Who Is Your Coach?

Scenario: A group of friends are sitting around a table one night over dinner and they all talk about how much they miss playing basketball (or softball or football or any team sport) and decide to get a team together.

One of the guys volunteers to call around to different places to find the league that is best for them, and sign them up. He collects the money and sends in the correct forms to the commissioner of the league.

This same guy goes to the manager’s meeting to hear the rules.

He gets an email from the commish and sends everyone on the team a link to their online schedule, so that everyone has the information.

Fast forward to the first game. This team, made up of a group of friends, is down by a few points with a few minutes left.

Seeing that the aforementioned guy made all the plans, did all the leg work, and fronted all the money, does that make him the manager?

Does he have play/sit authority over the rest of the team?
Can he select which D to play?

In organized team sports there is a clear cut voice of direction. For example, at the University of Missouri, Mike Anderson is the coach and instructs his players on what plays to run, what Ds to set up in and when players can go in and when they sit. Likewise, at The Ohio State University, Jim Tressel is the man and all players listen to what comes out of his mouth.

Rec leagues are a little different. Since there is nobody who has the full time responsibility to lead the squad, and for the most part all players will have the same basic knowledge of the sport as anyone else, a decision should be made prior to the start of the season on who will make the tough calls.

Maybe it is the guy who set the league up.
Maybe it is the best player.
Maybe someone on the team has coaching experience.
Or maybe you choose the most outspoken member of the team to lead.

Whatever your decision, every team needs a leader to take charge. There will be times that this person is commended, but there may also be times he is chastised. So whoever you choose, make sure they can not only be objective in their decisions, but also strong enough to bench best friends, if the setting isn’t right. They should also have a strong working knowledge of the sport, so that they can make the educated choice that is best for the team.

Keep sporting!
- Who’s In First