Calm & Consistent

To stay calm in nerve racking situations can separate someone from a win or a loss out on the basketball court. The players who train and work hard to stay calm in those situations, usually reap the benefits in the end. The players who freak out, slip mentally, or have melt downs when it matters the most, those players usually end up not doing so well. In this article we talk about a handful of players that have demonstrated what it means to be calm & consistent over the years. No matter what the situation has been in front of them, they have always shown that they were prepared for it.   Thanks for turning in and enjoy!    St. Albert High School is one that consistently has players that we speak about because of their savvy play-style and ability to adapt in the moment. Another individual they have on roster, who is another really solid player is [player_tooltip player_id='883739' first='Payton' last='Johnsen'] at the SG position. Johnsen has been someone playing some quality minutes over the years on the high school and AAU floor. She is a prospect that never gives up on a play, she is always trying to communicate with those around her, and she isn't bad on the defensive end either. When you watch Johnsen compete, she is never too high or too low emotionally. She stays calm in all moments, good or bad, and that's something notable. This Winter I'm excited to see this group go to work. They have some dawgs, who are wiling to scrap it out for a win and that's all you can ask for as a coach.     Speaking about players that possess poise in big moments, next up we have [player_tooltip player_id='766453' first='Janessa' last='Mosley'] of IC - Liberty High School. Mosley is a Kirkwood CC commit and a SG with a balanced shooting stroke off of the catch. Mosley is also the type not to settle for three's but instead, she is willing to get into the lane and mix it up physically with others as she attacks the defense. Everytime that I have had a chance to see Mosley compete, she is always reserved. She plays with good energy and positive vibes but she is just quiet and calm. She understands when she needs to turn it up in special moments but she isn't the type to scream and lose her mind. Instead, she acts rationally and she see's a lot of success because of that factor alone.     This is the season that we find out if [player_tooltip player_id='502091' first='Adalyn' last='Long'] has another level to her game. Long competes out of Washington, Iowa with Washington High School and over the years she has been someone that her team can rely on. Long makes things happen. Plain and simple. She is a guard with a nice handle, respectable vision, a great mindset, nice side-to-side moment laterally, and a better than average motor. She never seems to take plays off, making her presence known on both sides of the ball and she never loses focus. Talking about calm & consistent prospects? Long is exactly that in a nutshell.     Benton Community is going to be looking forward their next big producer for years to come since they lose a lot of their past production due to graduation. Someone that looks like they are going to make the most of their opportunities is 5'10 SF - [player_tooltip player_id='592199' first='Aubrey' last='Kelly'] in the middle. Kelly will be their primary player near the hoop, while being versatile enough to move to the outside and screen if need be. When she does screen, she understands how to seal an opponent and roll to the basket or she can pop for a little mid-range, if given adequate time. Like I said, Benton is going to be looking for their next hero these first few weeks. I think that with Kelly's skill-set, mixed with her demeanor, that she could be that hero they need.

To stay calm in nerve racking situations can separate someone from a win or a loss out on the basketball court. The players who train and work hard to stay calm in those situations, usually reap the benefits in the end. The players who freak out, slip mentally, or have melt downs when it matters the most, those players usually end up not doing so well. In this article we talk about a handful of players that have demonstrated what it means to be calm & consistent over the years. No matter what the situation has been in front of them, they have always shown that they were prepared for it.