Ballhog or Too Passive?

Poland: Trying to make the right play.

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  LeBron James versus Kobe Bryant.

  But not in a game of one-on-one. Let's take a look at their on-court mentalities. 

  I look at LeBron James as the ultimate team guy. He could average 35-plus points a game if he wanted to. But he has the mentality that: 'I'm going to do whatever my team needs me to do, to win'. His biggest criticism is that he doesn't take the big shots. And that he doesn't impose his will on each and every play.

  On the other hand, take Kobe Bryant. His biggest criticism is that he tries to do it all on his own, that he doesn't involve his teammates enough. I think his mentality is: 'I'm going to do whatever I have to do, to win'. He will take those big shots, every time. He imposes his will every time down the floor.

  Two enormously talented basketball players, two vastly different approaches and mentalities.

  LeBron and Kobe are two extreme examples, on the biggest and brightest stage. But you can see these mentalities on any basketball court in the world, no matter the level.

After a big NCAA Tournament win. Buffs on the scorers table!

  Where do they come from?

Natural Instinct
  One thing I've heard over and over from my coaches, even from the time I was just starting out, is 'Sabrina, you need to look to shoot more.'

  I jokingly had one coach in high school tell me he'd pay me for every shot I took over 15 in every game. At least I think he was joking. One way or the other, I never saw a dime.

  Some kids you have to tell the opposite -- that they need to pass more; involve their teammates more.

  And I'm willing to bet those comments, or suggestions, follow them for the rest of their careers, just as they have followed me.

In Poland vs. Wisla. 2006-2007.

  You can try to be more something, but your natural instinct always will shine through, and be present more often than not.

  If an on-court mentality is something you can be taught, (to be more-selfish, or to be less-selfish on the basketball court, etc), I must be a really bad learner.

  And I don't mean to sound as if I am patting myself on the back. 'Not shooting enough' has been one of my biggest stumbling blocks as a basketball player.

Playing Traffic Cop
  Being a facilitator has always been my nature. Ensuring my teammates are in the right spots, making sure things are running smoothly, a coach on the floor so-to-speak. Being a play maker.

  That's all well and good, but sometimes you need to throw that mentality out the window, and play ball.

  Just get it done. No matter what the play calls for, or where anyone is supposed to be.

  You can see how playing the role of facilitator can be a deterrent: you're focused more on others, rather than yourself.

Colorado vs. Illinois -- freshman year.

  That said, I like the way I play. I feel like I always try to make the best basketball play for my team in every situation. And being versatile has always been a source of pride for me.

  But the grass is always green on the other side, isn't it? You always think something else might be better. And this is no different. Maybe if I played a different way, it'd be better?

  Unfortunately it's a little too late in the game to be making any drastic changes, so I guess I'll never know. 

Learning a Different Mentality
  Can you cultivate demanding more of yourself on an individual level by playing an individual sport (something I never did competitively)?

  In individual sports, obviously, there's only you. You have to make the play every time. By competing in that capacity, you practice being the aggressor, and it becomes second nature. Then when you go back to your team sport, you have those experiences to fall back on.

  The perfect player would have the ability to go outside their comfort zone. They would be able to put their natural instincts aside, and play to what the situation called for. Is that possible on a long term basis?

   This is more so me wondering aloud: Where do our competitive mentalities come from? And can they be learned, or are they innate? What do you think?

'Good Game'

Poland days.

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  In sports, what qualifies as 'playing well'?

  It's a very broad term, with vastly different meanings.

  I came across a tweet earlier this week from a basketball coach, Kevin Eastman, and it got me thinking on the subject. Here's the tweet:

  @kevineastman: Your stats may be good but that is not how you should judge your performance. It should be judged against your standards & not just stats!

The Stat Sheet
  Far too often, a player is quick to grab the stat sheet and check their line following a game. I've always wondered, what are they looking at? Where do their eyes go first? What do they value the most? They already know the final score, so they're not checking that!

