Playing with Passion

Whether it is music or a sport there is no substitute for playing with passion.  Going through the motions is so detrimental to growth, purpose and the performance itself. It also interferes with the ability of the audience to really get into it the way they want to.  It is such a waste to be gifted in something and then not show the passion to keep learning growing, evolving and displaying that skill to the highest level. When a player plays with passion it is like having a spot light on them. They stand out for so many great reasons.  They don't have to be perfect or do every single thing right but it is playing for a higher purpose that is so compelling.  

If you have ever been to a concert of music that you might not normally even like there are times when you can still be pulled in with the passion and the presence of the performer. It isn’t always exactly clear why they just might be incredibly captivating. Passion is a big time difference maker and can be responsible for extremely high level performances as well as the amount of time someone stays with their craft.  

Let’s be honest basketball is a “young person’s game” in that at some point it needs to be given up and moved on from.  Even if you can still play eventually every player declines from where they were in their prime.  This  goes for athletes that get to play the game at the highest levels of professional sports too.  No one is exempt from having to either stop playing or accept their decline when the time comes.  This is why learning to tap into playing wish passion is critical at younger ages.

Some athletes get the opportunity to choose when the dimer switch starts to turn the light off on the game and other times it is a switch that the athlete has no part in the decision making process because they may be injured or be dealing with other circumstances outside of their control.  This is why learning to tap into the passion of the game early is so critical because when the process is over it always feels better knowing that you gave what you could.  

Dig deep 

There are obstacles that get in the way of success like injuries, relationships with coaches, other players and so on.  Passion can help you to figure out why you are putting yourself through the challenges and it can also help to provide the motivation on how much you are willing to persevere through the situation in order to be successful. Passion can be tapped into so that those situations aren’t as painful to go through.  It helps you to be clear about why you are doing what you are doing and find a way to get through to the other side of the obstacle.   

Hustle

It would be impossible to play with passion without some form of hustle as the two go hand and hand.  Hustle is a skill that must be practiced. You can’t turn off the hustle and then turn it on again with any degree of accuracy.  Hustle works best when it is utilized liberally.  On the court when someone is hustling it becomes very apparent that they are passionate because they are willing to do the little things that make an impact.      

Be infectious 

When a player plays with passion it is incredibly infectious to other teammates.  When you give more your teammates are often willing to do the same.  Passion helps to ignite energy within other players and really can shift the team in a positive direction.  

Here are some ways to be infectious using passion: 

• Cheer on the bench when you are on the bench 
• Celebrate your teammates when they do something amazing 
• Make hustle plays
• Give energy to your teammates by giving them high fives and positive encouragement 
• Helping them up when they go down after a hustle play 
• Take a charge
• Dive for a loose ball 
• Chase down a defender so they don’t get an easy look at a basket 

In closing, learning to play with passion is key.  Having a good idea of the reasons you play is very important to utilizing passion properly.  It helps you to persevere when things aren’t going your way and also helps to cope when you have to transition to another part of your life.  Passion and hustle go hand and hand to bring the best out of the player.  Finding ways to be infectious will help your teammates as well as yourself to tap into your passion more readily.