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IHSAA Student Athlete Tip of the Week (1-4-21)

“Promoting Education Based Athletics in Indiana”

Coaches get on players and instruct athletes whom they believe have the most potential.  Do you ever feel like your coach is hard on you?  Does your coach offer you good instruction and advice?  If you are in sports, you are never too old for instruction.

I watched a special on 6-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady on the NFL Network.  He stated that there was nothing about him or his game that was infallible. He said he is a player like everyone else on his team, and when he hears what he is doing wrong or what he needs to do better from his coaches, it motivates him.

Do you listen to your coaches or get mad when they offer criticism or advice?   Chances are your coach sees potential in your abilities and is trying to help you improve.  Pay attention and accept what they are telling you. Find a way to use it to motivate you to be better and more improved.

If it works for Tom Brady, maybe it will work for you!

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Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (12-14-20)

“Promoting Education Based Athletics in Indiana”

Over the years I have spoken with many athletes who wished they had approached their high school athletic careers differently.  Some were defiant with coaches, some wished they had given more effort and paid more attention to what their coaches wanted, and others admitted their attitude was terrible.

Could any of these descriptions apply to you?  If so, it is not too late to turn things around and make the necessary adjustments.

You will never regret being the best teammate you can be, respecting your coaches on and off the court/field and keeping a positive attitude when times get tough. 

Your days as a high school athlete are limited but your memories will last a lifetime.  Play and act so you will have no regrets when you look back on your athletic experiences later in your life!

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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (12-7-2020)

“Promoting Education Based Athletics in Indiana”

After a recent game, NFL quarterback Cam Newton was asked about his individual statistics and lack of production, following his team’s win.  Cam responded by saying he would never apologize for winning and stated he does not play the game for any type of individual accolades.  He said he plays the game to win.

Hopefully you have the same type of mindset when you are playing for your high school team.  Are you putting winning ahead of your own individual performance and statistics? Do you encourage your teammates?

As Cam Newton stated, you play on a team to win.  You may have games with a great individual performance and others where your teammates are the key to victory.  When your mindset is on the team, you will find yourself pulling more for your teammates and less focused on your own individual statistics!

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Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (11-30-2020)

“Promoting Education Based Athletics in Indiana”

This past week in the Indy Star, an area basketball coach described one of his athletes as a tireless worker and said how much she has improved over the past year (her rebound average last year was 3.3 and this year is averaging 15 per game).

The coach went as far as to say that if you look up “competitive athlete” and “coachable athlete” in a dictionary, you would see a picture of this player.  He then stated he never questions her effort and while she may make mistakes, it won’t be due to lack of effort.

How do you rate with your coaches?  Are you showing improvement?  Do you always give your maximum effort in practices as well as in games?  How would your coach describe your effort in a dictionary?

If you want to be described as a “tireless worker” and/or “competitive athlete”, show up to your practice/game with that mindset throughout. 

If you give the effort that makes you proud, I am sure it will make your coach proud as well!

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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (11-23-2020 

“Promoting education based athletics in Indiana”

COVID, as we all know, has affected student-athletes of all sports.  The school day is different and the routine of all athletes has changed. 

The saying “next man (woman) up”, has never been more in play.  Because of COVID, you are unsure of who you may see on any given day on the opposing team.  The same goes for your own team, you may or may not be with your full line up.

How can you achieve your full potential in these difficult times?  If there has ever been a time where individual preparation outplays team preparation, I believe it is now.   The reason is you don’t know for sure who will be available from day to day and week to week. 

My suggestion is to focus on what you can control like your attitude, conditioning and your readiness to do whatever it takes to make your team better. 

You may not know who you will have available on your team from game to game, but be sure to practice and prepare like you are someone your teammates and coach can count on regardless of who else may be playing!

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports