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Drey Ricks recognizes why developing a basketball IQ is a must in young athletes. Basketball IQ refers to the basketball player’s ability to make a good decision on the basketball court. It includes their knowledge of basketball strategies. As well as their understanding of how other players will react in certain situations. The more basketball IQ a player has developed, the higher
chances they have to play on the next level.

Basketball is a very complex sport and the current way parents and athletes are working to advance
skills in this sport needs serious review. Drey Ricks knows key attributes of this game requires intentional, purposeful practice to improve. Shooting, passing, and dribbling are skills that require an athlete to fight the satisfactory skill plateau. Playing games does not improve these skills – they only reveal their current state. If players want to truly build basketball IQ they must study daily.

Drey Ricks, expresses “Motivation is key and necessary when developing a basketball IQ, if you have a bad attitude, if you don’t feel like giving 100%, you are already limiting your body and your mind. The mind dictates the intensity of the body. The body naturally chooses the comfortable path. The mind and better yet, the heart has to be the driver. It is no wonder that courage is said to reside in the heart.  To be excellent in anything, it requires great bravery. A daily decision to live with courage.

Goals are the target for your heart. Once you have the engine of your heart behind you, use your mind to focus on your goals – the daily goal of building and improving the IQ.  Goals should be thought of as precise baby steps that march you to your task. If the steps are too easy and too small, push yourself. If it is too big, back up. Your sweet spot is where the task is just barely out of reach. Goals help you teeter on the edge of what you are and aren’t capable of doing.

Drey Ricks stresses the importance of developing basketball IQ from an early age, no matter how long an athlete intends to play the game. During the course of a players basketball career, instilling the correct values and definitions plays a major role in the success of a players career.

The foundation of being an educated basketball player and having a developed IQ is what separates good players from great player.  Basketball education is not solely confined to the dimensions of the court or restricted to the walls of the locker room. Drey Ricks identifies basketball education as understanding the impact the players, plays, coaches and leaders has on the game.

Players owe it to themselves to become knowledgeable and spread that knowledge and understanding to those they come in contact with.  Basketball education is a way of life, it’s a choice great players make to dedicate themselves to the game and all it has to offer. Drey Ricks stresses a developed IQ truly is power.

Drey Ricks identifies body language as a vital factor in athletics. Body language doesn’t talk, it screams and definitely to opponents. Our thoughts dictate how we feel, and the opposite is also true. Body language dictates thoughts and feelings.

Drey Ricks identified personality also dictates our body language. Some athletes personalities show little emotion, they are even-keeled, and others cannot really tell how they are actually feeling. On the opposite end, some athletes are incredibly energetic and visibly show their emotions. A display of positive emotion after a successful play can intimidate an opponent, but body language
often becomes more important when those are not performing well.

As a Basketball Performance Therapist & Analyst, Drey Ricks identified no one is able to read others thoughts; however, they can see body language.  Players & athletes are able to be good teammates and leaders through body language.  It is easy to deal with others and be a good teammate when we are competing well. However, being a high-level athlete demands that players are good teammates and relentless competitors even during struggle.

Drey Ricks can’t express enough how important pre-game warm-ups are. Pre-game warm-ups should not be taken for granted. Drey Ricks believes this is a determining factor whether you will have a good performance or not.  In the physiological sense, warming up refers to increasing blood flow to the muscles that are to be engaged in the planned exercise. Heightened blood flow to muscles means increased oxygen delivery to tissues and removed carbon dioxide, a harmful toxin for muscle performance.

 

The benefits of warming up are related to a rise in muscle temperature, which leads to the dissociation of oxygen from hemoglobin, quickens metabolic chemical reactions, and results in more efficient cellular processes. A reduction in muscle viscosity then increases the sensitivity and speeds up the nerve impulses that allow for faster communication between neurotransmitters. Maintaining good flexibility through warm-up exercises has shown protective benefits by helping prevent musculoskeletal sports-related injuries.

These changes allow muscles to move quickly and efficiently and help connect the brain with relevant
motor patterns for the upcoming activity, all while minimizing injury. A good example of a way to begin a warm-up is by completing this dynamic warm-up.

Drey Ricks knows it’s essential for all elite athletes to take the necessary time to prepare their bodies for their athletic performance. Athletes can use a general warm-up to increase muscle temperature and sport-specific movements to get their bodies sharp. If an athlete is going to
put in the time to maximize their athletic performance, they must also put in the time to properly
warm-up.

Drey Ricks believes that laughing before a game decreases sports performance anxiety, also called sports anxiety or competitive anxiety, which is incredibly common; approximately 30-60% of athletes experience it.

As a Basketball Performance Therapist & Analyst, Drey Ricks has identified, sports anxiety in young athletes starts with self-sabotage. Players may unconsciously set themselves up to fail by skipping breakfast or going to bed late the night before. Self-sabotage, in short, provides an “excuse” for a bad performance. Of course, a lack of preparation can also worsen your anxiety. From there it ramps up until lashing-out. Sometimes people express their worries through anger, shouting at teammates, or getting physical with opponents. Ultimately in young athletes, this will lead to poor performance. If young players are distracted and discouraged, chances are they won’t bring your A-game.

