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Coach watching players

Four Ways to Stay Positive During a Tough Season

By Nick Bartlett, Dr. Dish , 08/21/17, 1:00PM PDT

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You and your players are giving it their all and adjusting your strategy to combat challenges.

Unfortunately, it’s still a rough season. Failure is a natural part of basketball and basketball coaching. There is a profound frustration in falling short, and none of you want to grapple with the possibility that a playoff or tournament run is out of reach. Still, there are opportunities for your team to rally and make the most out of the situation.

By encouraging your players to focus on each game individually, use mistakes as learning experiences, stop fixating on failures, and look forward to future success, you can help your team remain optimistic during tough times.

Remind Your Players That Each Game Matters

In a game measured by overall wins and losses, it is sometimes difficult to focus on each game properly. For instance, say your team started off 5-7: not only does your team have to deal with having more losses than wins, they have to do some serious catching up to compete with the 10-2 division leader.