The Off-Season

When you think of the off-season for an athlete, what comes to mind? Vacations, spending time with family, relaxing, swimming, playing golf. These are typically some of the things that are done in the off-season. And I know you're thinking these things sound like an amazing time, and it is. However, the time spent doing those things is probably a lot shorter than you think. In order to be an elite player, the off-season has to be a time to get better and a time to improve some area of your game. 

Michael Jordan is quoted, "My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength." That is what the off-season is all about. It's the only time when everything is all about you as a player. You don't have to pass teammates the ball or wait until after practice to ask your coach for instruction. In some ways, I enjoyed the off-season more than the actual season. Getting better and seeing improvements in my game gave me the confidence I needed in order to dominate opponents. I would often work on things, find some friends to try them against, and then perfect it some more. Once it was time for practice, my weaknesses were no longer a weakness and my strengths were stronger. 

The amount of effort and intensity put into the off-season has to be equivalent to the success you want during the season. Consequently, if you just want to make the team then you can get away with working just as hard as your other teammates. However, if you want to excel, you have to be willing to do things that others are not doing. "In order to do go where you've never gone, you must first do what you've never done."

 Today is June 3, 2013 and for most of you, school team practice starts in 21 weeks. Will you be ready? Will you be better than you were last year? Have you turned your weaknesses into strengths? If you have answered "no" to any of those questions, don't worry, there is still time. Get in the gym, get a personal coach that will help you with specific parts of your game, and put in the work. Jordan also said, "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." Which type of person are you?