Like me, if you are an average hard working basketball player with none of the so called star qualities chances are you are not getting much exposure. Probably not even getting enough of the ball to showcase your talents or you might not be getting minutes. Well the good news is that you don’t have to give up on the dream. You might just need to take the unconventional path.
Suck up your pride
Everyone would love to be Lebron James and a lot of young kids think they are just as good. The first step to getting a pro contract is loosing the attitude and understand that you have to hustle for the contract. Don’t have a sense of entitlement! It is going to be hard and you will need to work very hard.
Play in a lower league
Playing in a lower league where you will get plenty of minutes is a good way to build your stats and be seen. In Europe there are a great amount of semi pro basketball leagues that still draw a lot of scouts. For example in England the there are 5 pro/ semi pro leagues. Even the London Metro league draws a fair share of scouts.
Work part time
Work part time so that you have an income while you are playing on a lower division team. Some clubs in the lower divisions can afford to pay but most won’t. Have an income and do not rely on anything from basketball. For the time being anyway.
Please note, if you do work full time or part time ensure that you have enough time to get extra workouts between training sessions. Most importantly ensure the job is flexible so that you can actually attend all games. During finals times you might need to play multiple times in the week. Make sure the boss is ok with this.
Don’t stress if other players are getting paid
Some cases other players on the team will be getting paid or getting compensated some way. Don’t stress or complain if you are in this situation. Use it as fuel to get better but most importantly stay focused on your end goal.
Stay focused on your end goal
Keep your eyes on the prize! Yep, I used a cliché. It is so important when you are playing in the lower league sides that you always think about where you want to be.Getting a pro contract should be your prize and all your micro goals should be geared towards that.
Playing in a lower league team can be frustrating. You might be streaks ahead of your team mates and it can be frustrating. Make sure you know that this is just a means to get to your dream.
There is no shame in playing in the lower leagues. In Europe some of these lower league teams are pretty easy to make. If you love the game of basketball then getting a part time job just so that you can play shouldn’t be an issue. You might have to live fairly thrifty for awhile but you don’t have to live a lavish life.
Keep things simple and make basketball the priority. Getting a pro basketball contact the unconventional way is real you just need to hustle. If you are struggling to get recruited or find a pro gig why not try this for a season. You might actually create some noise and get the attention of a better team that initially you were trying to get on the roster for.
Thanks for reading this article, I especially enjoying writing it as it brought back many memories of when I played on a lower league team. These were some memorable times! If you enjoyed this article too please share it with your friends on social media.
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