Ep 75 The Power of Next Play Speed: Graham Betchart's Strategy on Overcoming Mistakes

The Power of Next Play Speed: Graham Betchart's Strategy on Overcoming Mistakes In this episode of "Coaching Youth Hoops" with host Bill Flitter, special guest Graham Betchart discusses the importance of mental skills training for youth basketball players.  Betchart emphasizes the need to provide and offer mental training exercises consistently, even if initially, kids may not be interested. He believes that although children may not be fully conscious or aware at a younger age, the lessons will start to click later on. Betchart encourages coaches to be patient and persistent in offering and providing information, as it may take time for individuals to become aware and interested.  Betchart suggests allocating 5 minutes per practice towards mental training, bookending practice sessions with 2 minutes dedicated to mental training exercises at the beginning and end. He introduces a mental training exercise called the WiFi walk, where the team does a series of breathing exercises and walks back and forth on the court while focusing on feeling their feet on the ground to become more present and focused before practice. The speaker also discusses the concept of "next play speed" and the importance of moving forward in the game. He shares examples of basketball players, like Aaron Gordon, who have improved by practicing this skill. Betchart highlights the importance of being competitive with a positive attitude and "competitive compassion" towards referees, creating a positive relationship with them. Throughout the episode, Betchart emphasizes the significance of building a positive mindset, being fully present, and choosing a response rather than reacting. He provides various exercises, such as visualization and positive self-talk, to help players stay focused and engaged. Betchart also shares his experience working with coaches like Mike Brown to incorporate mental skills training into team culture. Graham’s Bio Graham Betchart is a Mental Performance Coach with the Sacramento Kings - Recording Artist and Founder of Train The Mind, Author of the book Play Present. He is known for the concept "Play Present," which teaches that an athlete needs to stay focused on the task at hand and immediately move on to the next play despite results or outcomes. He is also noted for the "MVP" program (Mediate, Visualize, Positive affirmation), a sports psychology mental training tool, as well as "WIN" (What is Important Now), which asserts that a player can only control attitude, effort, and focus. Notable athletes Betchart has coached include Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Ben Simmons, the first overall picks for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 NBA drafts, respectively. https://www.palmsdownbasketball.com/ https://coachingyouthhoops.com/ www.coachingyouthhoopsmasterclass.com www.basketballcoachesclinic.com https://teachhoops.com/ basketballplaycreator.com Want More Funnel Down Defense https://coachcollins.podia.com/funnel-down-defense [Facebook Group . Basketball Coaches](https://www.facebook.com/groups/basketballcoaches/) [Facebook Group . Basketball Drills](https://www.facebook.com/groups/321590381624013/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices