If you’re happy and you know it
Positive environment helping big man Jawai fire
WHEN Nate Jawai fronted up at training over the last two seasons, he was never sure what sort of environment he was walking into.
Was it going to be a happy, sad or cranky atmosphere, as he put it earlier this week, or would there be tension?
The Cairns Taipans franchise player did not know and was always wondering what he would be “bombarded” with when he walked through the doors at Aumuller St.
These days, the thought is not in his mind.
The 32-year-old knows the temperature of the room will be positive, with smiles, and this week it was even relaxed enough to have his daughter Kayah running along the sidelines of the Fish Tank and watching on proudly as her old man worked on his craft.
The man Jawai calls “Uncle Danny”, Danny Morseu, the first Torres Strait Islander to represent Australia at the Olympics, knows a smiling Jawai means more dunks and rebounds come game time.
“If a player is happy in their environment, their performance will only increase and he will do well for the organisation,” Morseu said.
“Nate is happy with his form at the moment and I feel he will do very well this season.
“He should set his goals very high about playing for Australia again.
“Nate has the talent to compete at this level and he needs to look after himself mentally and physically and have a good diet and his performance will be incredible.”
A return of 13 points and five rebounds in the Snakes’ Round 1 win over Brisbane, in just over 19 minutes on the floor, was an exceptional return from the former Australian Boomer after two seasons marred with injuries.
Jawai attributes his strong preseason and opening round performance to the changes in the club’s training regimen over the winter under new boss Mike Kelly.
The Bamaga big man says he is refreshed mentally under the former Melbourne United assistant and is in the best head space since he won a championship with the Perth Wildcats two seasons back. “The last two years, I used to walk into practice and you would not know what you were going to get bombarded with,” Jawai said. “You would not know if it was going to be a happy, sad or cranky environment. “You always expect the same thing from coach Kelly. “When you come here now, it is time to work and there is positive energy.” First-year coach Kelly has high expectations for his starting centre and will keep pushing him to be better. “We want our guys to be performing at their best and if they are happy, they are doing that,” Kelly said. “We are just trying to get better every day and I have just tried to treat Nate how I would expect to be treated as a player and he has responded really well to that.
“He is happy because he is working hard and we are getting results.”
At age 32 and having played pro hoops since 2007, the 209cm Jawai knows he is closer to the end of his career than starting it, but believes his current mindset should push him for years to come.
“It is the happiest I have been for a while, two or three years,” Jawai said.
“It is good to be enjoying basketball again. There is always something new with the coach and having fun with the guys.”
He may not be as dominant as he was in his early to mid 20s but Jawai still strikes fear in the eyes of the opposition.
Just ask Illawarra Hawks guard Emmett Naar.
“I am not jealous that I do not have to go down there and battle with him,” Naar said.
“It is a full team effort for defending a guy like that.
“As guards, we need to help out and make it difficult, try put some doubt in his mind if we are coming to steal the ball.
“We just need to keep him away from the basket.”