Building Team Chemistry

Coaching high school basketball the last sixteen years I have had the great honor of working with some excellent student athletes. At the varsity level I have had two seasons in which our program finished with a loosing record. This year, through no fault of our players my coaching staff and I look to be facing such a season. With a very young inexperienced team and a very talented league, it will be very difficult to secure even one win.

Preparing for this season my staff and I looked back a few years to what we did last time this happened. In a small school this situation seems to cycle ever few years. Going into this season we have talked about what our goals should be. We understand that a winning record and a trip to the playoffs should not be a primary goal. However, player development and providing a positive experience for our students will be our number one goal.

The number one concern we have this season will be our teams' chemistry. When things are going well and teams are winning, chemistry seems to just happen. When things are going bad and wins are few and far between, teammates often turn on each other. With young players we feel it is important to develop a positive family like foundation. It is crucial that our players learn to count on each other and communicate with each other in good times and bad.

Much too often teams are made up of several individuals who only come together for a couple of hours every night. Yes, some of them may be friends and socialize with each other away from team functions, but normally the group as a whole dose not. This season our main focus will be bringing our players together off the court as well as on. In order to do this we will need to provide opportunities for our players to bond away from the practice and game atmosphere

When young athletes are forced to do something they often don't get the most out of it. As coaches if we demand our players to attend team social gatherings most of our players will show up uninterested and the event will be a waste. Our idea will be to organize entertaining events that our players will want to be part of without being forced. Of course when dealing with several different personalities the possibility of finding one event that everyone will enjoy will be a challenge.

Basketball is the obvious answer. Players are not forced to play basketball for our program. Players come out for our team because they truly enjoy basketball and what to be part of our family. Therefore are plan is to use basketball as a starting point. This season before we ever step foot on the practice floor we will take our players to a local college game. The team will travel together, sit together and hopefully begin talking with each other.

At the end of the first week of practice our players will need a little rest. The first week, or hell week as we call it, is tough. Even those players who come in from football or cross country will be hurting. A few players will have quit and a few more may be on the verge. In order to recharge our batteries we have set up a pizza bowling party for the weekend. This will give our players, their families and the coaches an opportunity to get together outside the gym and relax. We encourage our players to bring their families in an attempt to get the coaches and parents together in a neutral place and hopefully start off on a positive note.

As the season rolls on we will continue to do weekly gatherings. With the help of parents and community members we will have several healthy team meals. Also we will travel on nights we do not play to watch other local high school and college teams compete. We have found that with a little bit of planning and organization there are several opportunities for us to get our players together off the court.

Another area of team building we will participate in this season will be community work. The coaching staff has set up times for our program to help at a local food drive. We have also made arrangements to rake leaves and participate together in our cities annual clean up day. Of course we have notified our local paper. A little good press can go a long way for the spirit and confidence of young athletes.

Yes, we will work on basketball this season. However when facing a tough season as we look to be, it may be as important or even more important to work on relationships and team unity. Great teams can crumble when its players are not close. It is our hope that a team made up of close players will become great.