The Last Game of the Season
I think the last game of the season always hits hard for me. I only got to play 1 year in high school and I absolutely loved it. I did not get to play much; I think I only played a combined total of 4 minutes all season and I think I had 2 total points. But the competition during practice, the camaraderie of the team, and learning so much about a game I love just couldn’t be beat. You’re going 100 miles an hour during the season and then it’s a sudden stop at the end of the buzzer. And unless you’re the lucky team to win the last game, you’re hit hard with the finality of it all. No matter what, after that last game, the team is never the same.
Now that I coach, I flash back hard to my last high school game at the end of each season. I remember crying so much thinking that we were so close to winning the whole thing. Sad that I knew, as a senior, there were no more chances. And sad that my team mates, my friends, we weren’t going to get to play again.
If you’re reading this blog, odds are you might have felt, or will feel, something like this sometime soon. I think the first thing to do is to take a day or two to rest. Whether you’re fresh from getting cut during tryouts or you’re waking up the morning after the championship game, take a day or two to rest. But after that, the off-season has started. Here are some things I recommend on Day 1 of your off-season:
Identify your goals. And not just in your head, write them down. Put them in your wallet or purse and keep them with you, but carry them, literally, with you. And these goals can be as small or as big as you want. Want to make the JV team? Great! Want to be NBA MVP? Perfect! Write down those goals. Maybe shoot for 3 to 5, with at least 1 of those goals being something that is attainable within the next year.
Now, look at each of those goals. Start jotting down how you are going to get there. If your goal is to make your school’s team, whether you made it or not, find the coach and set up some time to have an honest conversation. What is the coach looking for in a player? What does the coach think you need to improve on? If you’ve tried out before but didn’t make the team, think about what tryouts looked like and how you can show improvement at every point during the process. Overall, you want to ask yourself what you want to improve on as a player and how are you going to go about getting there. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know.”
Find the resources that you need to be successful. If you don’t know, reach out to me and let’s set something up. We can map out a plan to help you achieve your goals. The number one resource you need is YOU though. Are you willing to put in the work? Do you have the time to put in the work? It’s. On. You. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone!
So, it’s the first day of the off-season. Where are you going to go from here?