MINDFUL Moments

Overview 

Mindful Moments is a proud section that Breathe Basketball has incorporated into its website. These moments are all testimonies, personal experience, about thought processes before, during and after a game. 

Some stories will be marked “anonymous” if that person would like to keep their story to themselves yet brave enough to share on our website.

If you are someone who has a Mindful Moment that would like to be shared through this page, please get in contact with us via email, share your story and we would love to share with all our Breathe team. Thank you, in advance, for your bravery. 

“Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”  

– Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk.

Confidence - Coach Jesse

Never get too high or too low. Meaning; when you have a bad game learn from the experience. When you have a good game enjoy the moment, move on and keep grinding. Stay even keeled. 

Continue to have confidence in your work ethic. The results will follow!

If you feel flustered throughout the game or feel you are losing confidence, take three deep breaths and focus on the next possession instead of dwelling on the previous. 

Coaches can be extra strict sometimes. Take the coaching and continue to grow. Be confident with your game and always believe in yourself!

Game Performance - Coach Jesse

Find a routine before practice/games. Something that calms you down or prepares you to perform at your best with a clear mind.

Personally, as a professional athlete, meditating for 10 minutes before each game and listing all the things I am grateful for helps calm me down and understand it is JUST A GAME. Those two things help me perform at my absolute best every game. 

Having a bad game does not define you as a player or a person. Do not be too hard on yourself. I have had PLENTY of bad games but always bounce back because I am confident in my abilities. Bad games are part of the sport. Stay confident and bounce back. 

Do not let a bad quarter impact the rest of the game. Just because you start out the game poorly does not mean you have to end the game that way. 

Focus on each possession. Do not get flustered or angry about a previous possession. Be ready for the next play and make up for a mistake.

Take every game/practice as a learning experience no matter the outcome.

Do not overthink a possession or the game in whole. Trust your work and your instincts!

Tips that have worked for me - Coach Jesse

Even as a professional athlete, I have bad games and dwell over mistakes. I also suffer from anxiety and depression. These tips above have helped me tremendously to be able to perform at a high level, calm me down, and continue my professional career. 

Basketball is an amazing game but sometimes it can get to your head. These tips have worked for me, but every individual has different techniques. Continue to do the things that work for YOU and once you find that routine, stick with it!

Knowing your role - Coach Jesse

EVERY player is important to a team’s success. Whether if you are a starter, coming off the bench, not playing a single minute, or injured.

Your time will come. Trust your work and the results will follow. Continue to be a good teammate no matter what circumstance you are in! 

If you feel you should be playing more minutes; work harder in practice, be a good teammate. Earn your spot! 

Shooting - Coach Jesse

Great shooters put in the work during their own time. Put the work in and your confidence will grow.

The mental side of shooting the basketball is just as important as the physical. Believe in yourself! 

Playing time - Coach Jesse

Every minute you are on the floor matters for the team’s success. Do not worry about playing time, players can turn a game around in just a few possessions, which can lead to a win!

Injury - Coach Liam

August 1st, 2020. I went up for a block during a game and when I landed on both feet, the opposing guard had fell into the inside of my right knee with full force. As the umpires, players, coaches, fans and club representatives all could not move me off the court, the game was ended with 3:14 to go. After laying on the court for 45 minutes, the ambulance arrived and stated that the bone may have gone through an artery, meaning if the artery punctured, I could’ve died due to internal bleeding. The collision, in the end, resulted in a severely dislocated knee and later finding out that I had torn my ACL, LCL, MCL, calf and hamstring. 

After numerous scans and tests, I had also severely damaged the tibia sciatic and the perennial nerve in my right leg, causing the function of my entire foot to fail. Meaning, I can no longer move my foot up and down or to the side until the nerve takes its time to heal, which could be in 2 days or 40 years. 

October 12, 2020. I went to see a specialist, with my partner, the doctor had received the results from my EMP test, a nerve functioning assessment, and stated “you may no longer be able to play competitive basketball”. I broke down and, possibly for the first time ever, was left speechless. 

March 25, 2021. I had an appointment with a exercise physiologist who, after vigorous tests, said I would be cleared to play in the next 2-4 weeks. 

The article below depicts my story extremely well. Please feel free to read! 

Read Here

From this injury I learned to:

  • Be grateful for every aspect of your life. To be able to breathe, walk, talk, smell, taste and live. 
  • Enjoy the journey of getting back onto the court and love working hard. 
  • Create minor goals to achieve during the road back to the court. Little wins are important. Celebrate! 
  • Give it everything you have. Leave no room for regrets when you are older. 
  • Find hobbies to do or see when you feel “flat”. Fishing, coaching, seeing close friends, video games, families and partners are major contributors to giving yourself a “break”. 
  • Approach life with a smile and a grateful attitude. Great things will come. 

Being in the Moment - Rhonda Kauiers - NLP Practitioner / Holistic Coach

  • Allow yourself to be present 
  • Focus on right now – this moment
  • Breathe – three deep belly breaths or even one will bring you back to the present
  • Believe in yourself – you can do this
  • Say to yourself – you have got this – Taking a shot – I have got this!

Focus – Rhonda Kauiers - NLP Practitioner / Holistic Coach

  • Practice awareness 
  • Be present in what you are doing right now
  • Be present on the court in the very moment
  • Connect to your abilities and skills and use them 
  • Be  compassionate with yourself 

Benefits of staying focused - Rhonda Kauiers - NLP Practitioner / Holistic Coach

  • Builds momentum. When you stay focused on the present moment, you're more apt to complete it with greater efficiency . ...
  • Increases productivity. The more you're able to stay on task, the more tasks you'll be able to complete with efficiency ...
  • Produces better quality basketball. Train your brain…
  • Good routines are the secret weapon of highly focused people.

Support - Breathe Basketball

These moments are not solutions and will not be a cure for mental health rather, hopefully, a section that you all can learn from, maybe be inspired by and let you know that you are not alone.

Please, if you are struggling further, talk to a friend, family member, teammate, coach or even us. We all have our own battles in this world, the best thing to do is communicate and express yourself to someone, we are always happy to be those people!