New post: Good shot, GUS!!!! How to win at pickup basketball even if you're not all that great Every now and then I stumble across a great idea that I get really excited about but others just yawn upon hearing. This post will appeal to the pickup basketball player, of which I think there are about 5 among my audience of readers. If you don't care about pickup bball and want to get back to work, you can stop reading here. However, this technique has been life changing and has applications off the court as well. The basic technique for pickup basketball is this: praise your teammates throughout the game with comments like "Good shot, Gus!!!" Celebrate their wins enthusiastically. When Johan makes a strong rebound, shout "Great rebound, Johan!" When Eddie starts hitting that three-point shot, shout "Way to drain the three, Eddie!!!" and so on. Do this frequently. You don't need to always praise good play; apparently leave a bit of randomness in the reward, praising 80% of the time or so. After doing this for about 30 minutes into the game, you'll start to notice several effects. 1. Other players start playing better 2. You feel a natural high 3. You're more locked in to the game When everyone on your team is playing their best, your chances of winning increase significantly. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-V6YMwD #basketball #psychology #flow #praise
James Tasse
4w
This is heartwarming. I have negative athletic skill attributes, but several years ago I briefly attempted a Rocket League (i.e. - video game soccer with cars) career. At a certain point the opposite of what you described started happening. For example, players would spam "Nice Save!" in chat whenever someone failed to block a shot on goal. And I eventually stopped playing after realizing it wasn't fun to play in such a toxic environment. This is not to say that all e-sports communities are toxic—there were and still are some lovely people in the Unreal Tournament community. But I do think there's a higher barrier to entry to achieving the positive vibes you describe digitally versus in person.
I love this. I like to give people compliments all day long but never realized using their name would up the vibe!
Astronomer•365 followers
4wI am one of the five, so this is an especially cool read. I always try to be this type of teammate when I hoop. Another point I would add is that positive reinforcement for good passes, good shots, and good defense, regardless of the possession’s outcome, is infectious and leads to more winning over time. Good quality possessions should he applauded just as loudly, even if the end result isn’t there.