🏀 winter School Holidays Are Coming! Let’s Lead with Presence, Not Pressure 💬❤️
As the school holidays approach in Inner West Sydney, there’s a buzz in the air — holiday camps, end-of-term games, and maybe even a well-earned family break 🌞✈️
At One Thru Five Basketball, we love seeing young players hit the court during the break — but we also know it can be a lot for families juggling work, schedules, and emotions 🧠💼
That’s why we’re sharing this friendly reminder for all of us:
💡 Be present. Stay respectful. Support the game — and each other.
👨👩👧👦 Be Present With Your Child, Not Just Busy With Their Schedule
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle — drop-offs, pick-ups, gear bags, snacks, bookings. But what kids really remember isn’t how many camps they did… it’s how we showed up for them 💛
Being present looks like:
👏 Cheering for their effort, not just their points
🧘 Taking a breath before reacting to a missed shot or turnover
🚗 Keeping the car ride home positive — no post-game press conference! 😅
A child who feels supported will always outperform a child who feels pressured.
❌ Coaches or Referees are not punching bags for the sidelines
We’ve all been there — a missed call, a sub you don’t agree with, a rough game. But here’s the truth: yelling at coaches or referees never helps. And worse, it teaches kids the wrong lessons 📉
Let’s be real: our coaches are giving up their own family time to help yours 🙏
And most of our referees? They’re teens learning on the job — not NBA refs (yet!) ⚖️
Let’s commit to:
🤝 Letting coaches coach
🙌 Letting referees ref
👦👧 Letting kids play
💬 Bringing feedback at the right time, not from the sideline
We’re building a culture of respect and positivity — and that starts with us adults 👊
🏕️ Holiday Camps Are About Growth, Not Perfection
Our school holiday camps are designed to build skills, confidence, and friendships — not create overnight superstars 💫
Kids will:
Try new things 💥
Make mistakes 😬
Get better step by step 🔁
And most importantly — have fun 😄🎉
So let’s keep the focus on learning, effort, and enjoyment 🧡
✅ This Holiday Season, Let’s Model the Right Stuff
The best role models aren’t the loudest — they’re the ones who:
👂 Listen
💬 Encourage
🧠 Stay calm
❤️ Show empathy
🤗 Celebrate every player
Basketball is more than just a sport — it’s a chance to build resilience, community, and lifelong values. Let’s use these holidays to reinforce those lessons.
👉 Ready to book in after school basketball after these school holidays? Spots are filling fast! Head to onethrufive.com.au/book-now-1 to secure your place 🎯
And next time you're watching your child play — breathe, smile, and enjoy the moment. Because they’re watching you, too 👀💕
🔥The Real Game-Changer: EFFORT and enthusiasm💪🏽
In today’s highlight-driven world 🌍, it’s easy to believe that talent alone creates greatness on the basketball court. But behind all highlights, there is a hidden truth: talent might get you started, but hard work and a true enjoyment of what you are doing will take you to the next level.
In a 2008 Division 2 junior representative team in Sydney, I was fortunate enough to coach and work closely with 12 skilled and talented athletes. Fast track 17 years, three of these 12 athletes have played in US college systems, played in Europe professionally, or played in the NBL1 and NBL competitions locally. In this blog, we’re going to break down what truly made a difference to their basketball careers.
Why Hard Work Matters
Hard work is the backbone of improvement. There is no substitute for work. While worthwhile results come from careful planning and hard work, it is those extra repetitions after training, the film study at night 🎥, and the focus on the small details—like footwork 👣, angles 📐, and timing ⏱️—that make a big difference in games. Every shot taken in an empty gym, every sprint finished when your legs are burning, builds not just skill, but also mental toughness 🧠.
Those three athletes that eventually became college athletes or played professionally? They worked harder than everyone else. The one who made a state team first did not get there because they were more talented first. They got there because they got more shots up than anyone else. They got there because they left the gym last and got to the gym first.
Why ENTHUSIASM Wins
The best players aren’t just working hard—they’re doing it over and over again. Consistency means showing up on days when you don’t feel like it. But it is that enthusiasm that brushes off upon those that they come across that makes the consistency worthwhile. The support structures for those who truly enjoy what they are doing run deep.
Consistency is also apply themselves in making small improvements day after day until it become second nature. You don’t become a great shooter from one good session, just like you don’t become a great defender from one single loose ball dive or one single hustle play. It’s about building habits that turn effort, with enthusiasm into excellence.
