Under 12's tournament at Ormskirk

Strength in Calmness is at it again! This time at Ormskirk as our Merseyside teams have come together for another eagerly anticipated under 12’s tournament.

Strength in Calmness sponsors each event and supplies Wilson basketballs to the MVPs of the day as a prize. It’s tough choosing the players; it’s not about who plays the best, it’s about a consistent effort throughout the tournament.

At this young level, it’s all about development. It’s evident that the development of each team has been tremendous since the last meeting as the ball movement and individual performances show great growth and even more determination.

It’s clear to see the effort and hard work the four teams have put in since the last time they met. The time between each tournament spent practicing and perfecting shines through each play and every shot.

As well as the MVPs, I also feel like I come away from the event winning. I’m always very thankful for the support from the parents at the events, not only for the support they have shown me as I work to establish myself in the community but for the support that they have shown all the children. It’s always a busy crowd and the atmosphere created by the cheering and support of friends and family members is priceless.

I look forward to working with the parties involved to expand the tournament and bring more exposure to the talents of the young athletes in the area.

In the under-12 age group, it is very important that we teach the right morals through sport and that we work on each player’s emotional responses and teach them how to let it out in the right way. No matter the age, sports trigger emotions. They run high as we dedicate our time and effort to improving, as we achieve personal goals and come together as a team. On the flip side, there are times that we fail as a team or make mistakes in high-pressure moments. Either way, our responses to these situations make a big difference to those around us and how we perform thereafter.

So, for any coaches or team leaders I have a mental activity for you: take a moment to think about some situations from your previous games where you have had a strong emotional response. Think about how you reacted and what you reacted to. Think about the effects it had on those around you positive and negative and how you can use these effects to get your team members motivated and help them raise their game.

Thank you all for reading the blog. Keep working on yourself and continue to develop as an individual then surely we will build a strong community around us. Keep working hard, stay focused and remember, the moment is now.

WB