  To many, players and fans alike, playing well (in basketball) is defined solely as scoring a lot of points. Personally, I think that's a naive way to define it, the lazy way -- the novice's way.

Post game -- Germany.

  Different players have different skill-sets, and different roles. With that, each players' abilities alter a game in different ways. So points alone might not do their game justice.

  There are players who have an unbelievable ability to put the ball in the basket. So yes, their role may be that of scorer. But if a 'scorer' puts up 20 points, it doesn't give him a free 'good game' pass. What if it took him 25 shots to get his 20 points? What if he isolated himself from his teammates, and took poor shots? What if he did nothing on the defensive end of the floor?

  Or what about a point guard -- she dished out nine assists -- good game? What if she also had seven turnovers, or didn't make the right plays at the right times?

  As competition gets better, the game gets more intricate, and roles are more specifically defined. The point of the game will always remain the same: put the ball in the basket. But not everyone can be a scorer.

Hyped bench -- Sweden.

  What do YOU bring to your team? What is YOUR role?  

  By themselves, stats have no value in my book. Basketball has too many game-influencing factors to be defined solely by numbers.

A Feeling
  For me, playing well has always been a feeling inside me. I know when I play well. I know when I play poorly. I don't need the stat sheet to tell me. And I don't need any one else to tell me.

  I play to my own expectations. 

Warming up in Dunkerque.

  Yes, you need your coach's input about specifics to your team, whether it'd be a strategy, or a particular play. But even so, I know.

  I smile sometimes when talking to friends about their own games. I'll ask them, 'how did you play?' Some will shoot back their stat line -- how many points they scored, or how many rebounds they grabbed.

  But that's not what I asked, I think to myself...

  Basketball is more than just stats, or numbers on a board. It's about winning. It's about your team. It's a feeling.
 

Not 'Just a Game'

vs. Pau

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  There are times when I think that I take basketball too seriously. That I need to lighten up, and not let what's happening on the court affect my life off the court. There are many more life-pressing issues in the world to worry about than how the ball is bouncing. It's just a game after all, right?

  But for me, it's much more than that. And it always has been. 

My Job
  Basketball is my job. And basketball is the sole reason I am where I am in this world.

  If it weren't for basketball, wouldn't be anywhere near Europe. I'd be in the US, working, living my life there, doing who knows what, who knows where.

Win.

  I'm not here to sight see and travel. I'm not here to experience the culture. I'm not here to learn a new language. While those are added benefits to the job, the sole reason I am in Europe, is to play basketball. And to play it well.

  When basketball is going well, I may find time to do those other things. But when it's not going well, I could care less.

  Call it having a one-track mind.

  Yes, I enjoy being abroad. Living in a different country, and experiencing different cultures and ways of life. I would not trade my experiences with anyone. But if I was not getting paid to play basketball, I would not be here.

A Visitor
  I do think it's different, being a foreigner in another country, playing professional basketball than it is being a pro, playing in your native country. One is not necessarily easier than the other. It's just reality.

  When you're 'home', you have more distractions -- more outlets. Friends, family, everyday life, familiar surroundings.

Loss.

  I am a visitor here. When things don't go how I want them to go on the court, I have fewer outlets, away from the game, than those players who are home.

  For example, Sunday morning, after a game, you wake up, and everyone back home is sleeping. It's the middle of the night. So you try to find other ways to occupy your mind and your time. But for me, many times -- especially after a tough game -- my mind goes right back to basketball.

  So yes, you can feel isolated. 

Losing Never Sits Well
  No matter where I am -- home, Oregon, Colorado, France, Sweden, Italy -- you'll never find me smiley and happy after a loss, or after a particularly bad practice. Losing, and playing poorly puts me in a bad mood. Sorry.

  And it takes playing well, and winning, to get me out of that funk. What can I say, I'm a bad loser.

  Maybe that's not the right way to react to losing, but that's me. Maybe it isolates me even further, or puts more pressure on me. But it's what I need.

