Getting Athletes Into ‘Go Mode’

The teenage years are unlike any other.

You go to sleep and naturally wake bigger, faster and stronger.

Due to this phenomenon, High School athletes everywhere are already in growth mode.

Growth mode happens naturally, through the organic rhythms of the universe.

Teenagers wake up taller, stronger, and sometimes even smarter (at least in their minds), without doing anything.

You see, growth mode is natural and passive.

Go mode, however, is supernatural and active.

Go mode is when athletes maximize their growth mode to receive amazing results.

Not all athletes reach go mode during their high school careers, while it still matters.

What follows is a guide to help high school athletes get out of growth mode and shift into go mode and maximize their growth potential during their critical high school years.

Step 1: Get A Guide

Trips are always easier with a guide. Whether its an Uber driver taking us to the airport, or Sherpa taking us up the mountain, guides are great.

Why? Because we don’t know the way exactly.

We may think we know, but as soon as rush hour traffic hits, storm clouds circle, or you take that wrong turn; you will be in need of some good guidance.

The key thing about guides is that they have been to our desired destination, while we have not. Sure, we believe in our ability to reach our destination, but guides have actually seen the destination and know it like the back of their hand.

Players everywhere need guidance.

I cannot overstate this point. Players everywhere need guidance to get into go mode. Whether this is a Coach, Trainer or Mentor, athletes need someone to show them the way.

Guides can be hard to find (so cherish them when you find them) but you also need to know where to look. If you can’t find guides nearby try reading books, watching videos or even doing research; no one said you have to actually know your guide.

Also, a good guide is worth the investment, so don’t neglect to invest in a camp, clinic or community, in order to find your guide.

Our Athlete Ascension Community Mindset Masterclass is a weekly free community for high school athletes that meets live weekly on most social media channels. Check out the link above to join our next meeting.

Step 2: Develop A Distinct Dream

At the age of 14, I was a normal kid.

So normal in fact, you couldn’t pick me out of a lineup.

I was 5’9 and less that 150 lbs, puny and lacked confidence. You could say I was unremarkable in every way.

That is until the day my parents dropped me off for 9th grade.

Growth Mode is natural and passive. Go Mode is active and intentional.

I’m not sure if it was the pretty girls in their cars or the tall and muscle-bound older boys, making me feel some type of way; but as I walked toward the front door I stopped, looked up at the school marquee, and said to myself, ‘I’m going to be the greatest player to ever put on a uniform here.’

Crazy right?

Because at that point I was probably closer to being the worst player in school history rather than the best. But this one thought became my greatest desire, I refer to it as my distinct dream. It was so unique, yet so clear, and so me.

That distinct dream drove me to make a decision to be the best I could possible be.

Does your athlete have a distinct dream?

Getting to go mode will require it.

Your athlete’s distinct dream may be a very clear vision, dominant desire, or just something your athlete believes about themselves.

Whatever the case, the dream should be something only they can see.

Step 3: Develop A Different Drive

My distinct dream then began to inspire me to think differently. I began to stay after practice everyday to work on my game with my dad, and wakeup on weekends to get in more training.

I would watch basketball all day when not at school and dream about it all night, tearing up my room as I made fadeaway jumpers and high-flying dunks on a 5ft mini goal.

At this time, growth mode also kicked in and I grew to 6’2 the summer before my sophomore year.

As a result, I was not only talking different, but walking different. I now had height and confidence.

That season I became a varsity starter and led my team in scoring with 19 ppg.

What is your athlete’s different drive?

What are they willing to do that no one has to tell them to do?

What are they doing in the dark that separates them from their competition?

To hone in on their different drive have them address deficiencies which cause them to defer confidence. Whether this be a basketball skill, social skill, even physical speed, strength or height.

Then have them create 1 simple action to address that deficiency.

This will help them to develop a drive that is uniquely their own.

Step 4: Get Crazy Consistent

Following my 10th grade year I saw that my distinct dream and different drive had differentiated me from others, so I doubled down and got crazy consistent.

I would skip days off when others were taking breaks, and nights out when friends were hanging out. I committed to my craft at a deeper level.

Once again, growth mode assisted my drive and as I continued to grow stronger, gaining nearly 20 lbs the summer before my Junior year.

I went on to average 24 ppg as a Junior and 28 ppg as a Senior, finishing as my school’s all-time leading scorer.

You may be wondering, what does crazy consistency look like for your athlete?

Everyday engagement. In other words, they should be getting at their goals daily (or almost daily).

Too many athletes falsely assume a couple of days of training and getting some shots up are all they need to improve.

Some days it may be simply dreaming (meditating), some days stretching, others days may be focused on cardio or some other aspect of improving.

This is why every athlete needs a growth plan. Our Monthly Mentorship program will create a plan for your athlete if they are in need of one.

Athletes must get crazy consistent in their craft in order to access go mode.

Step 5: Identify Gear Shifts

Often serious athletes are so well experienced through years of training and intense competition that they tune out instruction, sometimes subconsciously.

When a racecar driver shifts gears, it takes just a small shift of the hand to create incredible acceleration.

The more we grow, we realize that growth does not occur because of some huge breakthrough; instead, its usually a small tip or change in perspective that causes maximum acceleration.

To notice gear shifts serious athletes need to practice listening with their minds.

To do this, they need to improve their eye contact, body language and appreciation when receiving instruction from coaches, parents, teachers, trainers and mentors.

So many kids don’t know how to take instruction that they are inadvertently tuning out information that can create impact for their future.

Get Into Go Mode

Go mode is where athletes thrive at the highest levels. Just as their bodies and minds make ginormous gains year after year, high school athletes should be making gains in their game year after year.

They should grow as teammates, ball handlers, leaders, shooters, siblings and even socially year after year.

We want to maximize growth mode and accelerate into go mode. Serious athletes should be receiving recognition from their coaches, peers and local, regional and national organizations.

You see go mode took me from average to awesome, from All-Conference to All-American, from begging for a jersey as a freshman to having my jersey retired and hanging from the rafters following graduation.

Go mode can do the same for any serious young athlete.

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