You might be wondering, "What exactly is the dragon?" Well, your basketball is your dragon, and you're about to embark on a journey to tame it. By mastering the ball, you'll learn to make it move exactly as you wish—whether it's a smooth crossover or a perfect swish.

But could there be another dragon in your life? Consider this:

"I am your constant companion. I can be your greatest ally—or your heaviest burden. I will propel you forward or pull you down to failure. I am entirely at your command. Half the tasks you do could easily be turned over to me, and I will complete them quickly and accurately."

What else could your dragon be besides the ball? Reflect on this, and I’ll reveal the answer soon. But for now, let's dive into the Dragon Training Challenges.

There are 28 challenges ready for you, covering conditioning, agility, dribbling, and shooting drills. To get started, log into our Dragon Training Program on Google Classroom. The code has been shared on Heja. Be sure to review the descriptions and any accompanying videos to get prepared. I recommend printing out the Summary of the challenges for ease of use.

These challenges are designed to push you beyond your limits. With just a ball and a timer, you’ll step out of your comfort zone and discover how good you can really be. Track your progress with scores, not just your own but those of your coach and teammates. It's not just about your personal best, but about the friendly competition and camaraderie that comes from training together.

Ready to get started? Let's talk strategies. You don’t need to carve out a full hour for this—use the time you have between other activities. It all adds up whether it’s one, two, or three minutes. If you can memorise the drills, bring your ball and practice whenever you can. Keep at it; when you feel ready, grab a timer and see how you measure up. Remember, it takes consistent practice to reach your best performance.

Let’s revisit another version of your dragon. Some of you might have already guessed it—your habits. Habits act like shortcuts, but they only help if they’re the right ones. Throughout our learning journey, we may have picked up habits that aren't beneficial, and that’s where these challenges come in.

From now on, consider yourself a Dragon Training Apprentice, working to tame both your ball and your habits. It won’t be easy because your habit is saying:

"I’m not a machine, but I operate with the precision of one, combined with human intelligence. You can use me to achieve great things or lead yourself to failure—it makes no difference to me. Train me, be disciplined, and I’ll help you conquer the world. But if you go easy on me, I’ll bring you down."

Are you up for the challenge?