The same sequence every game — built so a fast kid arrives calm, loose, and playing free instead of amped. The routine is the point: repeatable beats nervous.
Bag packed, uniform out, a real dinner, in bed early. Nothing about the game gets talked into the ground — one sentence about looking forward to it, then let it go.
A real breakfast or pre-game meal, not a granola bar. Hydration starts here. Keep the house calm — no last-minute "remember to…" list. He plays looser when the morning is quiet.
- Light jog and dynamic movement — high knees, lateral shuffles, nothing static.
- Five minutes of ball handling to get the hands live.
- 10–15 catch-and-shoot mid-range reps, then a few floaters from each elbow.
He doesn't need to be drenched — he needs to feel the ball and get his feet moving.
Pick a single thing to carry into the game — this season it's usually triple threat on every catch. One cue is a reminder; five is a lecture that tightens him up.
Off his feet, a sip of water, and one line from you: "Go compete and have fun — I love watching you play." Then step back. The most useful thing a parent can be at tip-off is calm and quiet.
If a play goes bad, the cue is short: "Next one." His superpower is that he resets fast — the routine's job is to protect that, not coach over it.
Why the sameness matters: Jake's game runs on speed, and speed gets jittery when the day feels big. A routine he's run a hundred times makes a championship Saturday feel like a Tuesday. That's the edge.