How I Got Here

Yeah, I take basketball seriously.

  Taking basketball seriously is what got me here in the first place.

  It was coming home right after school, and going straight to the gym. It was absolutely hating to lose, so much so, that I couldn't sleep. It was spending the majority of my summer's working on my game and my conditioning. It's going to bed a little earlier than you want because you have practice the next morning. It's getting extra treatment so you're feeling 100% when it's time to play.

  I've never lost that attitude, and I don't expect to anytime soon.

  My point is, that's who I am. Why would my attitude about basketball change now? Like you, I take my job seriously. And I want to do it well.

  So while I might think, 'sheesh Sabrina, don't take things so seriously', I can't.

 

Losing the Complacency, & Recapturing the Competitiveness

Back to game action.

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  Imagine playing a game you've played countless times.

  But this time, you're a step slow. Your reactions are a little off. You have no feel, or rhythm, for the game. And you feel like you could get hit with a flying elbow at any moment. That's how I felt back on the basketball court, until recently.

  And then I felt things click. Something switched in my head.

  That's what pre-season is for. To get your body in the condition to play physical games week after week. To acclimate to your teammates and develop team chemistry. To rediscover that feel for the game. And also, maybe most-importantly, to recapture that competitive spirit.

  Since I arrived back in Dunkerque nearly three weeks ago, my teammates and I have played in five 'friendly matches'. But they've hardly been friendly.

  It's the first real game action many of us have seen since last April or May. It's not a running workout, shooting, or weights, where there's only one person to worry about: you. It's not pickup, where it's just for fun (for the most part), where you can turn it off and on as you please. It's not practice, where you're working towards a common goal with your teammates. It's a game. And people are trying to beat you. (And I swear, sometimes, trying to hurt you.)

  They're competing.

  Until I felt that switch flip, I felt out of sorts. Like I was being 'out-competed', so-to-speak.

No more shooting workouts. Where it's just you & the hoop.

  We were in a tournament this past weekend in Strasbourg. I was getting beat in situations I wasn't used to getting beat in. I was a step behind. I was reacting, instead of making my opponent react to me. Granted I was still adjusting to the speed and the intensity of the game. But I wasn't competing.

  After my fourth preseason game, I realized I was coasting, and not thinking competitively. I suppose was still in pickup mode, whereas everyone else on the court was already in regular season mode.

  There's such a thing as being too comfortable. I think that's called complacency. Being complacent is not the way to play basketball, or any sport for that matter. If you want to be successful, anyway. Complacency leads to unequal playing fields where you'll always be at a disadvantage.

  When I realized my error in thinking, or preparation, that's when it came together for me.

  I think I got a little ticked -- that I allowed myself to play like that. Playing mad isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as it doesn't hinder you, that you don't stop thinking.

Competing against yourself only does so much.

  I decided to challenge myself, change things up a bit. Play more aggressively than what my 'norm' is. And you know what, things started to happen. I was the aggressor, instead of the reactor. I played freely, instead of over-thinking. Sure, I got a couple of fouls I don't normally get, but oh well. You get five of them. So you better use a couple.

  Your natural demeanor and personality are who you are at the core. In my opinion, you can't really change them much. Demeanor and personality are ever-present on the basketball court, as well as off.

  I'm naturally a laid-back, easy-going person. And more often than not, that sort of demeanor doesn't translate into a successful basketball player. You can't be too nice on the court. If you are, you'll be taken to school every time you step between the lines.

Time to compete!

  So you work to develop your personality on the court, all the while retaining the person you are off the court.

  It sounds a lot like pushing outside of comfort zone. Being a little bit of something you're not (while on the court), all in the name of being successful. The easy thing to do, is to slide into what is comfortable. Then we're back to being complacent. It requires more focus

  If I've learned anything from my three weeks of pre-season thus far, it's this:

- Be hungry.

- Remember why you play.

- And most importantly, competing is never easy. It's hard work!

