Fan Zone

Preparing for Selection Camp:
(for the first time)
 
"Selection camp is often a pretty nerve-racking time for athletes, especially for the first time!  It can help to spend some time preparing emotionally and mentally to perform to your potential.

In general, going to a selection camp for the first time can be a bit overwhelming.  Did you know that the more comfortable you are with a situation, the less you will worry and the more you will be able to focus on performing well.  So take a few minutes to learn as much as you can about the selection camp process.  Talk to some people who went last year, ask your coach about the experience, look up information related to the venue (& city) on the internet and ask any questions that you have.  Then, when you arrive, go the gym and look around (if that is possible) and find an athlete or two whom you know and spend some time talking with them.

One thing that can often be helpful going into an important situation, is to think about how you want to feel at the end of the experience.  So, spend a few minutes thinking about how you want to feel at the end of the selection process. Then, reflect on what this means for what you accomplish throughout your time there.

Next, think about when you usually play your best basketball. More specifically, what kinds of things do you focus on and how do you like to feel?  What are the implications for what you learn from asking yourself these questions?  How can you best prepare for feeling this way during the selection camp itself?

Now it is time to prepare for distractions!  Take a few minutes to think about what usually throws you off. Common distracters for selection camp are worrying about what the coach thinks, noticing someone else who is performing particularly well, starting off slow, or missing an important shot.  Think about the key distracters that may throw you off, reflect on how you usually react, and now (most importantly) decide how you want to react to this challenging situation.  Spend some time getting ready for responding this more positive way by imagining it in your head.

Leading up to the camp, grab a piece of paper and write down reasons why you will perform well at the camp. Remind yourself of the many preparations you have done prior to the event, about what a great player you are, or about other times when you have played really well in difficult situations.  After you make the list, keep it with you and refer back to it as you need to during the selection camp.

Finally, from all of this, set some process goals for how you want to perform while there.  Most likely you want to make the team or impress the coach.  Now take a step back.  In order to accomplish this, what do you need to do?  When you start thinking about what you need to do, this will provide you with some great things to focus on during the camp.

"Since you have chosen Wheelchair Basketball as your sport, selection camp is something that you are going to have to get use to. The first time will certainly be a new experience full of lots of anticipation. However, it is essential to prepare yourself so that you can perform at your best.

Obviously, one of the most important components of a successful training camp is being prepared both physically and mentally. Selection camp involves a lot of court time and therefore you need to be prepared to have to play probably more than you have ever played before. This takes not only take physical stamina but also mental stamina. So make sure that you put in the hours before arriving at camp.

Here are a couple things that you can do to prepare yourself.

1. Determine what your Ideal Performance State is – the state that you perform your best in. Think of how you feel physically when you perform your best, what your thoughts are and how your emotions fit in as well. You are trying to achieve that state each day at Selection Camp, you need to fill confident that you know what you need to do to get into that state.

2. Make sure that you have your preparation time figured out. How long does it take you to get strapped into your chair, fix anything, tape your hands, warm up before you are ready to go? It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and watch the other players warm up, don’t get caught in this trap. Be ready!

3. Make a list of the skills that you feel you excel at, as well as the skills that you are trying to improve. Review the list throughout the camp to remind yourself that you deserve to be there and what your goals are for improvement.

4. Speak to a veteran player or two and get an idea of what selection camp involves. This is so you can determine what things may be difficult for you, then plan and prepare.

5. During the camp, write things down. There are so many different plays, offensive and defensive drills that you will practice, and pointers that players and coaches may give you. It is way too much information for you to remember, so write it down and refer back to it each day.

6. Make a list of the good traits that you also bring; work ethic, positive attitude and coachability. These aspects are very important; you need to remember that coaches are looking for team members that are well rounded.

7. Determine what happens to your game and your attitude when you get tired. You will get tired. If you are clear and understand what happens to your play when you are pushed to your max, you will be able to put a few strategies in place to keep you on task.

Remember there is no stupid question, if you have one, don’t be afraid to ask. Get to know the players, coaches and staff and enjoy yourself.

...

Judy Goss, PhD.