Being a Shooter

Good shooting is a difficult skill, and no matter how well designed an offensive system is, players have to put the ball in the basket. With modern analytics driving offensive strategy, three-point shooting has become an increasingly valuable skill in recent years. Players who can consistently shoot a high percentage of 3’s earn major roles within a team, sometimes  scholarships, and, at the highest level, professional contracts.

Growing up, I learned to shoot and earned a reputation. My Dad, who was a skillful shooting coach, helped me refine my rhythm, balance and release. From 6th grade through high school, I met my Opa (Grandpa) most days after school to practice. 

But like all players, I eventually discovered how important confidence is in regard to success. Sometimes I was calm, confident and fluid, but at other times, when I felt nervous and rigid, I became very frustrated with missing far too many shots. I remember an 8th grade game when my opponent was laying back, daring me to shoot threes, and when I took the dare I put up brick after brick through the second half and finally  left the game furiously embarrassed. 

A few years later, in high school, I made ten three-pointers in a game, and two more attempted threes with my foot on the line that became two’s. I was almost laughing at myself as I ran up and down the court, knowing that if  I shot a ball toward the hoop, wherever I was it would probably go in

As for college basketball, I didn’t have outstanding athleticism, speed or quickness, but I was still offered several full scholarships due to my shooting ability, and eventually accepted a scholarship to Regis University in Denver.

And this set up a difficult dynamic: the value I brought to a team was my ability to make shots, so if I didn’t make shots, I didn’t have a lot to offer. I felt the truth of this situation on every shot I took, and put far too much pressure on myself. 

Shooting can’t be improved simply by trying harder to make shots, just as someone can’t become a better dancer by trying harder or thinking more about it. In the summer after my dismal freshman season - I shot 31% from the floor, 24% from the three point line, and 47% from the free throw line - I was desperate to recover. I assumed that to get back on track I’d have to work tirelessly, so I did. I shot relentlessly in the offseason and preseason before my sophomore year, trying to regain confidence through brute force.

Alone in the gym, with my Dad and Opa rebounding, I could knock down shots at a high rate, sometimes as many as twenty-five threes in a row. But when I returned to Regis, my anxiety returned, and I struggled. The most debilitating symptom of my anxiety was the unnatural feel of a basketball in my hands. Whenever I held a ball, everything felt wrong. Gripping the ball with stiff, uncooperative fingers led me to awkwardly cock my wrist so as to get it directly behind the ball. But then the ball spun off my guide hand in unreliable and unpredictable ways. The more anxious I became, the more my left hand became involved with my shot. I could barely remember how it felt to shoot easily and cleanly. I’d made about 80% of my free throws in 7th grade. Now, as a college sophomore, on full scholarship for my shooting abilities, I made about 40% and occasionally shot air balls from the line..

My struggles on the court bled into my life at large, and finally I was diagnosed by my campus therapist with depression and overwhelming performance anxiety. Clearly, something had to change. My therapist taught me the practice of mindfulness meditation, and in the summer after my sophomore season she helped me commit to a mental training regimen that included meditation, body scanning, and visualization. I made small but important mental improvements as a junior. It was another tough season, but I was no longer miserable.

I continued to meditate, and I read books about the mental side of sports. In the offseason before my senior year, I developed a mental and physical training regimen radically different from previous years. Instead of getting as many shooting reps in as possible, I applied mindful attention in shorter, more intense bursts. I practiced non-judgmental awareness and concentration. I focused on other important habits, like diet and sleep. And I discovered a level of peace and joy on the court that I’d never felt before.

In my senior season I had a new coaching staff and an opportunity to start fresh. I made the starting lineup, and had a decent early season. Then, after Christmas break, I found true confidence. In the last 20 games I’d ever play I averaged 27 minutes per game and nearly 12 points on 45% shooting from both the field and three-point line. Some of my shots were from well beyond the three-point line, which spread the floor and created space for our offense to function more effectively. During a season in which I didn’t find my confidence until after Christmas break, my made three-pointers were the fourth most in school history. By season’s end defenders were sprinting at me whenever I caught a pass, daring me to put the ball on the floor. In previous years I’d often been overwhelmed by bigger, more athletic defenders in the paint. As a senior my coaches worked with me on pump faking to get my defender to fly by, establishing room for me to launch a three. 

Since graduating, I’ve continued to study and practice meditation, and I’m now helping other young athletes develop a mental training practice. Currently I’m teaching a course at Regis University called Meditation for Athletes, and am also the meditation coach for both Regis Men’s Basketball and Regis Baseball.

I’m also offering private, individual coaching to young athletes in the Denver area. I want to work with individual athletes - age 15 and up - on an ongoing basis, providing enough time to establish a relationship and make genuine progress. All committed young athletes experience pressure as they try to achieve their athletic goals, while also dealing with the mental stresses of their smartphones and social media accounts. An athlete working with me will learn the basics of mindfulness meditation, and how to incorporate mental training into competitive basketball. Mindfulness training also creates increased peace, joy and productivity in life at large.

I tailor my training to the unique needs of each athlete I work with by learning about their goals and aspirations, and what they might be struggling with. I adapt my training style to the time of the year, as in-season workouts should be much different than offseason workouts. Ideally, I’ll work with an athlete multiple times per week. I’m also open to working with multiple athletes in small groups.

If you’re interested in working with me, please contact me through the form below.