The Godwin Theory
Posted on: September 2, 2008I once heard the saying “Basketball is 80% mental and 20% physical.” Of course, this statement made no sense to me in my early years, because to be honest with you, most of my scoring came from athleticism and flat out being better than everyone else my age. I remember putting up 30 points at the age of 12 and thinking to myself, man this game easy. Oh, if only basketball would have stayed that way.
When I entered high school the game of basketball changed drastically. I was bigger stronger and faster, but so was the competition. I remember playing AAU for a team named Fastbreak in the summer. Coach saw that I was handling the kids my age pretty well (15) so he decided to move me up to the Under-17 team. This is when I learned the game of basketball was 80% mental.
That whole summer I was playing with kids that were taller, faster, and much more athletic. What was usually an uncontested lay-up became a block into the crowd and the crossover I used against kids my age became a steal going the other way. This was my baptism into the game of basketball. I was paying my dues and I had to find a way to compete.
What I learned that summer was how to score with my head and not just my feet. The first thing I did was break the game down into small segments. In high school you have four eight-minute quarters. My goal was to score at least five points in each. I said to myself, all I have to do is get at least two buckets and a free throw in eight minutes. Piece of cake. This changed the way I saw the game of basketball. The year after my summer AAU epiphany (sophomore) I average over 20 points a game and lead my team to a County Championship. By my senior year I was averaging 24 points a game and lead the entire Central Jersey in Scoring.
People would always ask what my secret was for becoming a prolific scorer. The secret was simple but I never let anyone know until now. Do the numbers. One bucket per quarter and you average 8, eight buckets means 16 points per game but with three buckets and you’re the big man on campus averaging 24.
When I was in college my goal was to score at least 10 points before half time. The more points I scored early, the easier the game became in the second half. The Godwin Theory is the reason I became the All-Time single season scoring leader at my high school and the All-Time Leading scorer of the University of North Florida.
I assume if you are reading this then you are interested in becoming a better player or coach. The first thing I tell people is there are two important aspects of applied learning: the what and the how. As, a kid I was tired of people telling me what I had to work on but never how to do it. That’s why I started my basketball instructional video website JumpStartHoops.com. I want to share what made me successful in my basketball career.
Stayed tuned, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there is more of my article each Tuesday here on Hoops Addict.
This article was written by:
Coach Godwin - who has written 11 posts on Hoops Addict.
Coach Koran Godwin is the founder of JumpStartHoops.com, a basketball instructional video website. He is the all-time leading scorer at the University of North Florida and author of the book "Everyone Hates a Ball Hog but they Love a Scorer: The Complete Guide to Scoring Points on and off the Basketball Court."
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:33 am
I never looked at the game that way. Now I am going to average like 30. Thx Coach G.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:20 am
Coach G,
Thanks for that mental jump start. Those who learn to progress mentally first will bypass those who only know how to progress physically.
Coach Jo Jo
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Pretty good advice. With 12 minute quarters in the NBA the top players should ave at least 20 ppg. What Guard can’t score 5 pts in 12 minutes? I wish I would have thought this way when I was playing. High Schoolers take heed!!! Good Stuff.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Great read!!! Now I know what Kobe what thinking before he scored 81?
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Coach Godwin,
I see the resembelence when I go back and remember watching you play. Almost all participation in sports is mental because as an athlete you are practicing psychology without even knowing it. The emphasis of placing a vision ahead of yourself allowed for you to appreciate the little things, which count the most. Goodluck.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Great article. Meat and potatoes to bulk up anyone’s mental level of basketball play. I look forward to reading more great articles on the Godwin Theory!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:31 am
As a former teammate of Koran’s at University of North Florida, I have seen how his hard work and dedication enabled him to become a great scorer. As a sophomore he was dealing with two ankle injuries but because of his high basketball IQ he was able to average 20 ppg. As a current Division II college basketball coach I believe that his Jumpstart videos will help any player no matter their ability or level become a better scorer. Koran is not only a great scorer but more he is able to teach others the tricks to this trade.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Coach Godwin,
I think you are really touching on a point that a lot of players seem to forget about playing basketball. I could have used your theory back in the day. Continue to keep up the good work and I look forward to hearing more.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
This was a great article. Keep up the good work! Your theories hit very issues in the game. I hope to hear from you soon. Good luck!
September 12th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Coach, I have a 12 and 11 year old. Both are playing AAU. Your breakdown of scoring points per quarter hit home. I had my boys to write similar goals for each game. I had to print out this blog and let them read it. Sometimes it’s hard for kids to buy into Dad’s theory. Thanks
November 10th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Coach, I can’t believe you made this a homework assignment. This took forever to find. We better not have to run for this