  Two more friendly matches to go til the regular season! Including one tonight against a Belgian team. I'll keep working!

No Playoffs, No Climax Point

Playoffs in Germany.

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  The last month of any basketball season usually marks its climax point.

  In high school, you were vying for a league championship, and a state playoff berth. Once you hit college, your conference tournament and a prestigious invitation to the NCAA Tournament caught your focus. Finally as a professional, whether in Europe or the NBA, your motivation is to make the playoffs, and for your team to advance as far as possible.

  The climax is what you play for. All the excitement, all the pressure, all the hard work comes to a head come playoff time. That's when you want to be playing your best basketball. Because that's when the games count the most.

  For me this season, there are no playoffs. There is no climax. And I've decided it stinks! It's like reading a book, or watching a movie that has no climax. It just sputters out, and limps to the finish line.

In college, your focus was the NCAA Tournament!

  The league I'm playing in has no playoffs. There is a Final Four 'tournament' for the top four finishers in the league. But unfortunately my team is not quite at that level this season.

  Some teams are still fighting to avoid relegation for the following season (the bottom two finishers in our league drop down to the lower league). Thankfully, as of a few weeks ago, my team has successfully secured its place in LF2 for the 2012-2013 season.

  So essentially, we have nothing to play for. Nothing, that is, except pride, and satisfaction in your own performance.

Playoffs: Bigger crowds to play in front of, bigger games! (Sweden)

  But let's be real, everyone's level of pride can vary a great deal. Just like our ability to self-motivate can differ enormously from one person to the next. Practices can get lackluster (to say the least), and games can feel like glorified scrimmages. My goal is to not allow that to happen in my final two weeks in Dunkerque.

  At the onset of each season, teams usually sit down together and set goals of how they want the season to go. Some might want to finish with a playoff berth and that's it (in most leagues, that means finishing in the Top 8 in the standings). Others might be more specific, and say they want to finish in the top two, or win the championship.

Have to keep focused as season ends!

  The professional season can be very long. You get tired physically, and you can lose your focus mentally. Once you hit that seventh or eighth month, you might find yourself going through the motions. That's where having goals can help keep you and your teammates motivated. Goals give you a way to measure your success, and will keep your eyes on the prize.

  In situations where the season is seven or eight months, I think it's helpful to break your goals down. 'Shorter-sighted' goals are easier to keep focused on, and easier to measure after all.

  While I'd love to be preparing for a a playoff series, or the Final Four, that's not my reality this season. So my motivation remains on my own personal pride in how I play, and how I can improve as a leader. I cannot control those around me, but I can control my effort and my focus on each and every practice, and our final two remaining games.

Learning from Losing

A game earlier this season.

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  For just the second time since the turn of the new year my team, DMBC Dunkerque, celebrated a win Saturday night. Two wins in three months -- yikes! To be honest, I'm a little surprised I haven't been stuck in a deep depression from all the losing. It got me thinking about how I've changed over the years in regards to how I handle losses.

  While my uniforms and teammates have changed drastically over time, my reasons for playing haven't. At first, when I was a kid, I played strictly for fun. Over the course of years and years of practice, it eventually became my job.

  Though, for whatever reason, it's never felt like a job to me. Probably because basketball has never stopped being fun. The work can be hard, both physically and mentally (you do the work to be your best. To me, meaning, to win). And yes, it can be frustrating when things aren't going your way. But when it comes down to it, I STILL find great joy when I step onto the court. And it still is where I feel I am at my best -- in my realm.

One Bad Loser
 

My motto...

  One thing I've learned is that losing never gets easy. Though I think I've gotten a little better at it over the years. When I was in high school, if we lost, I would never be able to sleep. I would literally replay every moment back in my mind: Every shot I took and missed, or every turnover I made; every play that went awry, and wanted to have back, was running in my mind while I tried to sleep.

