Toughness Is Learned

I believe that the three most important traits for a basketball player are toughness, unselfishness, and relentlessness. For a kid to be truly unselfish and relentless they have to be tough. We are starting with tough and will build relentlessness and unselfishness from there. 

After my mid season parents report I received an email from a dad asking what do I mean by "toughness" when I talk about middle school girls and basketball. Girls get frustrated and discouraged easily and quit / cry, he added. 

An email from a mom said that it is hard to watch her daughter struggle without stepping in to comfort her child. 

Toughness is the quality of being able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking. It is enduring strength and energy.

Toughness is learned. It is not just physical and based on how much punishment a player can serve and take. Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism.

I repeat, "Toughness is learned."

Toughness isn't a sometime thing, it's an all the time thing. Toughness has to be evident in everything thing I do in practice. I have to demand it, encourage it, expect it, reward it, require it and inspire it. You parents have to expect toughness from you daughters, too. 

A player can't fake toughness. If a player can't play they can't hide that, just like they can't hide a lack of toughness. I must look for and instill toughness in every drill, every day and in every player. But there is more to it than just running the right drills. 

A tough player has a willingness to compete without fear of failure and sometimes without fear of injury. Tough players get down and dirty. Toughness is learned.

They dive on the floor after loose balls, take charges, stay in their defensive stance. They sprint the floor rim to rim to rim EVERY time.  They do the little things. Every play is the most important play of the game. 

These are all coachable but more importantly adaptable to any player. A kid doesn't have to be talented nor athletic to be tough. Toughness is learned.

Players who do their jobs everyday are extremely tough. They don't take days off. They don't take plays off. If they get hurt, they get up. If they get injured, they get helped up. 

Away from the ball, whether on offense or defense is where toughness is displayed.   Tough players stay in their stance. They talk on offense and defense. They cut and screen with purpose. They are engaged. They rebound. 

On the bench they watch the game and encourage their team mates on the floor. They don't go visit their mother at half time. Mom, you have to send you child back to the bench when she comes to visit. Toughness is learned.

The best players on the team especially have to show toughness even when they do not have the ball. They set the mood for the rest of the team. Toughness is contagious. 

My goal is for toughness to be the norm for Destroyers. If it is our culture, it will become an adaptation. All our players (and parents) will be forced to be tough to survive in our program. 

Please print out Jay Bilas' steps to building Toughness and read it with your basketball player. 

ToughnessbyJayBilas.pdf

Robin