WIN - What’s Important Now?

3 Minute read 

By: Andrea Aruino

WIN is an acronym whose purpose is to center one’s attention towards What’s Important Now. As an athlete it’s easy to lose sight of what’s in front of them when their mind wanders on future milestones. Questions often arise of “How am I going to make it to the pros?” or “How do I get as many offers as possible?” Planning for the future is never a bad thing, in fact it does help set an athlete up for success. WIN allows athletes to focus on what they need to do in order to ensure that they make it to the next step of their big goal. Whether that be making it on the varsity team of their high school or it can be as simple as honing in on your jump stop into a layup. Whenever an athlete focuses on what they can do in the moment, they set themselves up for a future full of doors that open naturally because they aren’t cutting corners. 

Control is an essential part in understanding what WIN means. Understanding that there are things in practice an athlete can and can’t control is crucial in creating a mindset that empowers them to keep focus on what they’re doing at the moment. For example, in practice all one can do is make sure that they’re putting 100% into their drills. Whilst their goal of making it to the pro is something they can only control as they get further into their career. 

A common example for many players who want to level up their game is having the opportunity to play for their varsity high school team. An example of WIN in this situation is understanding where one is at right now and what they can do in order to show that they have the skills and knowledge to excel at a higher level. If the athlete is on their JV team, they have the opportunity to speak to coaches and ask simple questions that will elevate their game. “What are you looking for in a varsity player? What are skills you’ve seen in me that I can improve on?” Expressing one’s interest is crucial, it pulls in the attention of coaches, in turn it allows you to work on what needs to be done to reach that new level. Once an athlete has a plan, it’s easier to understand the WIN concept. Each small step that an athlete takes leads to an even greater achievement. 

It’s easy to stress about not making the team or overthinking your interaction with the coach. Although players can lean on WIN in order to alleviate stress. Make sure you try your hardest, do what you can right now, and the results will come. 

“WIN frequently reminds me to stay in the present moment, and to let go of trying to change what happened before and what will happen in the future. The only thing we have control over are our actions in the present moment. It forces you to be where your feet are, and to control your controllables,” Coach Josh Friedkin said. 

Everyone begins their basketball journey at different levels. Starting out may entail simply getting the fundamentals down and understanding the rules of the game. Meanwhile someone whose goal is to play at the collegiate level, is focused on different things as they’re still in high school. 

“For a junior in high school that is interested in playing in college, the focus looks completely different. WIN needs to be multifaceted. The little things become magnified - grades, body language, personability, and more. Coaches tend to recruit players that will not be difficult or cause problems on or off court. Understanding what you want for your college experience is also something to think about around this time,” Coach Corey said. 

Having the discipline to take each necessary step towards one’s goal, inevitably manifests into more opportunities. WIN doesn’t only apply when it comes to thinking of their bigger goals. It can be applied in almost every situation, this mindset assists in grounding athletes during challenging times. Being in control of one’s emotions is something that is hard to master. Times when shots aren’t sinking during practice or if they feel they aren’t getting enough playing time, is enough to spark strong emotions that can either hinder or inspire them. Ideally, an athlete wants to be inspired to work harder in order to make sure they don’t miss their shots or prove that they deserve more playing time. Although in the heat of the moment, it’s hard to feel inspired. 

Applying WIN in a hard moment such as not receiving playing time or having an injury can look like being a supportive teammate. If they’re on the bench, they still make the effort to encourage their teammates who are on the court. What’s important in that moment is focusing on what one can do in order to win even if they’re not the one playing. The energy that that teammate brings can help ignite the five that are on the floor, while the ones on the floor are focused on one thing, they look to their team for encouragement and support. Although it may be tough to come to terms with less playing time, it exemplifies toughness and ability to stay strong minded and ready for when their name gets called. 

“The best way I know to practice the WIN mentality is when you run into struggle. Adversity can be one of the best teachers, but when you dwell on it for too long it can have an adverse effect. Not to say don't be self-critical sometimes, but adversity also presents great opportunities,” Coach Corey said. 

This acronym not only serves players but it also serves coaches at UPB. WIN helps coaches to create workout plans catered towards their clients. The way that they curate a private session will be different when coming up with a plan for a group session. There are so many details that come with being a coach and it can sometimes get messy, that’s when WIN comes into play. Recognizing each player’s ability enables coaches to help players improve.

“WIN is a mindset I keep in the back of my head when I play, and a structure of thinking I use when I plan a workout. It guides me unemotionally through past mistakes so that I can continue to execute mentally and physically. This allows me to see a workout through a lens of flexibility instead of rigidity,” Coach Corey said. 

WIN is one of many mindset tips that can help an athlete blossom into a version of themself that exceeds their expectations. Being able to master this comes with practicing mindfulness while on the court, in a game, or in practice. Just like making shots takes practice, creating a strong mind takes just as many reps in order to master. It doesn’t matter what level one is playing at,  UPB encourages all athletes to try and focus on what’s important now.