Progress Over Perfection
At One Thru Five Basketball, we can handle chaos. We do not expect perfection — we expect progress. Whether it’s a training session, a camp, or a season-long development plan, our focus is helping player athletes take consistent steps forward. Some days are sharp ⚡. Other days, not so much 😕. That is normal. What matters is that you keep showing up and putting in the work.
The player with the most extensive professional basketball career out of the 12? He was told he was too small to guard bigger guards in high school. He missed key free throws in games. But these things did not stop developing, working towards and building skills through hard work and planning. They added fuel to progress but not without the work, persistence and enthusiasm that was brought to the table.
What This Looks Like in Action
✅100 form shots every morning before school.
✅Reviewing film and video footage once a week to spot areas to improve.
✅Bring energy and focus to every drill, not just scrimmages and every possession during games.
These aren’t flashy habits—but they’re the ones that win games.
Final Word
If you want to elevate your game, forget shortcuts. Trust the process. Bring energy, effort, and focus every time you step on the court. Hard work sets the pace🏃, and consistent enthusiasm brings the results📈.
At One Thru Five Basketball, we provide the tools, structure, and support—but it’s up to you to show up, work hard, and do it again tomorrow.
Let’s build something great—one session, one rep, one day at a time. 🏀
🏀 How to Be a Coachable Basketball Player
There is no such thing as an elite or high performing 9 year old or a 12 year old professional athlete. In basketball, talent is often a driver to keep players improving but it is actually coachability that takes that talented athlete the distance.
At One Thru Five Basketball, we see it every day: the most successful players aren’t always the most athletic. They’re the ones who are hungry to learn, willing to be challenged, and focused on becoming better.
Legendary coach John Wooden, who won 10 NCAA Division 1 titles with UCLA, built his coaching philosophy around a simple idea: success is a journey, not a destination. His famous Pyramid of Success outlines the character traits that make someone not just a great athlete, but a great person. If you want to be coachable, start by mastering the foundation of that pyramid.
Let’s break it down.
💯1. Industriousness — Work Hard. Every Day.
Coachability starts with effort. Wooden placed industriousness—hard work—as one of the two cornerstones of success. No player can improve without it.
What it looks like:
Showing up early and staying late
Giving your best during every drill, not just scrimmage
Treating practice like game day
💡 Challenge: Try this at your next session—push through the last 10 minutes with the same energy as the first 10.
💕2. Enthusiasm — LOVE the Process.
Wooden paired hard work with enthusiasm—genuine love for the game and the grind. Coachable players bring energy, even when things aren’t going their way.
What it looks like:
Encouraging teammates
Responding to feedback with “Got it!” or “Thanks, Coach”
Smiling through the hard sessions
💡 Mindset shift: Instead of thinking “I have to train,” say “I get to train.”
🙌 3. Friendship & Cooperation —Be a Great Team mate.
Coachability is just as much about how you interact with others as how you play. Wooden emphasized cooperation, loyalty, and friendship as building blocks to team success.
What it looks like:
Celebrating others' success
Playing your role, even if it’s not the spotlight
Trusting your coach and teammates
💡 Try this: After practice, thank a teammate who pushed you to improve.
🔒 4. Self-Control & Alertness — Stay Locked In.
Coaches love players who can take feedback without frustration, and adjust in real time. That takes self-control and alertness, both key blocks in Wooden’s Pyramid.
What it looks like:
Controlling your body language when benched or corrected
Being mentally engaged, even when you're not on the court
Noticing what’s happening in drills and learning from others
💡 Coachable moment: If you’re subbed out after a mistake, ask what you can do better, and be ready to go when your number’s called.
🙏 5. Faith & Patience — Trust the Process.
Improvement doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes being coachable means doing the little things right, over and over, even when you don’t see instant results.
What it looks like:
Believing in your coach’s plan
Staying positive during tough games or training slumps
Letting your growth happen over weeks and months
💡 Remember: Your journey is your own. Trust it.
Final Word: Coachability Is a Skill
Being coachable isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being willing. Willing to try, to listen, to grow. It’s a skill you can practice, just like your jump shot or handles.
At One Thru Five Basketball , we’re not just building better basketball players—we’re helping build future leaders, one rep at a time.
Train with purpose. Learn with humility. Play with passion.
The One Thru Five Team