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Battlin'
Bear Basketball
2008
Orange Area Basketball Camp:
Click
For Printable Registration Form
June 9-12 @
LC Junior High School (Bates) Gym; $65 (before May 31)
Morning Session:
incoming 2nd-5th grades (9am-12noon)
Afternoon Session:
incoming 6th-9th grades(1pm-4pm)
Contact: Coach
Darin Harley
886-5821 ext
1650
Make
plays,
not
excuses!
15 Traits (Good
and Bad) of A True Team Player
True team players are not always the most talented or naturally
gifted players. Instead, true team players make your team
better by their sheer presence. The poor team player has an
attitude that can spread like a disease, and over time can
kill the harmony and chemistry that is often critical to your
team attaining its goals. So here are some qualities and characteristics
you will want on your team.
1) Positive Attitude
- Does the player listen to the coaches or slough off input?
- Does the player have a strong work ethic all over the court?
- Does the player have the ability to look at themselves and
see when they are not performing the way they should? - Does
the player accept constructive criticism? - Does the player
work on their weaknesses, or only focus on the things they
already like to do?
2) Work Ethic
- The willingness to work hard, really hard, to improve your
skills is vital. Being a good teammate is not necessarily
being the most popular, but it will include setting important
examples, especially in terms of work ethic.
3) Supporting a fellow player
when they are down - The true team player
knows when a teammate is struggling or needs a pat on the
back, and is quick to give that player a shot of confidence.
4) Helping other players
- The best team player senses when another player on the team
is nervous. Your true team player will spend some time with
the player, talking with them and helping them to feel a part
of the team and will go out of their way to include that player
in team or social activities.
5) Showing genuine happiness
when others succeed - This is hard for adults
and that makes it quite exceptional to see in a young athlete.
A team which has players who are really glad for the success
of their teammates will go far in life.
6) Negative body language
- Visit any basketball game and you will find even young players
demonstrating negative body language. Examples of negative
body language are players who shoot an evil look at a teammate
thought to have made a mistake; throwing hands in the air
when a referee makes a call against them or their team; a
player who won't look the coach in the eye; slouching shoulders
or hands on the hips in the field. All of these can be small
but important signs that this player will let you down at
crunch time.
7) The selfish player
- A selfish player is not just the player who "will not
pass the ball". That is certainly a hallmark of a selfish
player, but selfish play shows in other ways as well, such
as berating teammates or officials or the other team. A selfish
player will skip practices or just work on fun things during
practice. Sitting on the bench “unattached” from the game
action is another example of “me” instead of “we” player.
8) The blame game
- Far too many young athletes simply look to blame others
when things go wrong. Rather than look at their own performance,
they pick at teammates, blame others for goals that are not
scored or scored by the other team, and generally fail to
recognize their own errors while focusing on the mistakes
of others.
9) "I'm Better Than You"
- Everyone has an opinion of course. But they become an issue
when parents start thinking their kid is better than everyone
else's. And when the young players themselves act as though
they are better than their teammates - either in the actual
things they say, the tone or attitude they adopt when interacting
with their teammates, coaches, or the way they exclude certain
teammates on or off the field, it is a major problem. This
attitude creates an environment of failure on many levels.
10) "I'll Play Anywhere
Coach" - Every coach loves the player
who is versatile, can play different positions and will accept
tough roles. A true team player is the kind of player that
a coach can count on to embrace low-profile but important
assignments.
11) Humility
- All athletes need to remind themselves that no one accomplishes
things totally on their own. You need helpful and supportive
parents, excellent coaches, and teammates who also strive
to be better, all as part of your support system. The professional
sports world is full of self-centered individuals. A true
team player is blessed with humility. And the greater the
talent, the more precious is the humility.
12) A focus on fitness
- Technical skills are important to basketball. Fitness is
essential. There is no question that if a young person wants
to be an elite athlete, they need to get into outstanding
physical condition, especially in basketball. To get to the
elite level, you need to be conditioned so that you will not
shut down late in a tough game; you need to be in better physical
condition than the player opposite you.
13) Welcoming 'New" players
to the team - Coming onto a new team is an
awkward transition period for any athlete, and especially
for the younger players. A team player will welcome newcomers
to the team, answer their questions, share experiences and
generally offer a warm welcome, on and off the court. This
example applies to incoming freshmen to high school, or even
a player who is promoted within the program from one team
to another.
14) Respect
- No player at any level will always agree with their coach
and no parent will always agree with their child's coach either.
Whether the issue is playing time, playing position, method
of instruction, discipline, or whatever, there will always
be the potential for disagreement. But the team player and
parents will recognize that the coach may be looking at a
"bigger picture" and will try to follow the coach's
plan for the team. A team player will not freelance and do
their own thing. And respect must be directed not only at
the coach, but also toward the other teammates or the other
parents of the teammates. Those who treat those around them
with respect are worth their weight in gold. No team can flourish
without an abundance of respect.
15) The follower
- Not every athlete is a leader, so the coach, in looking
for a true team player, must be careful in picking players
who will lead the majority of the followers. There is nothing
wrong in being a follower, but the coach must be aware that
followers can follow good leaders as easily as bad leaders.
A coach would do well to select a lesser skilled player with
good attitudes over a more skilled leader with attitudes which
are more destructive. One influential player with a negative
attitude can carry other followers with them, leading the
team into a downward spiral of negativity.
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