Posted 2/2/2012 by Lyndsey

SELF - TALK

While developing a great step-back jumper and quick release is important, beyond the physical skills, it's just as important to develop the mental side of the game as well. Monitoring and improving your self-talk is a key step to becoming a more high level player. The time to improve your self talk is in practice and training, but not in games.

Step I is creating awareness of what you currently say. Listen to your thoughts during your training and practices. One of the great uses of your basketball journal is writing down what came to mind during your workout.

Step II is identifying key words and teaching points to remind you to stay positive amongst frustration, fight through fatigue, and keep a consistent follow through. Learning to teach yourself is a habit that will serve you years beyond the last buzzer going off.

Step III is constantly improving your self talk. Finding out from great coaches and players what you should be feeding your mind as you train and play. We are in constant evolution with improving this area, so study how to get this important piece of your game better.

Because remember, what you say to yourself is 10x more important than what others say to you.

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 1/24/2012 by Lyndsey

MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS:

• Focusing on the things and thoughts you can control.

• Responding to criticism the same way you do to praise.

• An unshakeable belief in your abilities.

• Insatiable desire.

• Thriving on competition and high pressure vs shying from the spotlight

• Resilience. Determination. FIGHT.

Study mental toughness. Find out how to become tougher. We have never 'arrived' when it comes to our mental acumen, strength, or control. Gaining this key intangible will foster additional success on and off the hardwood.

Great basketball analyst Jay Bilas wrote this outstanding article on 'Defining Toughness' 2 years ago, and it's definitely worth the read!

Shoot me some other bullet points on what mental toughness is, and let's add to this list!

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 1/19/2012 by Lyndsey

Dribble. Dribble. Knee Bend. Spin the Ball. Dribble. Dribble. SHOT

A free throw routine. A physical free throw routine. By the time most players are in middle school, they’ve got their routine. If you’re anything like me, you went to bed re-working it, making it better, and then woke up with a new idea after watching a HS idol or NBA superstar.

Asking if you have a physical free throw routine is a bit rhetorical. I know many players do and most youth coaches teach players to have a consistent approach. But the most important free throw routine is your mental mindset.

Shot thoughts are words that relax and remind you while on the foul line. Come up with 2-3 simple words that connect you to the best feeling you have. And tweak your mental free throw routine the way you have done your physical. Find one until it really sticks and feels great. Average players are often distracted while at the foul line and this will help eliminate and create an increased focus. To start, practice saying them out-loud, and then overtime, you'll find yourself repeating the 3 words like you repeat your ball routine when at the line.

Here are some common words I’ve heard players use:

• RELAX
• BREATHE
• FINISH
• FOLLOW THROUGH
• KNEES
• FLUID
• SWISH

Dribble. Dribble. FOCUS. Knee Bend. FEEL. Dribble. Dribble. FOLLOW THROUGH.

Droppin' Dimes, 

Lyndsey

Posted 1/12/2012 by Lyndsey

Becoming GREAT, OUTSTANDING, SPECIAL, ABOVE THE REST is going to require a lot. If it was easy or simple, everybody would do it. It's certainly going to take these two intangibles:

• ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is defined as (per Meriam Webster) an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. It's quite simple. Eliminate blaming and accusing others and look at every situation with the mindset of: What can I do to make this better? What are the things I can control to enhance this environment? I hear too often during the season comments like, "My coach doesn't talk to me enough." "My coach should play me more." An accountable young person would approach the coach, deal directly, and ask what steps need to be taken to earn more playing time. Quite simply if you're the hardest working player, you make those around you better (leadership), and you have a great attitude, chances are you'll always have a high spot on the team.

• COACH-ABILITY

Being a coach-able young person is one of the first skills I look for in players. Can a player do EXACTLY what the coach just asked of him or her at game speed and with a high attention to detail? Coaches can't stand repeating themselves. Coaches also can't stand justifying to players why they are right. If you are a player who questions your coach, get a job this summer and coach a team. It's not as easy as it seems. Be the player who listens with great body language (unwavering eye contact, ready stance, light head nods) and focuses on each teaching point so you can maximize your time in practices and games. One day you'll have a boss and while you might not agree with 100% of what he says, you ought to develop the habit of doing your job and doing it well now as it will serve you years beyond the hardwood.

Coaches, bosses, managers love people who are accountable and coachable. For the rest of January, focus on what you can do to add more doses of accountability and coach-ability in your life, both on and off the court.

