"Why are some players seemingly content with getting beat while others take it as a personal insult? Why do some players do nothing in between games to prevent embarrassment while others work their tails off to try to fix whatever it was that caused the opponent to score so easily? Why do some have such a cavalier disposition when an opponent makes a score while others appear to burn with a competitive spirit that confidently dares the opponent to come back and try again? Perhaps the answer lies so deep within human nature or is so buried in heredity that we will never know."
- Pete Newell
In our program, the most important characteristic that we look for when evaluating players is competitiveness and a willingness to play hard. It seems to me that playing hard is the most important skill there is, and I just wish I was a better coach so that I could find a way to instill a more competitive spirit in all our players...
The Great Competitor
Beyond the winning and the goal,
Beyond the glory and the fame,
He feels the flame within his soul,
Born of the spirit of the game.
And where the barriers may wait,
Built by the opposing gods,
He finds a thrill in bucking fate
And riding down the endless odds.
Where others whither in the fire,
Or fall below some raw mishap,
Where others lag behind and tire,
Or break beneath the handicap,
He finds a new and deeper thrill
To take him on the uphill spin,
Because the test is greater still
And something he can revel in.
- Grantland Rice
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2 comments:
Great topic. I think this "competitive spirit" that you talk about is something that coaches from pro to rec deal and struggle with.
I read an interview with Bill Parcells that intensity/competitve spirit is not just a coaches responsibility but also a team responsibility. He said that his Giants teams of the 80's had guys with "reputations" of being somewhat lackadaisical but guys like Jim Burt,Leonard Marshall, Phil McConkey, and Harry Carson would create an environment both in games and practice where others were forced to play at this level.
Obviously, the pro level is much different from high school but I think certain players need to take a role in this responsibility as well. The players that Parcells mentioned were not even the Giants best players (he also says this) but how hard they played wore off on guys like L.T., Phil Simms, and Joe Morris which led to team success.
I guess in a perfect world, you would have a core group of players (maybe your best players but maybe not) that would hold teammates accountable. I am a firm believer that a coach can only do so much with motivating a player and that eventually the team needs to get that player(s) on the same page as everybody else. Of course, if you only have 1 or 2 guys that fit that playing hard mold, it will be hard for them to take this responsibility.
One final note, I know the wins have been a bit difficult to come by for your team and this can easily get a team down but Parcells mentioned that in 87 when they were way below .500 for the year the intensity was still there. Even though wins were hard to come by, the Giants still wanted to make life miserable for their opponents. They wanted other teams to know that they were not going to roll over.
Sorry about the Parcells references, you probably hate him....
Thanks for the great comment and very sorry I didn't respond sooner.
This season is now officially over and wins were definitely hard to come by (we did not win a league game for my first time in eight seasons as a head coach.)
Nevertheless, for some reason, I felt there was a sense of comraderie with this team by the last few weeks. They continued to work fairly hard in practice, to at least give the appearance of listening and trying to get better, and to enjoy eachother's company.
It was almost counter-intuitive in a sense and what I have taken from it is not necessarily postive... Basically I've always known that I take the losses a lot harder than my players do and that is probably the way it is for any serious coach at my level, but it is depressing and (somewhat of an embarassment to me) to realize how much more I care about winning than some of my players did this season. I am not trying to down the players, they are all good kids, it is more that I am feeling foolish and questioning my priorities for investing so much emotionally into the success of this team.
Regardless of the score, if I feel my players are committed and are giving everything they have, I am with them. Unfortunately, correctly or not, I not sure I always feel that way this season.
On to the next year!
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