Former University of Arkansas Women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors tells a great story about when he coached Kelsey Plum at Washington.

When she was a freshman, she had a terrible time moving on from mistakes. She’d sulk and stay mentally stuck in the past, preventing her from playing well in the present.

At one practice, Coach Neighbors set his watch to time how long it took Plum to get back into the moment after making a mistake.

The result - 2 minutes, 36 seconds!

To drive his point home, he called Plum over and asked her to look at his watch. He asked her if she knew what the time represented. She didn’t. . . 

He told her that it was the amount of time it took her to recover mentally after a mistake. Most importantly, he then told her that going forward he would have to sub her out for at least 2:36 after every mistake, since her mindset was hurting the team!

I bet you can guess what happened - the problem got fixed (and she became the leading scorer in NCAA Women’s basketball, until Caitlin Clark broke her record last year).

In my 20 years of coaching, I’ve coached countless players who struggle with moving past mistakes. I’m sure you have too! So, short of Coach Neighbors method, how can we solve this problem? Read on to find out. . . 

The Myth Of The Bad Loser

I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of people brag about being bad losers. The thought process is that their inability to deal with losing (or mistakes) shows how competitive they are.

While I can see how someone could get duped into believing that, it completely misses the boat.

If Josh Allen throws an interception, does throwing a temper tantrum on the sideline help him or his team? Of course not.

An inability to handle mistakes or losing actually shows immaturity. Yes, players should want to perform well and win. However, they shouldn’t define themselves by that.

The best athletes are those who are able to move on quickly and refocus on what’s to come.

Sounds easy right? Don’t we wish. . . but you can find help in an unlikely place!

How Video Games (Yes, Video Games) Help Us Instill A Next Play Mentality

If you’re like me, you worry about your kids’ screen time. My girls love playing Roblox.

Something hit me like a lightning bolt recently as I watched them play.

When they lose or die in a video game, they immediately restart and move on. It’s a perfect example of the “Next Play” mentality we all want our players to have!

Legendary pitching coach Tom House addressed this in the book Win The Inside Game, “I’m envious of kids who grow up on video games today. Lose, then just restart. There’s no better feedback loop to learn how to lose than modern games. This generation wipes away loss and failure faster than any I’ve ever seen. . . The forcing function of restarting with a slight pause in between leads to a communication flow state of how to prevent that mistake from being made again.”

This is the exact opposite mindset of most adults and coaches, who believe video games are anathema to athletic excellence.

In some ways, they might be. But if we look for ways to draw similarities between something most of our players enjoy (video games) and our sport (basketball), we are likely to get better buy-in and results from our players.

How to Teach Your Players to Instantly Recover and Refocus

At one of your upcoming practices, explain to your players what a next play mindset is. Then, tell them that they already have this, and show it when they play video games. (Or better yet, ask them to think of other areas of their life where they demonstrate this, and see if anyone suggests gaming).

Once they understand all that, create a known verbal cue for your team. It might be “game mode” or “restart.”

When your players or team are struggling to get over a mistake, use the cue to bring them back to the present moment.

The Zen Presence Power of A “Next Play” Mentality

None of us are very good at what we are doing when we aren’t present. Staying in the moment allows us to perform to our potential.

As a coach, we should look for every tool available to us to help our players succeed.

Video games are a great way to analogize a next play mindset to the basketball court. Try it out!

For more mental tips and drills for youth players, check out:

• Jim Huber Beginner Basketball Ages 5-9 - A comprehensive coaching system to properly develop those new to the game. This product features age appropriate teaching of the most important basketball skills. Players learn these skills in a fun and engaging way. In addition to individual skills, players begin to learn team offense and defense concepts.
• The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber - A nice compliment or sequel to the Beginner Basketball product. This system continues with the focus on youth development, but with advancements for older players ages 9-14. It uses a combination of drills and games to teach players the skills needed to thrive as they continue on in their careers.

Comments Most Likes First   Oldest First   Newest First

Leave a Comment Name : Email (not published) : Seven minus five is equal to?  (Prevents Spam) Answer :  Load New Question Comments : Leave this Blank :