Drey Ricks suggests that before a game it’s crucial that young athletes get proper hours of rest, and sleep with the TV off so their mind can stay focused on the task at hand. The most important
thing they can do the morning of a game is to eat breakfast and begin their pre-game routine hours
before the actual game. Drey Ricks knows this will help with sports performance anxiety.

Drey Ricks developed specific tools, mantras, and movements that has helped players stay calm under intense situations.

“Emotions play an important role in sports, after all we are driven by our passions. Dealing with pressure is a by-product of being an athlete. For better or worse, it’s something each player will face in every form and on a consistent basis. From training to competitions, there’s no escaping the demands of being in a pressurized environment.”, Drey Ricks.

It’s true that we’re all born with different personalities, and therefore some personalities are better equipped with dealing with stress than others. Nonetheless, sports psychology teaches us that we all have the power to reframe the way we think and put the right measures in place to cope with challenges. Drey Ricks is a firm believer that staying calm under pressure is the key to conquering the moment.

Drey Ricks is motivating players to unlock their extra gear by providing athletes with strategic tools to help them under pressure.

One of the tools are mantras, mantras are very effective and popular practice with athletes to enhance their sports performance and to help keep them going when things get tough. Positive, motivational and inspirational self-talk has been helping professional athletes win for decades.

 

 

As a Basketball Performance Therapist & Analyst Drey Ricks believes at all levels of sports performance, it’s not just physicality, but the athlete’s will and focused determination that drives them to perform at their highest level when it matters most. Mantras unlock athletes extra gear when they need an extra shot of courage and strength.

Many young athletes want to know how to perform mantra, Drey Ricks has simplified the method.  “Mantras are to be short, positive, instructive and actionable.  Repeat your mantra to  direct your mind away from the negative thoughts, feelings and distractions and to focus your mind on the helpful thoughts, feelings, and experiences you desire.”

Drey Ricks, “Unlocking the power to an incredible game performance starts within, not the day of the game but leading up to tip-off is extremely important to the state of mind.  State of mind preparation is the underrated power.”

Drey Ricks says, “Many athletes train and practice expecting to perform under ideal conditions but, when things go slightly wrong, it can generate so much stress and ruin competitive performance due to lack of preparation.”

Preparation as a whole is a very broad topic within the arena of basketball. However, Drey Ricks strategy is to create a mindset that lets players consistently perform to their best capabilities and talents in competition.

The strategy includes two main components. The first component begins days (or even weeks) before competition and includes learning the strategies that instill greater mental toughness. For example, athletes should begin working on their focus, confidence, composure, and other important game strategies.

The second component is applying specific pregame routines that help players perform at your best. These routines should incorporate strategies that create the kind of mindset needed right before a competition.

In today’s world, the top athletes work with Basketball Performance Therapist to develop a pregame or warm-up routine that includes various mindset game strategies, such as focus, confidence, trust, and creating a game plan.

Drey Ricks says, “Pregame routines instill confidence, focus and a success-oriented mindset when the whistle blows. In addition, pregame routines should be customized for each athlete, depending on individual preferences, whether the athlete is competing at home or away, and after determining what works for each person.”

Drey Ricks, “High-level athletes are consistently using mindset techniques, relaxation, and imaging to optimize their performance before games.”

These techniques permits the development of concentration and motivation, managing emotions, and game-day stress.

It’s possible to define Drey Ricks strategic mindset approach as one of the best techniques that athletes learn and then apply automatically to develop and optimize their game day performance.

Anticipating performance or competition can be a source of stress for an unprepared athlete.

In sports psychology, many studies have explored emotional states as a determining condition of athletic performance.

According to Drey Ricks, the proper mindset includes the effective management of positive achievements, emotions, relationships, commitment and optimal state of mind.”

This concept becomes very important because it focuses athletes’ attention on what is positive in each situation. As a Basketball Performance Therapist & Analyst, Drey Ricks promotes the development of these positive elements, control, and use at critical moments in the athlete’s competition, which is a real challenge in realizing sports performances. The main interest of this approach for an athlete is to focus on the elements that would make it possible to achieve athletic performance and not focus on the aspects that would disturb it.

Drey Ricks, “When the lights are on and you tense up under pressure all your hard work will go unnoticed without the right mindset and game plan.  The younger an athlete starts and perfects the proper mindset, the more successful they will be in the game. It’s not always the best athlete on the court who performs the best it’s the most comfortable athlete who performs the best.

Drey Ricks knows players who are self-motivated take part in basketball for the pure enjoyment of it.  They do not need rewards to participate. They know in order to succeed it’s important that they  love the game. It’s not a good idea to take part in sports to make others happy.

Drey Ricks identified, when players have a real passion for the game, they have more staying power and feel more committed to the sports over time. Passion works in those players favor, and it makes learning fast and fun.