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Fake Evidence Appearing Real (F.E.A.R.)
As athletes, we live for the challenge. We train for hours, pushing our bodies to their absolute limit, all for that moment of performance. But sometimes, the greatest opponent isn't the clock, the defender, or the heavy weight—it’s the insidious, quiet voice of fear. Fear has a simple acronym that sums up its true nature in the competitive world: F.E.A.R. (Fake Evidence Appearing Real). It feels real, it hits you with that familiar pit in your stomach, but most of the time,
Beige Egonio
2 days ago


Gravitropism and the Mindset: Why Elite Players Embrace the Struggle
Every moment in basketball—from the perfect jump stop to the clutch free throw—is a battle for postural control. The force of gravity constantly tries to pull us off balance. At ABP Athletics, we call this the study of Gravitropism: the mastery of controlling your physical center of gravity (COG) against external forces. But for a player to truly become elite, they must also master their internal gravity—the emotional and mental weight of pressure, fatigue, and mistakes. This
Deonte Tatum
Oct 16


Holding Back
Holding back does not help you. We are going to look at this from 2 perspectives. One is you trying to save yourself for something that...
Deonte Tatum
Oct 9


Focus On Your Own Yard
What’s your yard? Your yard is full of your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations. This requires your full attention daily. It’s your...
Deonte Tatum
Oct 2


Revelation to Revolution
Sometimes, all it takes is one word that unlocks the door for a player realize who they are. As a high school senior, I had heard you...
Deonte Tatum
Sep 12


It's Your Choice
It's your choice! A lot of times young players give away their power to other things, situations, or circumstances. They allow for things...
Deonte Tatum
Sep 4


The Dawn of a New Season
The dawn of a new season. It’s like walking outside to freshly cut grass, and you take it in, and now you can’t wait to invite your...
Deonte Tatum
Aug 28


Get The Little Things Right
Getting the little things right every day is how you make it. Recently, when working with a player on their shooting, I found myself...
Deonte Tatum
Aug 21


Pushing vs. Pressuring
The million-dollar question parents have about pressuring athletes: How do I get my kid to perform at their best? This question is both...
Deonte Tatum
Aug 14


Does The Microwave Work?
"My child should be playing all the time; he’s better than those other kids. I want my child to be the best player on the team right...
Deonte Tatum
Aug 7


How Bad Do You Want It?
In the heat of battle, if all things are equal or unequal, it all boils down to one thing: how bad do you want it? Wanting something can...
Deonte Tatum
Jul 31
Being a Competitor
Being a competitor is more than just saying that you are. A competitor is someone willing to go beyond themselves to do what it takes to...
Deonte Tatum
Jul 24
Urgency
Coaches want their players to play with a sense of urgency . Playing with urgency means that players move with sense of purpose at all...
Deonte Tatum
Feb 6
New Year, New Opportunities
What will you do with your new year? At the end of every year, you should spend time reflecting. This helps us all appreciate where we...
Deonte Tatum
Jan 30


Impact
Focus on the things that are going to make the greatest impact in whatever you are doing. A lot of time, basketball media outlets show...
Deonte Tatum
Dec 12, 2024


New Season
A new season means what happened in the past is in the past.What I love about seasons is that they change .You can now make this season...
Deonte Tatum
Dec 5, 2024
Being Thankful
Be thankful for being able to be around or play the game we love. Not everyone gets the opportunity to watch their kids play. Not...
Deonte Tatum
Nov 28, 2024


Your Next Big Things is a Little Thing
Rob Yanders, a legendary Missouri State basketball player and fellow baseball coach, once said, “Your next big thing is a little thing.”...
Deonte Tatum
Nov 21, 2024


Keep It Simple
People say basketball is often compared to life. When you take care of the simple things, life gets better. If you keep the game simple,...
Deonte Tatum
Nov 14, 2024
Teams That Play the Best Together Usually Win
Over the past several weeks, I have been in talk with other coaches and former college and professional players. First off, most of them...
Deonte Tatum
Oct 31, 2024
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