  The constant game film replaying in my head usually resulted in me tossing and turning the entire night. I would fall asleep at some point, and wake up the next morning in an awful mood, not wanting to go to school. You can bet, nine times out of 10 I was in class the next day. Though I didn't give in without a fight. ;)

  So you can say I didn't handle losing very well as a teenager.

Learning to Adjust

Winning is fun...

 
  I don't want to say I learned how to lose my freshman year in college. But it's safe to say I learned to cope with it better. Point blank: we weren't very good my first year at Colorado.

  We were young, and inexperienced. And that was NOT the recipe for success for competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

losing isn't.

  Our team consisted of one junior, six sophomores, three freshmen and a walk-on. Tough to win in a conference like the Big-12 with a line-up like that. As a result, we took our fair share of bumps and bruises along the way.

  Early on my freshman year, I reacted to losses in a similar fashion. By tossing and turning the entire night, beating myself up, and replaying what I could have done better to help my team win. Eventually I guess I learned how to put the loss aside, long enough for my mind to quiet down, so I could get some all-important sleep.

  As my team at CU got better and more-experienced, winning became the norm again. So thankfully I never accepted losing.

Re-Adapting as a Pro

  As a professional, I've always been on winning teams. Teams that have made the playoffs, and had successful seasons, record-wise. This season, however, has been the losing-est season I've had in a long, long time. I've never had a season in Europe where my team finished below .500.

Celebrating a win in Germany.

  It's definitely not something to be proud of, but I guess it goes to show that I've grown up a bit in that regard. The fact that I am enjoying my time in Dunkerque, even with all the losses, says a great deal. There are definitely still times when I'm not-so-happy about how things are going (usually on Saturday night and Sunday morning after a loss).

  But life goes on, and you learn from set-backs. A couple things I've learned along the way:

• You learn what you really value in life. Things outside of the game that bring you joy. 
• You learn how to persevere. Life will never be easy for us ALL the time. It's important to take the bumps, learn from them, and keep moving!
• You learn to rise above negativity. Losing equals a lot of negative thoughts (your own), and negative things (maybe attitudes, words, actions) around you. You learn not to give into the negativity, and hopefully turn it into something positive for yourself.
• You learn to handle your emotions, and not let them control you. 
• You learn there is always another game, and another chance to redeem yourself. So you have to prepare yourself when that time comes!

  I will never accept losing as the norm. Because losing is not fun. And that's why I play!

Celebrating a big win in Italy.

  You'll never find me cheery and chatty after a loss. To me, the day you're okay with losing, is the day you should stop playing. When you're okay with losing, that means you've stopped caring, and stopped competing. If you don't care, it's time to get off the court. Simple as that.

  But finally I've learned that you can get something out of an L as well!

  With our win over Laveyron on Saturday, DMBC Dunkerque officially avoided relegation (for more about that, read: Avoiding Relegation). Three games to go, and it's clear sailing! Here's to three more wins to finish the season!

An Unexpected Boost: Learning from those around you

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Cope in the post.

  The 2011-2012 season is rapidly coming to a close here in Dunkerque. Five more games, and we can call it a wrap.

  This past weekend, we had our last bye of the season, and I took advantage by watching as much basketball as I possibly could. It wasn't necessarily a conscious effort on my part, it just sort of worked out that way. And I think I found an unexpected boost to finish out my season. 

  Here in France (and Belgium, since I am so close to the border), there are various men's and women's pro leagues. With the number of other teams in the area, you would have thought I would have made it to several games at this point in the season. But until this weekend, I had only been to one game since I got to France in August (a women's LFB game that a friend played in January).

  In the span of two days, I went to two men's games: one Pro B game in France, and a Division I game in Belgium to watch a fellow Colorado alum Chris Copeland play.

  To me, it's very different watching a game in person, rather than just on TV. Obviously, I have seen my fair share of televised basketball games recently. But there is nothing like watching a game in person.

Lille versus Le Portel.

  You can see how each individual approaches the game. Their preparation. Their interaction with their teammates and coaches. Their focus. Their intensity. None of that can be conveyed though the television screen (or the computer screen in my case).

