Galen Harkness • November 14, 2025
This Season Will Test You — Here’s How to Rise
Middle school basketball is where players separate.
Middle school basketball is where players separate.
Not by height.
Not by talent.
Not by what team they’re on.
But by habits.
Mindset.
Standards.
Buy-in.
The Virginia football story shows exactly why.
Winning Starts With Your Culture
Virginia didn’t start winning because of fancy facilities.
They won because the team decided who they were going to be.
They chose:
- Effort
- Unity
- Belief
- Discipline
- Standards
Great middle school teams aren’t built on just skill.
They’re built on what they do every day.
Leaders Speak Their Goals Out Loud
The new quarterback at Virginia stood up and said:
“I came here to win a conference championship.”
He didn’t mumble it.
He didn’t hope for it.
He claimed it.
And the room changed.
Your season will change the moment you choose a clear goal — and act like you mean it.
Buy-In Separates Serious Players From Casual Players
Buy-in looks like:
- Sprinting to huddles
- Running the floor every rep
- Talking on defense
- Bringing energy
- Being coachable
- Staying locked in
Buy-in is rare.
That’s why it wins.
Adversity Is Coming — Don’t Run From It
You will have:
- Bad shooting nights
- Tough losses
- Fatigue
- Overthinking
- Mistakes
- Pressure moments
Most players hide.
Serious players grow.
Adversity is part of the sport.
How you respond is part of your identity.
This Season Will Reveal Who You Are Becoming
Not your Instagram.
Not your potential.
Not just your “skill level.”
Your habits.
Your effort.
Your consistency.
Your energy.
Your focus.
Your growth.
Choose to rise.
EYG is here to help you make this your strongest season yet.
I spent the weekend learning to do something new. It was awkward. Unfamiliar. Kinda scary. But something clicked: This is exactly how basketball players feel when we ask them to try something new. When a player works on weak-hand finishes… Tries a new shooting footwork pattern… Or plays in a higher-level game… They don’t always look smooth. But that discomfort? That’s the signal they’re growing. If you want to score more in games or gain confidence with the ball, you’ve got to spend time in those “stretch zones.” This is where real improvement happens—where you challenge old habits and build new ones. At EYG, we help 3rd–11th grade players grow through structured training programs that build skill, IQ, and confidence. Our clinics, workouts, and transformation programs create: Game-ready footwork Reliable shooting mechanics Real-time scoring reps A mindset that embraces growth 👉 Want to take your next step? Join our next camp, clinic, or training block https://app.upperhand.io/customers/165-eyg-basketball/events
High school players succeed through standards, habits, and leadership—not talent alone. This blog shows how to elevate your season and become the player your team needs.
In basketball — and in life — emotions often beat teams more than their opponents do. The price of admission for championship-level performance isn’t talent, size, or even skill. It’s the ability to stay present. The Oklahoma City Thunder live by this. Their championship rings are engraved with “0–0 Mentality.” It’s more than a slogan. It’s a mindset: no matter what happened yesterday, and no matter what’s ahead — the score is always 0–0. That mentality keeps them grounded. Keeps them focused. Keeps them competing in the moment. Why the Present Matters When players start thinking about the future — “What if we win?” — or dwell on the past — “I missed my last shot” — they lose control of what they can actually influence: the next possession . You can see it in how OKC plays. They don’t play the score. They play possessions. They don’t chase stats. They chase standards. They train this discipline daily — one rep, one drill, one decision at a time. It’s not flashy. It’s not emotional. But it builds something powerful: consistency . The EYG Way At EYG, we teach this same principle. Whether it’s a 3rd grader learning to dribble or a high school player chasing a roster spot, the goal is the same — stay locked into the moment right in front of you. That means: Don’t rush the process. Don’t replay the mistake. Don’t drift into the “what ifs.” Just do the next thing well. The players who learn to focus on this rep, this drill, this shot, are the ones who grow faster, play freer, and perform better when it matters most. How to Train Presence Being present isn’t natural — it’s trained. Here’s how we build it into our workouts and mindset training: Reset after every rep . Miss or make, move on. Focus on controllables. Effort, attitude, and attention. Start every session at 0–0. Yesterday doesn’t count. End each session reflecting on what you did well — not just what went wrong. Over time, this mindset compounds. You start to control your emotions instead of being controlled by them. Final Thought When the game’s on the line, pressure doesn’t decide who wins — presence does. The players who can breathe, focus, and compete in the moment… are the ones who keep stacking success, one possession at a time. At EYG, that’s what we train for — to stay grounded, stay focused, and keep the score 0–0 . How EYG Basketball Can Help Our training programs are built around teaching focus, discipline, and game-ready confidence — not just drills. If your son or daughter wants to improve their skills and their mindset, explore our upcoming programs at eygbball.com. Every rep has a purpose. Every session builds belief. Every player learns to play — and live — with a 0–0 mentality.