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BE A GREAT TEAMMATE
From the series: "STAND OUT IN THE CROWD"
by Frank Allocco, Sr.
Series Introduction
Some eye opening basketball statistics:
Some eye opening basketball statistics:
- 2.9% of high school players will play college basketball.
- Less than 1 in 75, or 1.3 percent of NCAA Seniors will be drafted by an NBA Team.
- About 3 in 10,000 players (0.03 percent) of high school seniors will eventually be drafted by an NBA team.
With those realistic numbers before us, a logical question would be “why play basketball if the odds are so great against me achieving the highest levels?”
The beauty of sports is not in becoming a great player, it is the learning of valuable Lifeskills that will serve players throughout their lives. If we look beyond the focus of winning and achieving success, the arena of competition is one of the finest classrooms a young player could ever have.
In this Coach’s Corner, I would like to address the topic of Being a Great Teammate. All of the great teams that I coached the past 40 years had one thing in common: they were filled with players who put themselves second for the good of the team. These players worked hard and made a commitment that they would never let each other down. These players were never concerned with individual statistics or glory, they played with one thing in mind; the success of the team. They approached each challenging task with the knowledge that their teammates were committed and working as hard as they were, that they truly could count on each other.
Being a great teammate is a skill, and like any other skill can be practiced daily.
I am convinced that all great athletes and teams begin with great habits formed in the home. If you truly want to be A GREAT TEAMMATE begin with becoming the best
possible teammate that you can be on the greatest team you will ever be on….your family.
The beauty of sports is not in becoming a great player, it is the learning of valuable Lifeskills that will serve players throughout their lives. If we look beyond the focus of winning and achieving success, the arena of competition is one of the finest classrooms a young player could ever have.
In this Coach’s Corner, I would like to address the topic of Being a Great Teammate. All of the great teams that I coached the past 40 years had one thing in common: they were filled with players who put themselves second for the good of the team. These players worked hard and made a commitment that they would never let each other down. These players were never concerned with individual statistics or glory, they played with one thing in mind; the success of the team. They approached each challenging task with the knowledge that their teammates were committed and working as hard as they were, that they truly could count on each other.
Being a great teammate is a skill, and like any other skill can be practiced daily.
I am convinced that all great athletes and teams begin with great habits formed in the home. If you truly want to be A GREAT TEAMMATE begin with becoming the best
possible teammate that you can be on the greatest team you will ever be on….your family.
"If we look beyond the focus of winning and achieving success, the arena of competition is one of the finest classrooms a young player could ever have."
Start by making your bed each day, help your family by doing your chores, clear your plate after dinner, pick up after yourself, help your brothers and sisters. Understand that on every team, players are asked to make sacrifices for their teammates and this would certainly hold true on this special team that will be there for you your entire life.
The greatest teams I have ever coached were filled with players who always put themselves second, who did whatever they could to make the players around them more successful. In doing this, they became the best possible teammate and helped their teams to become the best they could possibly be. They learned to enjoy making sacrifices for others, and when this became their habit, it was easy to become a great team player.
We teach our players to be a great teammate, to commit to getting a backside rebound for their friends, to dive on a loose ball or to assist them when they make a mistake by being in a great helpside defensive stance. We reverently call this stance "the friendship stance.”
Practice these habits each day as you commit to making the lives of everyone around you easier by being respectful, willing to make sacrifices, and by becoming the most loving teammate you can possibly be. If you begin to create these habits now, you will become a consistent person who can be counted on by your teammates on all of the various teams you will be on throughout your life. You will earn their love, admiration, and respect as you are regarded as A GREAT TEAMMATE.
The greatest teams I have ever coached were filled with players who always put themselves second, who did whatever they could to make the players around them more successful. In doing this, they became the best possible teammate and helped their teams to become the best they could possibly be. They learned to enjoy making sacrifices for others, and when this became their habit, it was easy to become a great team player.
We teach our players to be a great teammate, to commit to getting a backside rebound for their friends, to dive on a loose ball or to assist them when they make a mistake by being in a great helpside defensive stance. We reverently call this stance "the friendship stance.”
Practice these habits each day as you commit to making the lives of everyone around you easier by being respectful, willing to make sacrifices, and by becoming the most loving teammate you can possibly be. If you begin to create these habits now, you will become a consistent person who can be counted on by your teammates on all of the various teams you will be on throughout your life. You will earn their love, admiration, and respect as you are regarded as A GREAT TEAMMATE.
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