🏀 Building Resilient Young Players to Win the Big Moments
The last few weeks, we’ve been fortunate enough to experience some incredibly close games and seen growth in our new term 3 One Thru Five After School programs. Some ended in wins 🎉, others in heart-breaking losses.
What stood out wasn’t just the score — it was how the players responded. In the wins, they stayed calm, trusted their habits, and played strong until the final buzzer. In the losses, we saw moments where we were beaten by a better side where fatigue, or hesitation seemed to creep in towards the final whistle.
While losing brings out a bunch of emotions, there are some great teachable moments for parents. They remind us (and our kids) that resilience is the difference between almost winning… and closing out the game.
For young players, resilience isn’t just “mental toughness.” It’s built through good habits, a positive mindset, and a style of play that works under pressure.
🧠 Staying Calm Under Pressure
When the score is tight, every possession matters. We develop the skills to enable players to space the floor 🖐, pass with purpose 🤝, and take the right shot 🎯 so they can think clearly instead of rushing. Calm decisions = better results.
🔄 Responding, Not Reacting
A tough referee call or a big opponent basket can swing momentum. We train kids to reset quickly — a deep breath 😮💨, eyes up 👀, get back on defence 🛡. This puts the brakes on that frustration from becoming a chain of mistakes.
📚 Trusting Their Habits
In close games, kids fall back on what they’ve practised. That’s why we stress and pressure test during training:
🏃♂️ Shooting when tired
📋 Running late-game plays
✋ Defending with intent and without fouling
When crunch time comes, these habits give them confidence to execute — no panic, just play.
⚡ Finishing Strong
We’ve lost games in the final minutes simply because energy dropped 😅. That’s why we push the habit of full effort until the buzzer: talking on defence 🗣, boxing out 📦, sprinting back 🏃♀️. The team that finishes strong wins.
💥 Not Fearing Contact
Some of those recent close games came down to rebounding and protecting the ball in traffic. When the time is right, we enable our junior players not to shy away from contact — to hold their ground 💪, stay balanced ⚖️, and play strong without playing rough or risk injury. A balance so important in all contacts sports like basketball 🏀 where toughness meets skill.
🤝 Belief That Spreads
When players encourage each other — a clap 👏, a “let’s go” 📢, a high-five ✋ — belief spreads. Teams that believe in themselves play free and are smarter in the biggest moments.
For parents:
Those recent losses aren’t failures — they’re opportunities. They show us exactly what skills and habits we need to build so our kids can handle the next big moment with confidence. And at junior levels, those habits don’t just help in basketball — they carry into school and friendships.
💪 Give your child the tools to win the big moments — in basketball and beyond.
📅 Book their place now at onethrufive.com.au
