Mental Skills Training at UPBasketball

“The choice to be mindful is the choice to just accept everything that’s going on. Mindfulness creates this space between the stimulus and the response. Creating that space is actually pure freedom because then you can choose how to respond,” Coach Ben said.

“Basketball and any sport teaches kids skills they’ll need in the real world. It’s important to show kids that when they work on something consistently, they’ll always get better and that’s a great lesson to emphasize,” Coach Ruelas said.

One of the most important ideas tied to focus is the concept of being present. When focus drifts away from the present, mistakes tend to stack and players begin reacting to what just happened instead of what’s happening now. Instead of dwelling on a turnover, the focus shifts immediately getting back on defense, communicating, and staying engaged. This ability to refocus is what separates composed players from reactive ones. It’s not about avoiding mistakes, but about how quickly you can move on from them.

“The first thing that I make sure to talk about is awareness, that’s where it all starts. For example, if I’m not good at my jump shot, it wouldn’t matter since I’m not aware of it or working to improve it. The goals for each week lets us know we are getting better every practice,” Ruelas said.

“It's regular basketball. You get a great workout, but we'll be incorporating mindset into it. That's what makes this unique. We’re not doing mindset performance training on the side, we’re changing our language as we train. Instead of saying, ‘make the shot’ we'll say, ‘trust your shot.’ Trust your shot means we don't even know if it's going to go in or out, let it rip though,” Betchart said. 

“A flow state is when someone is totally immersed in a task. This can be triggered when one’s skills are right at the cusp of the challenge at hand. It involves complete absorption into what you are doing, to the point where you’re so focused that nothing distracts you. In flow, time feels altered - like it’s either passing quickly or slowing down. Actions feel effortless, and it usually leads to a deep enjoyment in what you’re doing.”

“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.”

Studies show that athletes who get injured often struggle with things like anxiety, frustration, and even depression. It’s not just about missing games—it’s about missing your routine, your teammates, your identity. And for young athletes, that hit can feel even harder. So how do you deal with it?

Each of these mental tools—meditation, visualization, and positive self-talk—can make a big impact on their own. When used together, they create a powerful mental training system that helps athletes stay focused, confident, and resilient. At UPB, we believe in developing the whole athlete, and that means training the mind just as intentionally as we train the body. Continue to train the MVP’s in your mind, and you will become an MVP on the court.

Parents play a critical role in an athlete’s development, particularly when it comes to supporting their mental and emotional growth. However, it’s a unique role that can be tough to navigate. You’re not their coach, but you’re also more than just a cheerleader.

“The earlier you start mental training, the easier it is to mold your brain into a mindset built on good habits. It’s easier to train your brain because the older you are the more cemented you are in your beliefs and habits but there’s always room to learn and grow” 

“It's one of my favorite things to see, an athlete making a breakthrough mentally, or telling me about a moment where they used one of the mental skills in a game and it helped them get through it,” Hewitt said. “Giving back to all these young athletes is very fulfilling. To equip these athletes with all the skills that I feel like I needed and didn't have when I was their age is a great feeling.”

“The higher level an athlete is at, the more pressure there is, and the more stakes there are, which makes it more important for the parent to kind of build the opposite direction in that and be a consistent rock, be a consistent supportive presence,” Coach Joey said. “That was something that really helped me, personally, when I played college basketball and things started to get more real.”

“Everything in regards to our focus stems from the things we hear or the things that we see…The parent is a very influential person in an athlete's life in the sense that what they say, the children take in and what they do, the children mirror naturally,” Coach Joey said. “Being able to use a language that is focused on the right things, focused on the process, focused on the things that are in the athletes control, I think is very important.”

Nearly a month after the Mental Skills Camp at UPB, we caught up with Graham Betchart to discuss his journey in sports psychology and what techniques he finds most helpful. In particular, we spoke with Betchart about how parents can support their athletes as they continue to grow in the mental side of the game.

