June 02, 2025   |   Tagged Leadership

How to Cultivate Positive Momentum on the Court

Have you experienced being in the flow, the zone, or on fire? These words describe the state of being in positive momentum.

Momentum means movement, and the acceleration of that movement. Newton gives us the laws of motion, which describe how objects change from stationary to moving through pulling or pushing, requiring energy. We know that the more work needed, the more energy is required. For example, pulling an object uphill is much more difficult than pushing that same object downhill.

Momentum In Basketball
Momentum matters in basketball. You can see it and you can feel it, especially when the entire gym holds sway to this energy. Crowds can generate the “sixth man” momentum needed to win games, but they can also contribute negative energy, making a loss more certain. Each team's bench contributes momentum to the game as well. You'll see players cheering on those who are in the game, getting excited after a made shot or great defensive play. At the same time, you might see the other team's bench players hunched over, lost in their emotions, and pulling down their team's energy.

Negative Momentum

Negative momentum hurls us into crisis, and we feel we are “out of control or falling apart.” Our energy is going in a direction opposite to our desires. We experience frustration, crisis, anxiety, anger, confusion, and possibly emotional and physical pain. There is a feeling that negative experiences are “spiraling.” According to research, negative momentum is noticed more quickly than positive momentum. Athletes are often skeptical whether or not they are truly in "the flow", and quick to internally believe they are heading towards crisis. Negative momentum has greater sway over our lives and causes more damage because it has a more powerful hold on us. We tend to resist positive momentum and are more skeptical longer which takes more time to get the ball rolling in a positive direction because we are questioning the flow.

What Is A Momentum Shift?
Picture a ball rolling downhill, an object building momentum. Imagine this is heading the wrong way. Shifting direction requires an enormous amount of energy because you must decelerate the object that is gaining momentum and then accelerate it in the opposite direction. Changing direction is difficult. Shifting momentum requires greater wisdom, power, and time than any other activity.

How Can I Do This On The Court?

Become a student of energy. When you walk onto the court, what do you feel? Do you feel afraid to make a mistake, afraid to lose, afraid to play with confidence? Do you feel ready to perform, excited for the game, ready to compete?

How attuned are you to listening to the language of the players, coaches, and families? Is everyone a cohesive unit, powerful, encouraging, and full of energy in a positive direction? Is your team like the corral, negative, factious, back-biting? You will see the direction of your team in words they say– this will reveal where the energy is going. If the words are negative, critical, angry, judgmental, or bitter, watch out, the momentum is negative and heading toward crisis. If the words are encouraging, courageous, powerful, unified, loving, and truthful, then the energy will move toward the positive.

Key to success

1. Treat negative assumptions like poison. Give them no time in your head. Meet every thought at the door and stop the negative thinking.
2. Set up barriers to protect against negative energy, boundaries that disallow negative energy to gain momentum. For example: never speak negatively about the team or coach, focus on the good plays rather than rehashing the poor plays, stop comparing to other teams. The energy of comparison is despair, and it will always rob you of your power.
3. Speak what you want to see. Internally build your world with affirmations, enthusiasm, positive energy in your heart, mind, and all around you.
4. Be the spark—just one big play, one three, one block, one key position can get the ball rolling in the right direction. Capitalize on this. Lock down your man. Be relentless. Your hard work is the energy the team needs.

Hey NBC Basketball Campers,
You change the game for good. You move the energy with your enthusiasm, work ethic, mental toughness, and grit. You lead the way, and momentum follows you. The team can count on you to shift the momentum. We see this in you and can’t wait to help you improve this skill at camp! Keep believing and working hard.

About NBC Basketball

NBC Basketball Camps were started in 1971 in Washington state and have expanded to 8 countries. NBC Basketball focuses on perfect fundamentals, excellence shooting technique, mental toughness, the power of encouragement, gratitude and personal faith. This camp trains the entire athlete. Most programs focus on the physical or mental aspect. At NBC Basketball, programs focus on the importance of training the heart. From the heart springs the thoughts, from the thoughts spring the words, and from the words spring action. For more information about NBC Basketball visit www.nbccamps.com/basketball