January 09, 2021 | Tagged Skills
How to Make the Right Sacrifices for Basketball and Life
Make the best choice on what you sacrifice for your basketball dreams
“The most crucial decision about your goals is not what you are willing to do to achieve them, but what you are willing to give up.”
If you want to be great on the basketball court and in the game of life, you must know what to sacrifice. The word sacrifice comes from the Latin word meaning sacred. There is something incredibly holy and humbling about a worthy sacrifice. Consider the sense of awe and gratitude generated from the story of a young man from Thailand whose father, though engulfed by poverty, worked all his life to give everything for his son’s education and a better chance at life.
Here are some practical ways you can learn to make the best sacrifices.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SACRIFICES
Time is your most valuable commodity. Look at your top goals, then put your best time into those goals. Nothing should come between these top goals and the time you give. Cut out what does not forward your goal.
Love is the highest choice. If you are making decisions to please other people or out of obligation, your sacrifices aren’t going to make as big an impact. If you sacrifice for what you love, you will see the best outcome.
You cannot escape the consequences of one’s actions. Imagine your daily habits and decisions like a field. You won’t see the outcome for a few years but how you live every day is building the person you will become. Small, wise daily habits accrue over time. These intentionally selected daily habits will be your launchpad for success.
Pack the strongest punch. If you know you have limited time, you need to make what you do matter the most. For example, if math is your toughest subject, you need to do the math first not wait until the end of the night. If you want to be a skillful player, you might need to sacrifice AAU until you have put tons of hours into your individual workouts. Most people will sacrifice their individual skill work for games. This is a huge mistake.
Invest in the right things for your future. No investment in school is a recipe for failure. Bad grades can crush your basketball dreams as much as an ACL tear. Don’t let your grades ruin your future. Good grades can help get you a scholarship.
Sacrifice now for a stronger future later. Most people struggle to think ahead. A wise sacrifice means the will to delay gratification now for something better in your future. A bad sacrifice is choosing something that feels good now but harms your future.
About NBC Basketball Camps
NBC Camps started as Northwest Basketball Camp in 1971, over 50 years later we are in eight countries and run about 250 weeks of camp each summer. Find a camp or training program that fits you. Learn more at nbccamps.com or call 1-800-406-3926.