On Saturday, August 12th, Unlimited Potential Basketball hosted its first Mental Skills Camp brought to athletes by Sacramento Kings’ Mental Skills Coach and Palms Basketball’s Graham Betchart.

“Mental skills are just like physical skills. The earlier you start practicing them, the better, so this is proactive mental skills training. Our goal is to introduce it to the kids really early in life so they can start practicing and get better at it,” Betchart said. “This is some of the most important stuff in life. I mean, not only does this help on the court, of course, with performance and all that good stuff, but these are life skills. This stuff helps you in school, helps you with your work, with your family, [and] your relationships.”

Professional athletes are adept at dealing with these stressful environments through years of practice and training. It is a process, so patience and persistence are also very important skills to harness when overcoming stress.

Basketball is a mental game. Take a look at some of these tips to instantly help you play better on the court.

Adding visualization to an athlete’s workout plan is beneficial because it increases concentration on the game, reduces pressure leading up to the game and enhances an athlete's ability to perform certain skills in different scenarios. When an athlete visualizes their success, it promotes confidence within themselves and leads to future success in the task they are trying to accomplish.

Mental training is important to work on for not only an athlete’s game, but for their everyday life. Mental training improves self confidence, helps with stress management, increases drive and motivation, improves concentration, increases mental toughness and so much more.

Franco believes mental training is important because it is a skill set that an athlete can add to their game that will only make them better. When an athlete mentally trains, it helps them trust and feel confident in their basketball skills, such as ball handling or shooting, when they are in competition or a game. Mental training can help with the pressure on an athlete as well as all the distractions that may come their way.

“Sports, academics, public speaking, in the operating room, or wherever, you have to know how to manage your emotions. No matter what happens in front of you, stay in that performance state. Deal with the other stuff later, but you can't just all of a sudden fall apart,” Toon said.

“Like anything in life, it begins with your mindset. With what you believe to be true. If you have self doubt, you will hesitate in [the] game. We work to not only sharpen your physical tools but also your mental tools to allow you to fully trust your work and stop listening to the old stories in our head as to why we cannot do something,” Coach Packie said.

“I see athletes struggle with their identity all the time and I believe they need to be taught how to separate themselves and their performance from their worth. Being present and in the moment can really help with this,” Turner said. “I know that our gym is the first place many children learn about mindfulness. If incorporating mindfulness into our training sessions helps even just one person I feel like we have succeeded.”

Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon is more than a professional athlete. He was a heralded recruit out of the Bay Area, a star at University of Arizona, and the 4th overall pick in the NBA draft. Through a diligent work ethic, mindfulness, and a strong support system he is leaving a remarkable legacy. A steady self-awareness coupled with an eagerness to always get better allows Gordon to continuously push himself in workouts and as an activist. He runs a non-profit, takes on different roles on the court, and started a media company, demonstrating to the next generation everyone's potential is unlimited.

Randle is the epitome of making the best of his situation and is currently averaging five points, two rebounds and two assists per game for the Orlando Magic. And that’s not all. Off the court, Randle is a founder of Volokit, a high-end streetwear brand. For Randle the learning never stops and that is something we all in itself can take away from his time in the UPB gym and beyond.

The ninth episode of Mental Buckets featured a one-of-a-kind talent on and off the court in Ky Bowman. His conversation with Packie and Mike touched on his journey from North Carolina to the NBA, with stops at Boston College, and the Santa Cruz and Golden State Warriors along the way. But, basketball was only part of the story; this podcast touched on so much more than that, and specifically the adversity that Bowman has overcome to the best version of himself.

Five-star recruit out of high school. Number one pick in the NBA Draft. Too quiet to lead. These are all labels that Anthony Bennett has worn through the years. After listening to this episode of Mental Buckets, it will become clear that Bennett is a fighter. He's overcome injury, ignored the doubters, and continuously worked to sustain a pro career in the NBA, the G-League, and internationally. Learn more about the fire that continues to drive Bennett towards basketball success, and the veteran players who've supported him, regardless of what challenges he's faced with.