Stay Ready

There is no telling what will happen in the next few months but you being unprepared when the time comes is not an option.

With lockdowns being instituted and the season slowly shifting into questionable once again, it is more important than ever for you to stay ready. As Chad Kanoff reminded us, control what you can control (“Control the Controllables”, August 2020). There is no telling what will happen in the next few months but you being unprepared when the time comes is not an option.

After getting through the first major shift of the season this summer, it was easy to feel the let down that occurred amongst all amateur athletes. Understandably so. Dreams were dashed and hope was lost. However, once the let down subsided, everyone was back to working hard and I applaud all of you for being resilient during these strange times. Now with the potential of another shift in the season, uncertainty brewing and the holidays upon us, we are entering another fork in the road. This is a simple reminder to stay the course.

Further, it is important to stay on task. Go back through your goals and see what you have, or haven’t, achieved. Find time to set new short term goals that give you focus over the next period of time. They don’t have to be earth shattering landmarks, but they should be something meaningful to you that helps you improve your craft. Either mental or physical.

- Study 20 minutes more a day for the next three weeks.
- Learn a new offensive or defensive concept.
- Finish the book you are halfway through.
- Spend 10-15 more minutes in weight room for those last few pounds of muscle.
- Continue to try and make that throw you have been struggling with all summer.
- Learn the playbook even better than you did before.
- Improve your eating habits one meal at a time.
- Run an extra 10 minutes each workout.
- Try something new in fitness; yoga, kettle bells, etc.

Lastly, keep track of these goals and achievements. Write down what you achieve and what you don’t. It is easy to let your mentality slide and your fundamentals slip. You must stay focused. Stay locked in. Stay ready.