  In case you didn't know, the men's and women's game are two completely different games. Sure it's basketball, but they way the games are played, and even how the players approach the game is vastly different. (Or maybe MY approach is vastly different than how I see most guys' approach being.)

  I don't know how to properly describe it other than saying, I think guys take a "worry about yourself, and it's a full time job" approach. Meaning, they concentrate fully on doing their job, and their job alone, going into the game.

Fresh Perspective
  This weekend, and watching those two games was kind of an eye-opener for me. Or a reminder. And a fresh perspective. When you go week after week, game after game doing the same thing over and over again, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. You're in your own world, and you may or may not get any feedback or advice. As a result, you focus on the same things each and every game. And sometimes when that focus becomes more and more narrow, you can get into trouble.

  So that's what watching those two games this weekend did for me. It broadened my perspective, and it reminded me there are other ways to approach a game (Not that how I have been going into games is wrong. I just think it's good to change up your focus, and freshen it up a bit.)

  I came away from this weekend with a different outlook, and picked up a few things that I can add to my focus to help make me a better player. And I think refocusing will help me in my final five games this season.

  Guys play the game with so much confidence in THEIR game. It's not cockiness (well sometimes it's cockiness, but the confidence I respect, and am referring to is NOT cocky). And their approach to the game reflects their attitude, and that confidence. You can see it in how they warm up, and how they step onto the court.

Floor spread, one on one. Easy.

  During the game in Belgium, I found myself watching Chris a lot. What he did when he had the ball in his hands. And what he did when he was off the ball. We have a similar style of play and skill set, but he has more of a scorer's mentality than I have ever had. He evaluates, and thinks the game in the same ways that I do.

  I noticed he does what he does best, and he's committed to it. He scores the ball. And he asks for/wants the ball every time down the court. But not in a selfish way. He's just aggressive, and wants to do his best for his team. 

  Cause when he's at his best, his team is at it's best. That is something I need to remind myself, and apply to my own game. When I'm at the top of my game, my team will only benefit.

Do What You Do Best
  I get caught up in 'running the play' too much, and forget to just play. But at the end of the day, it's basketball. A game I've been playing since I was five or six. Regardless of the system you play in, the object of the game is to put the ball in the basket. So you have to figure out how to best do that. No matter what. 

  Another thing I noticed was that Chris was able to focus on just doing his job. He wasn't worried about helping the point guard get the ball up the court, or if the center or small forward were in the right position on the court. He focused on himself, and his job.

  He evaluated how the defense was guarding him, and he adjusted accordingly by reading the defense. It's what you're taught to do from the time you first start playing. You always read the defense. If you have an advantage in some way, you exploit that advantage -- regardless if the play calls for it.

  The last thing I took away from Chris's game, was that he was never in a hurry. He took exactly what the defense gave him. If the defense took one thing away, he countered. That's the great thing about being a versatile player: there's no perfect way to guard you. You always have an answer to how a defender is playing you.

Floor's spaced!

  When you take this approach, you're reminded just how EASY the game of basketball is. It's not a complicated game, but sometimes it seems that way. Over-thinking can be one of the biggest deterrents to a great basketball player.

  I learned (or re-learned) a lot from watching Chris this weekend. It was a great refresher for me.

  It reminded me of things I have told myself time and time again, and somehow forget over the course of a season. It allowed me to re-evaluate what I'm doing on the court, and how I approach the game.

  Anytime you feel like you're in a rut, sometimes the only way to get out of it is to change things up, and get a fresh perspective. I'm looking forward to my final five games this season. And I'm excited to put my new/updated approach to good use!

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." -- MJ

MJ w/the game winner.

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  After two consecutive weeks of less-than-stellar performances on the court, I decided it was time to seek out a little extra motivation.

  Basketball, like any sport (or life, I guess), is like riding a roller coaster. Nothing stays the same for too long. Just as you're starting to get comfortable, something comes along to shake things up and get you back on your toes.