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 1/4/2012 by Lyndsey

The Pre-Game Routine

Routine can be defined as 'a regular course of procedure'. Routines make you efficient. Efficiency is a trait that can lead to greatness. I often challenge young players with this question during hoops season: How efficient are you with your time leading up to a game? Do you use that time wisely and eliminate simple distractions like your phone? Do you visualize what the first 3 possessions for your team can look like? Do you encourage a struggling teammate?

Or do you do what most young players do: random nothingness. Those two words will get you nowhere both on and off the court. At this point in your season, if you haven't already done so, develop a pre-game routine. Stick to it. Use the time wisely. Listen to the same few songs to relax your mind while getting you 'hyped'. Review your playbook. Research what great players do. Ask an older teammate. Be resourceful.

DO SOMETHING and MAKE IT YOUR HABIT! You will find this so helpful as you increase the mental focus you approach each game with. If you have some already great routines, do share!

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 12/26/2011 by Lyndsey

How Many Fingers Do You Have?

Most of us have 10. For the next few minutes, you have 4 fingers. Two on each hand. Imagine tying your shoes. Imagine shooting a basketball. You think learning to throw a football is tough with 5 fingers on one hand as a kid? Try doing it with 2. Or how about something simple like eating with a fork or grabbing a glass. Next time you’re at the table, only use two fingers. It ain’t easy. Trust me, I’ve watched it my whole life.

My older brother by 1 year, Bryan, was born with a condition that stands him at 4’9” and with physical anomalies such as 4 fingers instead of 10, hips for knees, yet normal-sized features like a head and feet.

I often get asked where did I develop such high mental toughness or how was I able to achieve the goals I did. Bryan has always been a large part of that answer. When you grow up next to someone who has persevered through the most simple tasks like opening presents or typing on a computer, you can’t help but become stronger. While growing up, Bryan never allowed his condition to be an excuse as he competed in sports and found various ways to stay involved and positively contribute to the communities we lived in.

And credit to my parents for having the love and support to raise a family of 4 kids and use Bryan’s condition to make each of us better. We would have dinners where we could only use 2 fingers. Developing loyalty was part of it too as being in public would require each of us other 3 siblings to have his back at all times to curious onlookers and young kids without filters. Rather than tell us to feel sorry for him, they expected us to protect him, learn from him, and support him however he best needed. But the best part about that was they never said a word. We learned through watching them and knowing what would make Bryan most comfortable.

So ask yourself as you prepare for this New Year, what’s your excuse? And if you have something you’re struggling with, remember we all see life through different lens. You can be average and complain or blame those around you for the situation you’re in. Or you can take the cards you’re given and make your best hand. Average people complain about the hand they’ve got. Be blessed you’ve got 10 fingers on those hands and go make life happen!

Droppin’ Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 12/19/2011 by Lyndsey

BUSY?!

So is everyone else, especially during the holiday season. Join me in a 10-day challenge to remove this word from our language, and then for good.

It has a negative connotation. It sounds like we don't know how to make priorities. It makes us sound average. We are all busy. We all have emails, phone calls, homework, gifts to wrap, etc. Becoming great is requires great attention to thought. Give attention to the JOYS of this time of year, not the stress. Giving, sharing time with close friends and family isn't busy-ness, it's a BLESSING.

I'm done using the word. How about you?

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 12/12/2011 by Lyndsey

I Sacrificed:

High school social outings for EARLY MORNING WORKOUTS

Sleep-overs for TOURNAMENTS and TRAINING

Prom for an ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME

Going to a college near home (CA) for THE PERFECT FIT AT IOWA STATE

A job for MY MARRIAGE

Lesser Desires < DEEPER DESIRES. Someone shared this with me one time, and it's always stuck: "We must be willing to sacrifice our lesser desires for our deepest ones." For the young people reading this blog, find mentors, teachers, or experienced people to learn how to separate your lesser vs. deeper desires. What are YOU willing to give up to achieve your GREATNESS?

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 12/7/2011 by Lyndsey

Coach 1. Cancer 0.

For 4 years, my teammates and I were constantly told, "You hit a road block. A detour. You just find a way. It's life. You'll get stopped. You won't have it perfect. Just find a way. Keep fighting." Or, "Take obstacles and turn them into opportunities. Don't be average."

And then early October came of this year. Cancer. Beginning of the season. No voice. 28 straight days of radiation. Big XII Division I team to run. Players to recruit. Staff to manage. Organizations to speak to. Football team to support. Cardinals World Series Run. Family to love.

