Beyond the Box Score: Why Assists and Mental Health Matter Most

There’s much talk today about stats—points per game, highlight reels, social media likes. However, the truth is that if we’re serious about helping young athletes grow, we need to start measuring something else: how well they assist others and how well they manage mentally.

Let’s start with the assist.

The assist doesn’t get the spotlight. But it’s everything. It means you saw the floor, trusted your teammate, and made a decision that benefited the team, not just yourself. The same thing applies off the court. Are you lifting someone else up? Are you checking in on a friend? Are you helping a younger kid get better?

Teaching kids to assist is teaching them to lead.

And right now, we need more leaders. Not just athletes chasing their own success, but young people who understand that success is a team effort.

Then there’s mental health—and we’ve got to stop treating it like a side issue.

Kids today are under pressure like never before. They're constantly online, constantly comparing, constantly being pulled in a dozen directions. And while they may look fine on the outside, a lot of them are quietly struggling—with anxiety, burnout, self-doubt.

We say we want toughness—but mental toughness doesn’t mean silence. It means resilience. It means knowing when to speak up. It means having people around you who care enough to listen.

That’s where coaches, parents, and mentors come in.

We need to build programs where kids feel safe, supported, and heard. Where mental health is taken seriously, not brushed off. Where players know it’s okay to ask for help—and even more importantly, where they’re taught to offer help to others.

You want a strong program? Start here:

Create a culture where assists are celebrated.

Build relationships that go beyond the game.

Treat mental health like conditioning—it’s part of the work.

Teach players that checking in on a teammate is just as important as boxing out or setting a screen.

Why?

Because when kids feel supported mentally, and they know how to support each other, everything changes. They play harder. They commit deeper. They grow stronger.

And that’s how you build not just better players, but better people.

About the Author:

Jeff Lisath is a former NCAA Division I basketball player at Miami (Ohio) and has over 30 years of head coaching experience. He is the CEO of Jeff Lisath Basketball Ministries and holds degrees in Physical Education, Leadership Ministry, and Youth Counseling (AA, BA, MA). With a lifelong commitment to youth development, Jeff focuses on building not just better athletes—but better people.