You’ve put in the dark hours. You’ve knocked down thousands of jumpers in empty gyms, sharpened your handle until the ball feels like an extension of your hand, and transformed your body. On paper, you are a completely updated player. So why are you still playing like your past self? It is one of the most frustrating paradoxes in sports: physical capability evolves much faster than self-identity. You can upgrade your skill set in a single offseason, but your brain stays anchored to the...

Is frustration good or bad for your development process? The question is: why are you frustrated? If it’s with learning something new and you are working at it and working it, then know it will come. If you’re frustrated with your effort and focus, then change it. There is no better feeling for a development specialist than when a player who was frustrated with trying to figure something out finally gets it! The exuberant feeling of "you did it" makes all the battles worth it. As a trainer,...

Walk into any locker room, dugout, or gym, and you will inevitably hear the whisper: "Coach definitely plays favorites." It usually comes from a place of frustration, often muttered by a player struggling for playing time. But let's be totally candid: Do coaches have favorite players? The short answer is yes. However, the reasons why they have favorites are rarely what the critics think. It isn't about arbitrary preference, politics, or who has the flashiest gear. It is fundamentally about a...