Hunger & the High School Athlete
The energy of hunger is a terrific and powerful force.
Hunger can drive us beyond the limits of our normal actions and intentions, leading us to places we never thought we might be.
Hunger causes an internal desperation, an intense sense of urgency, that can trigger our emotional energy in a way like no other.
Yet, high level performers and athletes have harnessed the power of hunger to outwork and outlast others who have long since given up hope.
The 2024 summer Olympics was a great example of harnessing the power of hunger.
At the age of 39, Lebron James was not only voted the team MVP of the US Men’s Basketball team (an award bestowed on the hardest working practice player during the team’s weeklong training camp) but also MVP of the Men’s Basketball Olympic tournament.
We must marvel at the fact that LBJ still has an intense desire to work, compete and succeed at the highest levels despite being over a decade older than many of his teammates and competitors. Even crazier, is the fact that Lebron has already accomplished more than perhaps any other player in the history of the sport.
Despite these facts, Lebron remains hungry. How?
Relive Your Dream
I’ll never forget watching Lebron’s first NBA game. A young pimple-faced kid with a headband, he quickly made an impact, scoring over 20 points in the game. During a halftime interview he was asked where he believed he would be in ten years. Lebron’s response was that he wanted to become one of the greatest players of all-time.
While that response may sound cliche, it is not common place. Most rookies are just hoping to make the team, make an impact and make some money. Lebron’s dream was bigger.
Similarly, most high school athletes think small, fixating on low hanging fruit rather than audacious goals.
Many have a survival outlook rather than a success outlook. View video on how to develop a success outlook.
What causes Lebron to stand apart, to outlast his competitors is his ability to relive his dream on a daily basis?
He employs three distinct methods for reliving his dream:
Intimacy with Dream - Lebron has always known his dream intimately and has never waivered from his pursuit of it.
Intense Emotions - Lebron always is dancing, high-fiving, yelling and having fun. His emotions enable him to remain joyful and in the moment. When we remember to have fun, we stay hungry for more of that energy.
Intentional Contact - Lebron has always sought out relationships with the best. First it was connecting with other NBA greats Carmelo Anthony, DeWayne Wade and Chris Paul, who would become his best friends. Then it was breaking through Kobe Bryant’s competitive wall to make him a friend. Even attending the Olympics this summer, when many would say he should be resting at his advanced athletic age, was Lebron’s way of staying in contact with greatness. Never have we seen an athlete be this intentional about creating connections involving their dream.
How can high school athletes mirror these concepts?
First, athletes should develop a distinct goal and review it often. Reviewed goals = renewed grind. In other words, knowing your dream intimately will drive your day to day energy.
Next, student-athletes should aim to intensify their emotions in their craft. This could be through listening to music, having more fun, or even enjoying every element of competition. Involving emotions means having fun, joy, and enjoying the process.
Lastly, players need to become intentional about connecting with someone or something that reminds them of their goal. This may be attending a college game, going to a camp, or playing on a high level aau team or even regularly training with athletes they aspire to be more like.
Intentional contact with their dream will provide the motivation they need to go beyond their limitations and achieve high levels of success.
Race To Win
Obviously Lebron has mastered the skill of competition or competitive success. Again, even when it comes to competition, Lebron thinks big and stays hungry to win.
He went to the NBA finals for 9 consecutive seasons, an incredible feat, and has won four championships including coming back from a 1-3 deficit in the NBA finals to defeat the winningest team in NBA history.
Without a doubt, Lebron knows how to remain hungry to win.
Three key concepts drive his ability in this area:
Trainers - Lebron is renown for his penchant to seek out trainers to help him succeed. He reportedly spends over 1M annually on trainers to help him prepare for the NBA season. Lebron has worked with numerous skills trainers, shooting coaches, nutritional planners, flexibility trainers, strength trainers, mindset coaches and more. These trainers help supplement his energy and will to win.
Tribes - Lebron has always developed community, whether its through his philanthropic groups, basketball training groups, the acting community, or business enterprises; Lebron stays in contact with others who are pushing towards similar goals. Plugging into great environments that have positive energy is a great way to help sustain hunger.
Triggers - Although Lebron seems like a nice person, he also has the ability to ramp up his edge at opportune times. He has actually made more game-winning playoff game shots than any player in NBA history. Lebron has a unique trigger than elevates his greatness when needed; you see he hates to hear anyone doubt him. Just take one look at his social media feeds and you can see that LBJ keeps receipts from all doubters.
High school athletes can mimic Lebron’s ability to compete by involving trainers to get to their next level. Today, working with a high level trainer is a baseline, where nearly all athletes get started. Even if you aren’t paying a trainer, serious student athletes should be working with a parent, sibling, or mentor to ensure they are getting the most of their skills sessions. Many online follow-along training programs also exist for athletes who prefer or plan to train by themselves.
When it comes to community, most serious high school athletes connect with community through their AAU clubs. However, many other forms of community exist which will help them stay hungry. Church groups, civic organizations, running clubs, strength training groups, and even social media groups (check out or Athlete Ascension Community) are great places to connect with others who have similar goals of becoming the best versions of themselves.
Lastly, developing triggers is as easy as looking back at past failures or looking forward at desired outcomes; both can be extremely effective at activating our hunger at times when we need a motivational edge.
“Knowing your dream intimately will drive your day to day energy.”
Dr. Jason Parker
Rest For Success
Resting is counterintuitive for most athletes. Yet even when it comes to rest, Lebron is one of the best. His strategy in this area often looks like:
Relax - Lebron is nearly as famous for his basketball exploits as he is for his getaways. Whether he’s on a yacht in the south of France or in a private villa in South America he knows how to break free from the daily grind.
Recreate - Not only does Lebron step away, but he sees anew by viewing the game from a different lens. He is often found on the sidelines at high school games, NBA summer league games and even AAU games. Most with his level of experience would think to highly of themselves to attend such low level competitions. Not Lebron, he remains a fan of the game and is very passionate about it.
Redeploy - Lebron does a great job leveraging the power of his time away to ramp up for the grind to come. He’s always posting motivational and cryptic quotes that let us know his mindset is about his will to chase greatness. He even shares a lot of content from his training sessions while on vacation or a getaway. This tells us he is purposeful with his rest and using it to activate his hunger for the upcoming season.
While most high school athletes don’t have the ability to get up and go to the south of France, they can take breaks. I am a big proponent of intentional breaks that are not only planned but designed with purpose.
My son and I take a weekend trip in the fall, before basketball season, to get away and place the season and next phase of his life, in perspective. We pick a walkable city, eat good meals, read books, catch some sites and talk about what he is seeing and feeling.
Parents can try something similar by simply planning a half day drive to a nearby destination, going to your kid’s favorite restaurant or just going on a walk and talk around the neighborhood during an off day.
Another great tool to recreate or re-create our mindset, is to go to a college or pro event, watch a game together on television or even watch a movie. This could help your player to connect to the game as a fan and remove the stigma and pressure they sometimes place on themselves.
Lastly, remind them of their goals and where they are on their journey. This will help them to realize that the next level of hard work is around the corner and that they are ready for the challenge, they just need to stay hungry!
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