High-Performance Mindfulness: It’s All About the Energy

The Unseen Dynamic

On-court results are all about energy. The type of energy that players and teams bring is often the deciding factor in on-court results. This is not new. Decision-makers have always placed value upon the role that energy plays within the preparation process.

Common coaching colloquialisms help illustrate this point. Coaches often tell players to bring energy to the game! A common statement at half-time when a team is underperforming is, “the energy in this locker room is bad!” After big-time wins, it has been said that the energy in the building (and on-court) was electric, inferring that this unseen dynamic contributed to the underlying result.

So highly valued is good energy that coaching staffs use proprietary analytics to chart, track, and measure energy plays such as offensive rebound attempts, defensive deflections, and shot contests. The goal of such systems is to demonstrate a player’s impact on the game not quantifiable through traditional basketball statistics.

Great importance is also placed on those players whose approach is so thoroughly refined that the energy they bring to their craft seemingly rubs off on their teammates.

Coaches, players, and team management intuitively recognize that energy is a highly valued commodity and plays a huge part in on-court performance results.

However, explanations and context for this unseen variable have historically been murky at best. With this commentary – in addition to providing form and structure – we hope to offer insight into what energy is and how it can be cultivated to enhance the team’s bottom line.

Let’s firstly address this aspect on the level of the player.

The Player

Employing mental performance methods that focus in on improving focus and energy have shown to support the player effectively.

Finding a way to bring passion to the game, has the effect of rubbing off on teammates. As a player, this is why it is important to find ways to cultivate this phenomenon.

Mental performance methods that utilize the player’s consciousness to elevate overall energy level have been found effective in supporting performance.

The bottom line is that a player’s mental focus and clarity have been shown to directly influence performance. If these are addressed, they can have positive effects on the overall team as well.

The Team

The level of energy that each player brings to the team directly affects outcomes produced on the court. Consequently, when players do their internal work to raise their energy, this can have a resounding effect on the collective.

What’s the saying? A team is only as good as the sum of its parts.

Through employing an Integrated Player Development Program that leverages tools that address mental focus and confidence, players have the chance to improve energy levels.

Doing so often allows the player to bring a healthier, more energizing approach to practice, positively influencing the mental focus, preparation, and individual performance upwards. The result that this can rub off on teammates both in the locker room and on the court is substantial.

When the majority of a team begins approaching performance from this holistic vantage point, there exists the potential for big-time improvement to occur. Multiple players on the same team experiencing this sort of improvement create a synergistic effect.

You know that feeling when all players seem to be working in concert and in-sync on the same page?

When this happens, intangibles such as leadership, work ethic, focus, and synergy can begin to individually and collectively improve. As this happens, tangibles such as offensive and defensive efficiencies and on-court outcomes can also be improved.

Player Development 2.0

Mental Performance Techniques implemented in the basketball space is relatively new. Integrated player development programs that incorporate these methods are on the leading edge.

Looking at player development in this manner requires a level of openness to new concepts. However, these new concepts, such as optimization methods mentioned herein, provide an alternative way for players to progress.

Anecdotal evidence from player testimonials and observation is providing supporting evidence to this paradigm-shifting approach.

In closing, the most powerful way to unleash individual and collective change for a team is through addressing the various levels of the player. In addition, facilitating alignment on the individual level will help positively influence collective team outcomes.

The vibe is a real thing. When you get your team’s energy right, the sky is the limit.