Cancer was his road block. Did he quit? No. Excuses? Heck no. Apologize? Yes, he apologized to many people! A man with cancer is apologizing to others for his health changing their comfortable lives. Humility, kindness, care at his core. Heck, he will probably make me run the Hilton steps for posting something like this as his daughter-in-law. But it's bigger than him. It always has been. It's the message, the learning that's important. Something we can all take from.

As head coach, he's given his team the best example of everything he preaches, what he stands for, and what he's created - a program bigger than basketball, much more important than wins and losses. Teaching young people how to be accountable, responsible, positive members of society.

A blog sharing what I learned from Coach could be a novel. Now a coach myself, one thing we can all learn from him is the simple practice what you preach, walk the talk. He's preached it for years and has never stopped living it either. That's one of the many reasons that make him so dang good, year after year. He is a benchmark of excellence. This quote from Steve Jobs is a great illustration of what he's brought to Ames, to Iowa State, to every human being he interacts with, "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected."

Oh, and Go Cyclones. Let's Beat the Hawks tonight!

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 12/5/2011 by Lyndsey

IF YOU ...

• Are GIVING
• Are HARD WORKING
• Are KIND, CARING, COMPASSIONATE
• Are HONEST
• Are RESPECTFUL
• Are GENUINE and REAL

Posted 11/30/2011 by Lyndsey

1 Minute Motivation

If you have EVER used an EXCUSE at some point in your life, watch this 1 minute video. The end will GRAB you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEHQ9tzJpYA&feature=related&noredirect=1

Thank you to Nike and the athlete in this video for sharing this great reminder!

Droppin' Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 11/22/2011 by Lyndsey

The ‘Thank You’ Checklist

 “Well, Coach, can’t we just send them an email or say thank you?” was the most common response. I challenged the athletes to write at least 1 thank you note per day for the 10 days leading up to Thanksgiving. 4 days into the challenge, I had completed 27 and felt behind. Their response: I was too busy. Right. We’re all busy. We make time for the things that are most important to us. 5 less minutes browsing on Facebook and this challenge would be complete!

Yet, when I think of how many doors I’ve held open, basketballs I’ve chased across the gym, and workouts I’ve conducted, I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Many of the before mentioned examples are rarely met with a simple ‘thank you’.

Why? We are entitled now more than ever. Heck, my first job of out college, I expected more than people 20 years prior could have ever imagined. Technology is making life easier for each of us. But that should never replace two of the most under-used, yet powerful words. And power isn’t in felt through a screen. Verbal or hand written appreciation is always more impactful.

Most coaches, teachers, and parents all keep one thing: notes. Everyone wants to be appreciated. Let me help you young people out. Here is a simple check-list:

• After every meal, THANK YOU to parents or whoever provided.
• After every practice, THANK YOU to your coaches.
• After every game, THANK YOU to the officials.
• After every school year, written THANK YOU to your teachers and school administrators.
• After every gift, written THANK YOU.
• After attending college visit, written THANK YOU.
• After every job interview, written THANK YOU to the interviewee for their time.

At 26, I’ve been blessed to have and now create my dream job. And how did it all begin? A thank you note. They will open doors and make you stand-out in ways above and beyond your peers. More importantly, you will develop a life habit of sincerely appreciating what you’re given on a daily basis.

If you haven’t done so already, join me in the challenge and get at least 5 written before Thanksgiving. And put your phone away during the holidays and enjoy spending the time with the people you are around. Let the Oklahoma State tragedy be a sad reminder we are not guaranteed anything.

Be blessed. Be thankful.

Droppin’ Dimes,

Lyndsey

Posted 11/14/2011 by Lyndsey

Be the B.E.S.T You!

Welcome aboard and thanks for joining along! This website was designed for YOU - the athlete, the coach, the parent, the casual observer who wants to take your LIFE to another level. Each of us are destined for greatness, and we hold the keys to driving towards higher success in any given area. The acronym B.E.S.T. was created around 4 key pillars that I've collected over the years in my traveling, studying, and researching how the most dynamic, energetic, and successful people not only do basketball, but do LIFE. The blog page will be collection of videos, words, and pictures that illustrate how we can make a better, and ultimately, the B.E.S.T. you!

Future blogs will write out each of the 4 pieces of B.E.S.T:

• BRAND YOU
• ELIMINATE EXCUSES
• SPONGE TO SUCCESS
• TRAIN YOUR THOUGHTS