Notes From Camp 2012: Look Like You Care

June is basketball camp month; and just like last year, I've collected some of the wisdom from basketball camp that translates to the rest of us as well. Last year I enjoyed this series of posts, as I discussed the following lessons:

• Get in the Gap
• The Word of the Day is "Adversity"
• Make New Mistakes
• Use the Off-Season
• Do Your Ball-Handling Drills

The first lesson from this year's camps is whatever you do, take pride in what you're doing and look like you care. Unfortunately we had some kids come to our team camp, especially junior high kids, who worked hard at appearing as if they didn't care when things weren't going all that well. It's a common trait we see in players when they do not expect to be successful at something. It's the easy way out. If you can't win a rebounding drill, joke about how you can't jump. If you can't lead a sprint, stay comfortably in the middle of the pack and then dramatically hack and wheeze once you're finished. Going to miss most shots you take? Spend your day chucking up half-court prayers, laughing about the ricochets off of teammates' heads.

This behavior is common because if you look like you care and then lose, you fear you might look like a fool. If your weaknesses are funny, though, then at least you're entertained and you can pretend to those around you that you're not any good because you simply don't want to be.

After listening to our head coach have this discussion with players at all levels of our camp, I found myself fearing to find anything in my life that I laugh away and feign detachment. For this behavior is not confined to players. Bad with money? Joke about foolish purchases. Out of shape? Burn those extra pounds off through sarcasm. Distance growing in important relationships? Offer one-liners rather than reconciliation. We are a society who labels as "stupid" or "not worth my time" anything we don't understand or can't do well. 

What do you make light of? About what do you sell to your peers a lack of passion? If there's anything in your schedule that you find yourself reacting in this manner, there's really only two choices to make: get it off your schedule if you don't care about it, or take pride in it if you do. Go hard. Care. If it's worth your time, then it's worth your effort.