THE GENIUS BASKETBALL PLAYER! WINNING IS NOT EVERYTHING - PLAYING BASKETBALL IS!

What are the qualities of a genius basketball player? Is he the guard or the ball handler or the defender or the shooter? HE IS EVERYTHING!

BODY LANGUAGE is the easiest way to spot him. He is in the court with a specific mission but he is relaxed. His dribbling has no `styles' - HE LOOKS VERY SIMPLE!
He studies the basketball court in a very measured way AND THEN BEGINS TO BUILD HIS PLAYING STRATEGY. He dons different roles!

AS A BALL HANDLER, he signals to his players as to what position they should play. He passes, sets up screens, takes rebounds or sits on the outside for a three pointer. Or in case of a turnover, presses the ball to delay the offense from making a fast break. He knows everything! Years of practice, long hours of training sessions - using simple basic techniques perfectly - HE DISSECTS AND POST-MORTEMS a losing game.

It is easy to play - IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE OTHERS PLAY. A genius basketball player earns the respect of the team by being able to pass the ball to the `best' positioned player. HE NEVER MAKES A MISTAKE. His confidence enhances the team's and coaches' confidence. It doesn't come easy. It takes EFFORT! It takes ACUMEN! It takes LOVE for the game. These days, many children show-off too much in styles and talking about the game - rather than build their stamina with exercises. A CULTURE OF CHATTING AND YAPPING is slowly building up - the real `work' of LEARNING BASKETBALL is ignored. The genius basketball player is like a sponge. He is constantly learning and practicing. His actions demonstrate his abilities.

A genius basketball player is compassionate during training sessions and practice matches. He helps others - especially the juniors - by pointing out their mistakes. In this process, he LEARNS MUCH MORE! I have been a witness to the development of many basketball players who donned the role of `trainee coaches' - their game underwent an extra-ordinary change. Most of them went on to become genius basketball players. WHEN WE TEACH OTHERS - OUR REAL LEARNING BEGINS - ask any teacher.

It was early morning when I was practicing different mock runs with the basketball. A very elderly lady who was walking around the court kept observing me. After some time she came up to me and said `You play so beautifully - it is a pleasure to watch'. A lump rose up my throat at this appreciation. And then it dawned on me - IF YOU CAN PLAY BEAUTIFULLY - THEN YOU ARE A GENIUS BASKETBALL PLAYER!

I am growing old. I have seen this beautiful game being slowly screwed up. Winning has become everything - ball hogging is fashionable - questioning referees on every call - rude behaviours degrading the opposition - IT IS NO MORE BASKETBALL - it is brow-beating. I know I am fighting a losing battle - yet I must not give up. The opportunity to produce genius basketball players WHO PLAY BEAUTIFUL BASKETBALL should not be missed.

GENIUS BASKETBALL PLAYERS in large numbers are needed to regain the glory of the game. They are the thinkers - they are the innovators - they give back to the game much more than they take. They are the true ambassadors of basketball. Crowds line up to see them!

AT SUMPOORNA, we do not create basketball players - we build their minds too! Hopefully, these young ambassadors would bring back the glory of the game in a way that would attract millions of children to play the game. Some rules would have to be re-written and the first one would be WINNING IS NOT EVERYTHING - PLAYING BASKETBALL IS!