Coleson Messer is captain of the Highland Park basketball team. We asked him 4 questions:
How can basketball be used as a positive impact and tool for you?
Basketball has had a positive impact on my life due to the relationships it has provided me with. It gave me my best friends and bonds that I will hold onto for a life time. Additionally, it taught me the value of hard work and dedication.
How can basketball serve as a negative influence and impact in your life?
Due to the constant comparison and judgment between myself and other players, basketball has had a negative influence on my life as well. It is easy to get too wrapped up into AAU and Twitter and see who is getting what offers. This is not healthy or good for the mind at all. Comparison is the killer of all joy.
What would you tell yourself 3 years ago or a younger player now when it comes to life and off the court?
Don’t worry about what everyone else does, just be yourself. You are going to go on your own path. Don’t get caught up in comparison or see social media posts about people working out and think they are doing more than you. Just keep your head down and keep going to work. You will reap the rewards of what you sow - what you achieve is a reflection of how hard you have worked. If you know you are doing everything you can and giving everything you got, then that’s all that matters. Everything else will fall into place.
What would you tell yourself 3 years ago or a younger player now when it comes to on-the-court and improving your game?
You can shoot as many shots on the gun or do as many chair drills as you want but that doesn’t mean it will translate to the game. The time you have to work out is limited, so make the most of it.
Make sure you’re working on skills that you can implement into your HS offense. You should be able to notice certain things in practice and then go work on them individually after.
Don’t work on shots that you will get pulled out for in the game. Work on shots that your coach wants you to take and find a way to be an efficient scorer. The more trust your coach has in you, the more he will play you, and the more game shots you will get.
Also, 1v1 and pick up games are important. They are easy ways to work on skills and test them before getting pulled out for doing something dumb in a game. Take advantage of your teammates and make each other better by playing 1v1 or some type of pick up.