Active Improvement
ACTIVE IMPROVEMENT
Disappointed in your recent pursuit of athletic excellence?
As you climb higher in competition—especially at or near the elite level—the next phase of growth becomes increasingly difficult. The gains are often so precise and incremental that they may not be immediately visible. And in today’s world of instant gratification, impatience can creep in quickly, leading to stress, self-doubt, and the fear of not being good enough.
When an athlete comes to me frustrated about repeated poor performances, yet insists they’ve been practicing hard, I usually know exactly where they are mentally. If underperformance becomes a pattern, it’s no longer just bad luck. Something is wrong—and it needs to be broken down, understood, and corrected.
If you're not achieving the results you want, it's time to accept that your current plan may not be working as effectively as you think. Yes, “trust the process” is a valid and important mindset. But what if the process is flawed? What if the process is taking you backward instead of forward? Progress should not be invisible forever. If you’re consistently going through the motions without growth, then it’s time to reevaluate.
You—the athlete—must take control of your own development. While you will always face limitations based on your environment, coaches, trainers, and circumstances, it’s vital to believe that you can always find a way forward. Hopefully, you have strong mentors, coaches, and support systems guiding you. But even if you don’t, that should never become an excuse for what you can’t achieve.
Every action you take in your sport should drive active improvement.
When athletes tell me, “But I’m practicing. I’m working hard,” I don’t doubt them. I know they are.
But then I ask:
Are you just doing what needs to be done?
Are you simply going through the motions?
Do you understand why you’re doing what you're doing?
Are you practicing with purpose, or just practicing out of habit?
As a coach, my practice plans had to be intentional. If they weren’t, I would fail my team. I would waste their time—and an athlete’s time is sacred.
As a player, I learned this lesson early. At age 9, I would shoot randomly at the hoop and call it practice. But by age 12, I started practicing with intention: quick jump shots off a pass, dribbling into a stop-and-pop move. As I matured physically and mentally, so did my understanding of how to practice—and why.
If your efforts aren't yielding results, ask yourself:
What was I trying to improve with this practice?
Why did I choose to work on this?
Does it align with my coach’s feedback—or am I off-track?
Do I truly understand my “why” behind this drill or routine?
Am I training with a clear goal—or just just practicing for the sake of practicing?
During every training session, ask:
Is this action meaningful to my long-term goals?
Are my expectations realistic, or do I need to be more patient with myself?
Is what I’m doing helping the team—or am I being overly individualistic?
Is this practice building positive momentum—or just reinforcing bad habits?
Am I mentally locked in right now? If not, why? If yes, what’s keeping me focused?
Make every moment of practice count.
As Mia Hamm often quoted Dr. Colleen Hacker:
“Be here now. Do now well.”
Be purposeful. Stay present. Make the moment you’re in count.
Control your moment. Improve actively. Grow relentlessly.
Be resilient.
