How Those Who Are Less Talented Can Flourish

I play basketball 3 times a week at noon time in a sort of unofficial lunch break league. Being an Internet marketer there’s really no such thing as a lunch hour, but most everyone comes to play on their lunch hour to get some exercise in and get a break from the rigors of the j.o.b. There is something quite profound that has recently been on my mind that I really want to share with you.

In sports, and especially basketball those who are really talented and good at the game are easy to spot, at the same time those who are less talented and not as good at the sport are just as easy to spot. Well I use to be one of those less talented players who struggled. That’s right use to be.

A little background first. I use to be really bad at basketball, I never played in any official league growing up, and I didn’t get the basics down at an early age like others did. So as I got older and began playing in adult leagues, I was behind in my knowledge about the game as well as playing skill and therefore I really struggled. It’s just so frustrating to be wide open and to have my own teammate not pass me the ball because they knew I would miss the layup or wide open shot. That feeling hurts and it really runs deep in me not just as a basketball player but as a man.

So I committed myself to getting better. I looked on the internet for rules of basketball, how to set picks, proper shooting technique, etc. etc. I found out about other pick-up games and began playing as much as 3 times a day in the early morning, noon, and afternoon. Soon, the results showed. I was feeling more confident in my own game, and my teammates noticed it too. It was and is such an amazing feeling… when my teammates not only pass me the ball when i’m open, but they consciously look for me because they knew when I got the ball good things would happen.

What was happening was I was working hard on the physical and mental aspects of the game behind the scenes, and somewhat subconsciously my teammates realized the change in me and had this mental note that I was now an option on offense. A mental note in their mind that said if Jason gets the ball chances are pretty good that he will score or make a good pass to another teammate who will easily score.

My natural talent was still the same, not very good, but my understanding of the game itself and technique was better and I committed myself to working hard on my weaknesses. I’m talking about the proper technique for layups, jump shots, and passing. I guess it all seems pretty simple, but now that it is actually happening for me its quite amazing.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a work in progress. I still have some not so great games, but over time I think the more I play and learn the better i’ll get. Off to the courts!