your ideas down so that you can retrieve them at any time. Simply grab your Basketball Journal and write it down whenever an idea comes to you.
3. To capture your dreams and goals.
Those who write down their goals accomplish significantly more than those who don’t. Your Basketball Journal can be a roadmap to your goal as a basketball player.
4. To work through your challenges more easily.
Writing things down gives you the perspective necessary to find the right solutions. When you ask the right questions, you will get the correct answers. You may even have the answers somewhere in your Basketball Journal from what you have written previously.
5. To keep track of what’s working and what’s not.
You can write down and track your skill development (How many free throws can I make out of 100?) How can you improve that skill? Is it better to shoot 100 free throws in a row or two at a time like you would in a game? Write down what method led to faster improvement. You can track your conditioning, sleep, nutrition, or anything that impacts your game or your life quality.
Being diligent in using your Basketball Journal will improve your performance on and off the court. Start the Basketball Journal habit today!