Judging by the conversations of the ball players in the parks that I visit basketball is still a hot topic. Especially when you overhear people raising their voice and getting upset as they discuss their favorite players and who's the best.

Fortunately, I've learned to block out the noise because what's really important is not can a person play the game but does that individual have the proper basketball mindset!

Most basketball wannabe players think the ultimate goal is to score points. If you have ever played street ball and organized ball, you will hear, "You saw how many points I scored? I was lighting them up out there."

At no time does the person mention if they won or if they played his or her role to the best of their ability. I always tease these types of players by saying, "I guess you must be watching those AND 10 DVDs no one else has!"

If you don't know by now the basketball mindset is focused on working as a team to achieve a goal. While at any given time individuals will have their 15-minutes of fame it's usually because the other members on the team are doing their job.

There are instances when one must use his or her individual talents to rally the team. But when it's used to showboat or to prove they can carry the team, the end result is usually a loss!

You can always tell the individuals who are working towards or have developed the basketball mindset as they usually:

• Are unselfish
• Make the extra pass
• Don't worry about scoring
• Hustle
• Play smart and hard

The basketball mindset is very easy to develop but I doubt many young basketball players will consider it. With the high flying and powerful dunk fests and fancy moves featured on the nightly sports coverage people prefer the entertainment.

Old Skool is a basketball enthusiast who has been helping adolescents and young adults develop the proper basketball mindset for over 15-years using practical and real world examples. To learn how to jump higher visit the Increase Vertical Leap web site today!