Think about this question carefully before attempting to answer it. Moving through the various levels of basketball competition requires more than just confidence, athleticism and skills. As an athlete, you will be expected to sacrifice a huge part of your social life in order to learn interpersonal skills, watch video footage, handle extreme criticism, and work extremely hard on fundamentals such as footwork, shooting, passing, rebounding, and dribbling for a minimum of 4 hours a day. The other 20 hours of the days should be filled in with academics, nutrition, socialization, and rest. Other than illness, there should never be a time when you will not go and perform your daily workouts. The mental stamina to perform even when you may not “feel” like it is what separates the average athletic competitor from a good one.

Advancing through the basketball ranks also requires extensive knowledge of the game, critical thinking skills, and a thorough understanding of the business side of basketball such as financial management, career planning, and contracts. Marketing, communication skills, and research are also needed to improve your chances of moving up to the next level. You should find the answers to questions such as (1) “What camps should I go to?” (2) “What approved tournaments should I participate in?” and (3) “What scouting organization should I be affiliated with?” Every level of athletic competition has its own rules and guidelines and it would be wise for you to become familiar with the requirements of competition at each level and what it truly entails. Standing out from the rest of the pack requires savvy, personality, and an advanced level of maturity. Every year more than 500,000 athletes in the U.S.A. graduate from high school with the hopes of playing in the NBA but the reality is that less than one-tenth of one percent (48) will actually realize their dreams. These numbers were not presented to discourage you. They were presented to let you know that the road to stardom is only made for a few and the rest of you have to make a way by working that much harder on your game.