AFRAID TO FAIL by Jay Crowell

Are you afraid to fail? I sure was. Hold on, I still struggle with the fear of failure everyday. I think most people are afraid to fail. As humans we do not like to look stupid or appear as if “we don’t know what we are doing.” In most cases, we play it safe in pursuit of looking cool or appearing confident or not being uncomfortable.

In life, however, you have to risk failing to be good at anything or reach certain goals and accomplishments. For example, if you want an A on a test, you know that you have to get 92% of the answers right, therefore you have to risk studying, investing your time, and giving up doing other things. Maybe you need to try out for a new team, a new job or a new position and you may feel embarrassed if you don’t make it. Or if you want to hit the game winning jump shot you have to risk missing and losing.

There is risk involved with everything. I always have struggled with risk and I have played it safe too many times. This past summer at Crowell’s Intensity Camp, I shared how my fear of failure limited me on the basketball court and in other areas of my life. My fear had crippled me from trying to reach out for new goals because in my mind I would think: “What would people think if I fail?” I remember playing in games where I would have an awesome first half and at half time I would be scared to go out for the second half because I might not play as good. What crazy thinking? But I allowed fear to overcome my mind. I was amazed how many of the campers and other coaches share my same fear. Maybe you struggle with fear as well.

A way to overcome fear lies in the willingness to fail. Several summers I went back to Spokane to visit my family and get some time on the lake. My brother-in-law, Shann, was excited to share with me his new summer love, wake boarding. He was all pumped to get me up on the water, but I was afraid I might not get up and look like a fool in front of my family and friends. I started to do the “Man, my knee is really bugging me, I don’t think I should…” garbage. I had to take a self-check and ask whether I was afraid to fail or if my knee really did hurt? Anyway, I figured it was fear talking, so I decided to give it a shot and allow myself to fail. I got a lot of water up my nose and I gave everyone in the boat a lot of laughs, but by the end of the weekend I got the hang of it – I couldn’t wait until the next summer!

When it comes to sports, you have to realize that you’re going to fail. Is there one quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw no interceptions? No. Or is there one NBA player who never turned the ball over or missed a shot? No. Everyone one fails at times. Yogi Berra, former New York Yankee great, said he loved baseball because you can strikeout seven out of ten times and still make the Hall of Fame. He allowed himself to fail in pursuit of his goals. Basketball is the same. If you can consistently make nine out of twenty shots in game play, you are an excellent shooter. That means you can miss eleven shots and still be considered great. That is a lot better than your algebra test, where can only miss one or two out of twenty problems to get an A.

I am still learning to deal with my fear, but by allowing myself to not be perfect I am overcoming that obstacle one opportunity at a time. I keep a quote on my desk that reads, “Courage is taking the first step, or a different path. It is the decision to place your dreams above your fears.” And that is my goal. My hope for you is to go after your goals and strive for excellence, but understand perfection is not attainable. You have to know that failure is inevitable, and you must be willing to fail if you want to reach your goals and dreams.

Feel free to drop me an email at Jay@nbccamps.com if you have any comments or triumphs over your fears.

Jay Crowell is the son of NBC Founder and President, Fred Crowell. Jay is a former point guard at the University of Georgia and now works as a loan officer for Bank of America.

HOW TO GET OUT OF A SHOOTING SLUMP

Great shooters share these three things: Solid mechanics, investment in perfecting their shot, a history of shooting success and solid shooting percentage.

A great college player in the state of Washington called to talk to us because he was in a shooting slump. He asked our advice on how to get out. This is what we told him.

1. You have a proven record of being a great shooter. You have the mechanics dialed. Your mechanics haven’t changed your mind-set has. Work every day and get your mind-set in a good place. Move the thoughts about missing , percentage and slump out of your mind and think, “I am on fire, I love to shoot, I need the ball because it is going in.”

2. Do the small things well. Get your eyes to the sweet spot, hand in the cookie jar, don’t fade away, eyes locked on the target.

3. Get to the free throw line. Draw a foul and get to the line. Focus on your rhythm, relax, exhale as you shoot.

4. Take your shot when you are open but don’t force your shot. Don’t shoot the high risk shot right now, instead drive, create and get into the game and stop thinking about your shot.

