A high-impact opportunity for basketball coaches is the arena the sport offers to instill habits of success in their players that can last a lifetime. Basketball is more than just a sport, it can be one of the best preparations for life after school that a young person can experience.

One way I have tried to take advantage of teachable moments is to have a “thought for the day” before each practice. It could be an inspirational quote, a snippet or idea from a book or article, or an observation from one of the coaches about the team.

The thought has to fit the following three criteria before we use it.

1) I want the idea to be something that improves their “mental game” to help them have the most rewarding season of their basketball careers.

2) The thinking must be in line with the core values ​​of our program. I want it to enhance the brands we feature and not add to information overload.

3) It must be something that has value for all areas of their lives, not just basketball,

The thought for the day is so important to developing the mindset that we feel we must have in order to be successful. I think mental toughness is one of the most important skills to have in a winning program. To develop that necessary mental strength, we teach attitude and effort every day. I also like to post the thoughts of the day in player notebooks and on bulletin boards and locker room walls.

These are just a few examples of some of the past thoughts of the day that we have used. I hope they give you some ideas to find and create inspirational basketball quotes to pass on to your team.

1. We practice and play with the intensity, toughness and drive of a state championship team every day.
2. The game honors toughness – Brad Stevens
3. Players play, but tough players win – Tom Izzo
4. United we stand, divided we fall
5. Never confuse activity with achievement – John Wooden
6. We are relentless!

I like to present the thought for the day at the beginning of practice and ask for player feedback on how it applies to both our team and their lives. Then, as the practice unfolds, if there are times to apply the Thought For The Day to situations that come up, I make sure to capitalize on those learning moments. Finally, we meet at the end of the practice to quickly review the practice and include the Thought for the Day as part of that summary.

I firmly believe that basketball coaches who define and then establish a success mindset will be more successful in both the short and long term. The short term is the experience of the players both in basketball and in other areas of their lives. The long term, being the much more important growth to become a productive, contributing and happy adult. Having one specific to each day helps with that success mindset process.