The Body Has to Match the Mind

Last episode was about the mental game — the leadership, the maturity, the decision-making, the awareness, the emotional control.

But here’s the truth I tell Sebas all the time:

The mind can elevate you…

but the body determines how far you can actually go.

And now that his middle school years are almost over, everything shifts.

The next phase is physical, intentional, and built on his choice — not mine.

THE CONVERSATION THAT MATTERED MOST

Before I planned anything…

before I talked next level training or strength or speed or diet…

I asked him one simple question:

“What do you want?”

Because this can’t be about my expectations.

It can’t be about what I did at his age.

It can’t be about what I see in him.

It has to be his decision.

And he didn’t hesitate.

He didn’t look away.

He didn’t shrink (like a stingy defense) from the question.

He said:

“I’m ready.”

That mattered.

That told me everything.

That told me he’s choosing the path — not getting dragged into it.

When the desire comes from the player, not the parent, the entire journey changes.

THE PHYSICAL TRANSITION IS REAL

Middle school lets you get away with uneven development.

Some kids grow early.

Some stay small.

Some have natural muscle.

Some are still developing coordination.

But high school isn’t like that.

Everybody gets stronger.

Everybody gets faster.

Everybody becomes more physical.

It’s required for the job!

If the body doesn’t grow with the IQ, the player hits a ceiling.

This is the part Sebas and I talk about constantly:

“Your game is getting smarter…

now your body has to match it.”

WHAT THE NEXT LEVEL PHYSICALLY REQUIRES

1. Strength You Can Trust

Not weight-room ego strength —

basketball strength.

• absorbing contact

• driving through bumps

• defending bigger players

• holding your ground

Strong bodies create/maintain calm minds.

Players who feel physically secure make better decisions under pressure.

2. Speed That Changes the Game

High school is about:

• first-step power

• reaction time

• recovery step speed

• acceleration and deceleration

  This applies on both ends of the floor

Speed isn’t just sprinting.

It’s the ability to explode, stop, redirect, and read all in one sequence.

That’s trained — not gifted.

3. Conditioning That Protects Your IQ

When a player gets tired:

Decision-making drops first.

Focus drops second.

Execution drops third.

If you’re tired, you’re not skilled.

If you’re tired, you’re not disciplined.

If you’re tired, you’re not consistent.

Conditioning is mental stability disguised as stamina.

4. Mobility, Balance, and Body Awareness

Growth comes with instability:

Arms lengthen.

Legs get heavier.

Hips tighten.

Coordination dips.

You don’t “push through” that —

you train through it.

Mobility.

Core.

Stability.

Footwork.

Balance.

A growing body needs guidance.

5. Fueling Like a Serious Athlete

This is where kids separate themselves.

Sleep.

Hydration.

Protein intake.

Carbs that actually fuel performance.

Consistent eating, not random eating.

Psychology fact:

Better nutrition improves reaction time and cognitive speed —

yes, a better diet literally makes you “see the game” faster.

Fuel the body → sharpen the mind.

WHEN THE SEASON ENDS, THE REAL BUILD BEGINS

As soon as middle-school season is over, we’re locking in.

Not casually.

Not “when we feel like it.”

Not because I want it.

Because he said he’s ready.

And when a player says that with intention, you don’t waste it.

You don’t downplay it.

You don’t hold it back.

And when it’s your own son who looks you in the eye and says he’s ready… that hits different.

Because now it’s not theory.

It’s not a coaching moment.

It’s a father-son moment.

A trust moment.

A moment you’re responsible for.

When a player says it, you honor it.

But when your son says it?

You raise the standard.

You match his words with structure, work, and discipline—

and a plan that respects the weight of what he just told you.

And let me be clear: this doesn’t mean interfering with coaching.

The coaches handle the basketball.

They handle the system, the roles, the decisions, the development on the floor.

My responsibility is different.

My lane is the home conversations:

what he needs mentally, physically, emotionally…

so he can show up and give them everything he’s being asked to give.

Because part of this process is him learning how to trust his coaches,

how to listen,

how to follow,

and how to grow inside someone else’s structure.

That’s the work.

He’s stepping into a new chapter.

And I’m stepping into it with him—

not to steer the coaching,

but to support the boy who’s becoming a young man.

The work changes now.

The conversations change.

The expectations change.

This is where the physical growth meets the mental growth.

This is where boys turn that corner.

This is where the real development begins.

And the best part?

It’s not my dream.

It’s his.

FINAL WORD

The mental game creates the vision.

The physical game makes the vision real.

You need both.

You build both.

You sharpen both.

Because as the levels rise, the players who move forward are the ones whose mindset and physicality grow together — at the same intensity, with the same discipline, and the same purpose.

The body has to match the mind.

And now he’s ready for that step.

— Coach Jason Garcia