5. Shooting slumps happen to every great player. Move on, don’t waste mental energy trying to analyze and over critique. Get mentally tough and decide to believe you are a great shooter from now on.

Need some advice on your game? Email us or give us a call. NBC Camps wants to be your basketball resource. Recommendation for summer training: Pure Shooting and Attack Moves camps read more

MORE TIME ON THE FLOOR… HOW TO EARN MORE MINUTES

So you want to play more? Basketball is a tough game because it has the least amount of players on the floor and the least amount of minutes. Thirty-two minutes. And everyone on the team would like to play all of them. Here’s how to earn more of that playing time.

1. Make every minute count. You do this by being a factor in the game. Be someone your team needs on the court. What do you contribute? Hustle, steals, rebounds, offensive plays, shooting? You lose minutes when you become invisible. When the coach thinks all you are doing is running up and down the court. Come out of hiding and make a difference.

2. Make your “bunnies” (A bunny is a short shot like a lay-up). Everyone hates to see someone make a great steal, drive the length of the court only to miss the lay-up and have it go the other way. Nothing deflates a team like missing the short shot that should go in.

Why You Miss Your "Bunnies":
On a breakaway, your adrenaline gets pumped up either from the steal, from the nerves of someone chasing you, or the pressure of the spotlight. When this happens, go as hard as you can and then before your shot slow down. If you are concerned about the defensive trailer, do a power lay-up and draw the foul. Get your eyes up to the sweet spot on the back board. Relax and think swish. (Next month, how to make your bunnies in traffic)

3. Eliminate Turnovers. It’s tough when you play for a program that yanks for mistakes. Inevitably, this creates nerves because you don't want to make a mistake but the nerves cause you to make more. Remove your nerves by becoming more mentally tough. Imagine your mind is like the Pentagon. You need to have security guards that check everyone going in and out. Mental toughness is testing every thought that tries to spend time in your mind. If it is a good thought, if it makes you a better player, let it in. If it takes away your confidence, kick it out.

Turnover Tendencies: Be aware of your habits and change

A. Traveling turnovers: if you travel especially when you catch the ball and go to make an offensive move, spend 15 minutes a day working on tossing the ball to yourself, catching in two foot stop and then making a one-series move you learned at camp.

B. Passing: You might have turnovers from passing due to your skill level (you struggle with passing behind the player, you’re not strong enough, etc) or your teammates’ skill level (they don’t hold a target hand, they don’t move to the pass.. etc..) Either way, help yourself in this turnover category by:

*Never passing parallel to the baseline unless you are on the baseline passing into the post.
*Put backspin on the ball to make it softer to catch
*A bounce pass is easier for players to catch, and tougher to defend.

C. Getting stripped: Never put the ball in the candy store (middle of your body). Use your elbows and body to shield the ball. Have a guard arm up and solid when in traffic. Don’t get back on your heels.

D. Dribbling: If you are struggling with dribbling, practice 15 minutes every day. Use your left hand. If you dribble off your toe, it is typically because you have your lead foot forward, work to be in a more protective stance and step with the opposite foot forward in a crossover. Secure the ball first and never dribble in traffic if possible.

4. Be a Defensive Stopper. Be committed to not letting your man or the people in your zone (if playing zone) score. Make a goal with yourself. Interrupt their game. Don’t let them do what they want, like dribbling with the hand they want, going to the spot they want, catching where they want, or shooting how they want. Get in their space, and get them out of their flow.

5. Have Fun. When you see your minutes start slipping away, don’t become bitter. Don’t act like everything is hunky-dory as well. You can be respectful and still express to the coach you want to play. Come across with passion, not pout. People who are working hard, being intense, having fun and enjoying the game play better than the bitter, angry ones.

We know sitting the bench is very difficult. You may need to meet with your coach and ask him/her to outline clearly what he/she believes would allow you to see more playing time. Sometimes, no matter what you do, the minutes are what they are and your role is not going to change. When that is the case, you and your parents should get an objective mentor and several perspectives to help you navigate your future.