Chris Anstey may be a towering figure in Australian basketball, but at BSSC today he offered sage advice at a level everyone could relate too.
With the kind of honesty that had Specialist Sports students leaning in on every word, the two-time Olympian and NBA champion blew apart the idea of a ‘pathway’, sharing the story of his accidental introduction to basketball—how he’d literally had the rules of the game explained on his way to fill in for a C-grade team.
“Trying to be the best version of myself—saying yes when the opportunity arose—gave me the chance to play a game I’d never dreamed of playing,” he said.
Anstey encouraged students to forget about the pressure to win every weekend, and focus instead on how they can improve and develop good habits.
“If you only focus on winning or losing you’ll have a miserable sporting career,” he said.
“Improvement comes from working on what you need to get better at, in your own time, away from team training. The people who succeed work harder than anyone else.”
Anstey also encouraged students to put their phones away for an hour everyday… “One hour of uninterrupted time every day just for you. You’ll be amazed what you’ll be able to achieve.”
He then led a short, sharp training session in the college gym with BSSC and BSE basketballers, running them through some of his favourite drills, from both his time as a player and as a coach at the National level.