  My team had won two consecutive games, so we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves. And then BAM! Just like that, we're staring at a two game losing streak.

  It's equally important to not get too high with the wins, and not get too low with the losses. Maybe each person is different, but for me it's easier to hold onto the negatives, and forget about the successes you've just had. So in the effort to get my mind back on track, I looked for motivation from the best.

  Some of the best quotes I've seen regarding bouncing back from failure/defeat have come from Michael Jordan. When you think of MJ, you most-certainly don't think of failure. You think champion, competitor, success.

  But undoubtedly there were times in his career where he came up on the short end. Where he missed the game winner, where he didn't play up to par, where his team lost in the playoffs. But one of the things that made him the best ever, was that he always bounced back from those defeats.

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

                                                                                                            - Michael Jordan

  So if someone like Michael Jordan has had failures similar to yours, there's no reason to get down. He's proof that if you keep working, and learn from your defeats, you can turn things back around in your favor.

  I know that's what I'm going to keep in mind this weekend as I take to the court! Have a great one!

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Playing Your Efficient Best

Colorado bench - 2002-2003.

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  A competitor wants to be in the game as much as physically possible. Find a game anywhere in the world, and the most competitive people will never want to be on the sideline. Competition feeds something deep inside of you, it gets your blood boiling. A competitor also believes down deep, that by being in the game, you're giving your team its best chance to win.

  If the game lasts 40 minutes, I want to be on the court 40 minutes. I never want to sit out. Period.

  But there is a fine line between wanting to be in the game because you're ultra-competitive, and staying in the game a few minutes too long and causing your team harm. At some point, efficiency takes a hit. Obviously, you work to condition yourself to be able to stay on the court, and be effective for as long as possible. But you WILL get tired. In an intense, high-paced game, there WILL be a point where you tire, no matter how good of shape you are in. You get fatigued, and can no longer play as hard. Your legs get tight, and your reactions become a step slower. You lose your focus mentally, and you make some mistakes. Fatigue can arise in many forms, and when it does, it has the potential to cause a player to be counter-productive.

Subbing out in Germany - 2010.

  Once that fatigue hits, you always think you can get through it. You'll catch your breath, or your legs will come back to you soon enough. You always try to push to the next possession, or the possession after that. Or you try to find a place where you can rest on the court. But in hindsight, that's probably a selfish move, and exactly where you do your team more harm than good.

  In this situation, hopefully you have a coach that sees when you are trying to rest on the court, or heaven forbid, you just ask for a sub! I have been horrible with this throughout the years. Maybe it's a pride thing, but I HATE subbing myself out of the game. Sometimes, it might be exactly what you need to re-energize yourself, and raise your level of play for the remainder of the game. You have to trust your teammates enough to know they'll be able to survive without you for a couple of minutes. ;)

Sweden - 2008-2009.

  So the reality is, sometimes less really IS more. Fewer minutes on the court might result in playing 'better' in the time you are in the game. Better overall statistics, and playing a more efficient game. If instead of pacing yourself through 40 minutes, you only play 30, you're able to play your hardest the entire time you're on the court.

Even the best ever, Michael Jordan, didn't play the entire game. Over the course of his career, played an average of 38 minutes a game (NBA games are 48 minutes). That means he was allowed 10 minutes of game time to rest and re-focus on the bench.

  Now don't get me wrong, I still get mad when I am subbed out of the game (as all my coaches can attest to, I'm sure). Even though I know it's for the best, and will benefit me later in the game, I can't help myself. I've always wanted to be on the court every second of every game, and don't see that changing anytime soon.

Fast break in Germany - 2010.

   Call it what you want: maturation, experience, etc..but I've finally realized a little rest isn't a bad thing. To be at your best on the court you have to be allowed a few minutes to re-focus mentally, and re-gain your legs physically. But once that recovery has taken place, get me back out there coach!

  ~ Sabrina