The Offering: Part 4 Trusting The Process
Trusting the Process
Sometimes it’s tough not knowing, not actually seeing, and not being able to understand that what you are doing now can and will benefit your future self. Over the past decade, there’s been a lot of talk about the phrase “Trusting the Process” and what it really means. Many professional teams and even some NBA players have used the saying time in and time out to define the way they go about their sports journey and their progress from year to year or season to season.
I have actually discussed this most recently with some of the student-athletes that I coach as well as certain individuals I come in contact with as it relates to high school players transitioning into the college arena. There’s a right way to do certain things, and there’s a wrong way. But, as a young ballplayer, you don’t necessarily know which direction is correct on your own because you’ve never been down this road before. That’s where the trust comes in, and the guidance from different individuals in your life can play a major role in that development and ultimately speed up the process.
Lockhart has taken a page from every coach he has ever played for and developed his own coaching style. Today he is the Head Coach of the Victory Rock Prep (PG) team in Florida. (Photo courtesy of J. Lockhart)
The waking up early, the studying hard in the classroom, the work being put in the weight room, the community service, the extra shots after practice…….are all the things that you do in hopes of improving your game and getting to the next level. It’s a process that you have to trust if you wish to become successful or even consider playing college basketball competitively for any school or University. The formula many times given to you by your parents, coaches, and advisers is what keeps you on track to your goals. The blueprint to getting to a particular point in your life is critical to some situations because everyone isn’t privileged to have this assistance. It’s those that do that have a leg up on the competition, and that can definitely ease the pathway if followed correctly.
I can remember my sophomore year in high school at Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, and telling Coach Thomas Fraher that I wanted to be “good”. He then told me, I should work out in our gym before and after school because it would give me more confidence in my ability and make me a much better player. Understanding that most guys were only getting in at least one workout a day, and I could be getting 2, so I would ultimately have a mental edge on the competition because I was literally working twice as hard as them. At first, I didn’t understand this, but I trusted that he knew what he was talking about and I began to follow that schedule and my whole mindset changed. Obviously, I became a much better player, but I began to look at the game differently. Before I knew it, within a year, I was hoisting a NY State Championship, a city scoring title, and was college-ready as an 11th grader. All because I trusted someone that I knew was going to hold me accountable at the end of the day.
Lockhart teaches real life lessons by way of Basketball. He always likes to say to use basketball, but don’t let it use you. (Photo courtesy of J. Lockhart)
Trusting your process; whatever it may be to YOU is the key. Anything worth having will take some sort of work to achieve…….the bigger the goal, the greater the process……but at the end of the day, the reward will outweigh the sacrifices being made. It’s never easy because if it was EVERYONE would ultimately do it. Being disciplined, following orders, taking direction and constructive criticism……..and, believing that eventually, your time will come if you put the work in and do things the right way.
Recently I’ve been asked a lot about trusting the process and just “trust” in general and what it specifically means to me. I can honestly say; it’s probably different for everyone, but, the same rules apply as far as what’s at risk. To trust in anything you have to first put your ego aside and really believe. This means you must have faith; obviously not seeing the eventual end goal at the time, but knowing in your mind that if you do what is required or asked of you, that things will materialize the way you want them to. The key to this is always going to be listening to people that have been there or done those things before you. Whether that be parents, coaches, teachers, friends; etc…….
Having a good support system around you will aid you in your athletic development. Lockhart preaches this everywhere he coaches. (Photo courtesy of J. Lockhart)
You have to find people in your life you can relate to and can advise you regarding your process.
Also, being patient and not giving up when things get difficult. So many people quit just before the breakthrough happens. You must put in the work to get the outcome you want; there’s no getting around that fact. There are different levels to playing college basketball, and so many players think it’s a simple process to get to. There are only a certain amount of scholarships available every year, so understanding that when you put yourself in a position to obtain one of these one-year renewable opportunities, you must continue to improve and make progress on and off the court.
MY ADVICE
Trust in what your coaches are telling you……. especially if they have a proven track record of getting players to the next level. Listen to any advice from former players and people that have any involvement or experience in the game of basketball. Take as much knowledge about the process and what it means to you and your situation as you can. Like, I’ve said everyone’s process is different, but understanding that if you believe in something and you constantly see improvement, there will always be a way to get to your goals; whether they are long or short term. Lastly, don’t rush…….good things always happen to those that work, but everyone’s timing is different. As long as you’re READY when you’re opportunity comes, you’ll be successful when the time is right!
#TTP
Jarrett T. Lockhart
Mount St. Michael Academy; All-Time leading scorer
NYC All-City ‘95, ‘96
New York State Champion; 1995
New York City Scoring Champion; 1996