“When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him, he will win.” ~ Ed Macauley, Hall of Fame NBA player
Hey Reader!
I'm giving you a homework assignment this week. It's easy.
It's based on a study about working out where people wrote a letter to themselves 20 years in the future. They wrote about who and where they wanted to be. The people who wrote that letter ended up working out more often and for longer than the people who didn’t. I thought this was interesting. So I'm doing a basketball version.
Right now, your future self probably feels like a stranger. Starting varsity in two years, playing in college in four or five, or getting paid to play somewhere still seems so far away.
So when it’s 11 at night and you’re scrolling instead of sleeping, or you skip a couple of shooting workouts, it doesn’t feel like you’re hurting anybody. But you are. You’re hurting 16-year-old you who wants to start varsity, 17-year-old you who wants to be recruited, and 22-year-old you who wants to get paid to play overseas.
Personally, I'm really grateful for younger Tucker. Looking back, I was obsessed with basketball even if my friends thought it was weird. While they were playing video games, I was out in the driveway (or down in the basement) working on my ball handling by myself. Nobody made me do it. It didn’t feel like a big deal back then, but it was.
There’s also stuff I wish I’d taken seriously earlier, and the biggest one is recruiting. Getting good is only half of it. Coaches have to know you exist! I thought coaches would just find me. I should have been more proactive.
So here’s your assignment. Grab a piece of paper or open your notes app and write a letter to yourself three or four years from now.
“Dear future me, you actually did it. You’re…”
Be specific. Are you starting varsity? Are you on a college visit? Are you the one coaches draw up plays for?
“Here’s what I’m doing now to help you get there…”
Maybe you’re getting extra shots up after practice, you're doing push-ups and sit-ups while watching TV, or you finally started going to bed at a decent time. Give yourself credit for the positive stuff you’re doing.
“Here’s what I need to stop doing so you can get there…”
Be honest. Nobody’s grading this. If you want to be a shooter but play video games instead of getting up extra shots, write that down. Same if you’re eating fast food every day or blowing off assignments. Whatever you already know you need to change, put it in the letter.
“Here’s something I’ve been scared to try…”
Maybe it’s taking the open three you keep passing up because you’re worried about missing. Maybe it’s pushing the ball after a rebound when you have space, but you’re afraid you’ll turn it over.
A lot of people get older and wish they had done more. Three years from now, I want you to read your letter and think, “Wow. I used to be scared to do that?”
I have a long "I used to be scared to do this" list of my own.
BNXT Pro league, Brussels, Belgium
P.S. Parents and coaches, you can do this too!
