Coaching in the NBA: How Hard Could It Be?

Getting to play in the NBA has been every little boy’s dream.

Getting drafted to play in the NBA is a dream come true for many amateur basketball players.

But what about coaching?

To be in the coaching staff of an NBA team is a privilege many have yearned for but just like being a player, it’s not easy.

You have to be well qualified in academic as well as professional coaching qualifications. You should have an excellent track record to catch the eye of the team manager or the head coach.

The life of an NBA coach is hard and demanding, the pressure of winning and improving at each game is terribly high. Read this interesting article on the careers of NBA coaches.

Coaching is a huge responsibility and when you’re coaching one of the teams in the NBA, it’s double the demands and pressure – from the fans and from the management. It’s not surprising that teams sometimes change coaching strategies (i.e. firing the coach) when performance does not reach the desired levels. There are many reasons but this one is possibly the most common.

Why don’t you check out this Top 3 Sports Performance Tips free report to learn more?

How Effective Are You As A Sport Coach?

Have you asked yourself how effective you are as a sport coach?

Take this short questionnaire and see how you evaluate yourself.

It is important that you regularly evaluate your coaching behavior in order to improve your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

It has been shown in studies that coaching which incorporates a positive approach are more effective. There is a lower dropout rate when coaches are positive. There are also less disgruntled athletes when coaches are encouraging and constructive.

Athletes have exhibited “increased self-esteem, increased positive attitudes, and they rate their team and sport positively when coaches use positive reinforcement, general technical instruction, and mistake contingent encouragement behaviors”.

There is usually a very measurable gauge of a coach’s effectivity in his/her methods and that’s the team’s standing in the league or competition. A good coach can bring out the best in his athletes, soothe nerves and tensions, and be a fountain of advice and support.

Check out your Top 3 Sports Performance Tips free report or more information and tips!

5 Common Overtraining Symptoms – Which Do You Want To Overcome?

You want to achieve peak performance, just like any other athlete, so you push yourself harder each time, you drive yourself to achieve better and step up your game to the next level of performance.

There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s perfectly natural and that’s exactly the right attitude any athlete should have – the passion for achieving peak performance.

Unfortunately, in the urge for achieving performance, you tend to drive yourself too much, too hard; and sometimes a little too much that your body can’t keep up with the intensity of the physical exertions you demand from it and this, results to overtraining.

Overtraining is defined as the “emotional, behavioral and physical condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual’s exercise exceeds their recovery capacity”.

Most weight training athletes experience this, although other athletes such as distance runners are also prone to overtraining. These athletes sometimes complain that they are too burned out and this is evident in their performance.

What are the five most common symptoms of overtraining? Do you experience any of them?

1. Fatigue or exhaustion – This is the most common sign of overtraining? Have you experienced being too tired after an intense workout? I bet you have…maybe once or twice a month. But if you feel tired almost after each workout then you’re already overtraining yourself and you need to stop!

2. Insomnia and altered sleep patterns – Sleep doesn’t come easily and if it does, you don’t really wake up fresh and invigorated after. You’re exhausted and irritable.

3. Increased levels of cortisol or stress hormone – Studies have linked the relationship between a high ratio of testosterone-cortisol levels to enhanced athletic performance. When overtraining sets in, testosterone levels decrease and cortisol levels increase. This hormonal changes invariably results to
a decrease in athletic performance.

4. Weight loss and decreased appetite – Athletes who overtrain also have the tendency to lose their appetites and as a consequence, lose weight as well. Losing weight, especially lean muscle mass is definitely a no-no for any athlete.

5. Decreased sports performance – Another symptom of overtraining is the apparent decrease in athletic performance – which is the cumulative result of all the symptoms of overtraining.

So how do you overcome overtraining?

The answer is very simple – plenty of rest.

The body badly needs the rest and recovery after such an intensive and hard-driven training. Your muscles need some time to repair and get back into shape. The longer the period for overtraining the longer also is the need for rest. A month of overtraining needs at least 3-5 days of rest for the body
to recover.

Enough rest along with a balanced diet, quality sleep, and emotional support are essential for a full recovery. It also critical that factors leading to overtraining are pointed out and addressed accordingly to prevent future recurrence.

Having the motivation and the drive to improve one’s athletic performance is indeed highly commendable but you must keep in mind not to do too much of a good thing because in the end, it will just prove to be not-so-good as it all seemed to be.

Want more information? Check out Top 3 Sports Performance Tips free report now!

Overcoming Performance Anxiety

Have you ever experienced jitters or the sensation of having butterflies in your stomach or the feeling that you’re going to throw up, just before a really big game?

That reaction is known as performance anxiety.

Performance anxiety is defined as the “the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially.”

Most public performers such as musician, speakers and lecturers as well as athletes have a varying degree of performance anxiety. Some have just a healthy level that enables them to perform better; others have an incapacitating case which can get in the way of achieving peak performance.

Most athletes experience performance anxiety and worry over how they will perform in the game. All these negative thoughts can spell disaster. Even if the athlete had undergone well-designed and rigorous physical training when he has insufficient mental and psychological training, he will experience performance anxiety.

Training should also be done to address mental and psychological areas. Training an athlete to think positive and believe in his athletic abilities is as important as a physical training.

Breathe in, close your eyes and see yourself waving that trophy in the air.

Check out this link, Top 3 Sports Performance Tips free report and learn more!

Visualization for Improved Sports Performance

Visualization is synonymous to guided imagery, and mental imagery and rehearsal. This is a technique used by professional athletes. Many college athletes and other amateur sports practitioners are now incorporating visualization into their training to improve athletic performance and achieve the peak performance of athletes.

What is visualization? How does it work?

Visualization is the creation of “an image or a series of images relevant to their sport, without any external prompts or stimulation; the images are mentally generated by the athlete alone.”

How many times have you seen athletes with obvious superior physical abilities end up first runner-ups in the competition?

The difference between the champion and the first runner-up is that the champion thinks and imagines himself winning and waving that trophy in the air. He has conditioned himself to see that image in his mind and when the final buzzer sounded, that image in his head made all the difference.

Visualize yourself winning. Train your body to achieve the physical capacities needed to win. Prepare yourself emotionally for the stress and pressures of the game.

Train not only your body but also your mind. Imagine. Visualize. Win.

For more winning tips, check out Top 3 Sports Performance Tips free report!