Leadership

Leadership is a quality that players are born with, not taught. As a coach, part of the job is not only to evaluate talent on the court, but also to evaluate the leadership skills in players. Once the leaders are identified, the coach should begin to develop those leaders while teaching all their players the values of leadership. There are instances where the best player will not be a team leader as they are not equipped to handle the pressure and responsibility that come with the post. There are also instances where a team will have multiple leaders that work together to maximize team chemistry. First, let's briefly describe the two main types of leaders found on most teams. Keep in mind, these qualities may be in one player.

1) Emotional leader – this player is the heart and soul of the team. The team follows his emotional lead, which may vary from minute to minute during a game. Managing this player's emotions is critical.

2) Physical leader – this player is the best player on the team. This player is usually highly competitive and energetic . Keeping this player focused on the task at hand is your main priority.

The leadership qualities I believe in developing in all my players are simple. The players must respect the game. This includes the opponents, referees, and the fans. The players are taught that they represent their families, coaches, and teammates at all times both on and off the court. Stress that they are accountable to their team for their play and focus. They must learn to be part of something bigger than themselves. These are simple enough for adults to understand but these young men are not adults yet.

Leadership starts from the top down. As a coach, you set the example. Be firm regarding rules, and equal in punishment regardless of who breaks them. Be consistent with your team, they must know where they stand with you at all times. Favoritism, particularly towards your leaders, will destroy team chemistry faster than anything else. I am not suggesting that you be a tyrant ! I am suggesting that you set the rules and stick to them. These players are taking their leadership cues from you and you must respect that responsibility.

The identification and development of team leaders is critical to success. Coaches not only teach their players the qualities of leadership, but they also show them those qualities on a daily basis.