Every team needs good player development
Every team needs to develop its people to be successful. A positive attitude is crucial. If a player stops developing, they will eventually lose their place in the team. If a good team rests on its laurels and stagnates, its competitors will go past it. If a poor team fails to invest in the future, it won’t catch up. Player development is he key to current and future success.
Sport is a results business
When a new coach joins a sports team, they are under immediate pressure. They may pretend not to be. The club may talk openly about giving them ‘time’. But sport is a results business. Matches need to be won. The team has to be successful, or the coach will be sacked.
Expectations
But what is successful? Every stakeholder in a sports team has expectations of it. The owners, sponsors, fans, coaches, club staff, current players, and even potential signings all have expectations of the team. But what are they? Those expectations will vary wildly, from simply avoiding relegation, right up to winning the league.
Realistic Expectations
The secret to keeping everyone happy is to set clear, minimum expectations. Agree them up front. Then you can task everyone with the roles and responsibilities needed to deliver (at least) those minimum expectations. Everyone at the club has a part to play in delivering on those expectations. That share purpose and effort is what turns a group of people into a tribe.
What are everyone’s roles and responsibilities? Is anyone setting expectations without helping to deliver them? Every stakeholder should have a clear, defined role in delivering (at least) the expected level of success.
Obvious results based expectations will include: the place the team finishes in the league, the number of wins achieved (different for home and away), the number of points scored; and the number of points conceded. There are many other on field metrics that can and should be measured too.
If on-field results are the only expectations that count, everything will be focused on those elements. There’s a danger that player development will come further down the priority order than it should. And it is absolutely crucial to future success.
Player development
Just like with the team’s results, every stakeholder has a role in player development. That starts with the player themselves. Every player needs to maintain their own fitness, listen to the coaches, keep learning, commit to their team and work very hard. They need to maximise their skills and their availability for selection. It’s up to each player to do the rights things and not to live, train or play irresponsibly. I
f a player doesn’t fully commit, their career will suffer and so will their team and fellow players. Laziness or selfishness will always limit a player’s development.
Everyone has a development role
Fellow teammates have a responsibility too. Every player needs to help their teammates feel part of the group, offer tip to help them improve how they play; and provide support when things are not going well. The more players that put themselves first and take an “I’m alright Jack approach,” the less the team will progress as a whole.
The coaches have responsibilities too. They need to pick the best team, but to also select new and younger players. Bringing through a player needs to be at just the right time, not too quickly and not too slowly either. The more youth players they can turn into first team regulars, the further the club’s playing budget will go. The coaches also need to set realistic expectations, especially early on; and publicly back their players.
The owners need to back their Head Coach/Manager with a strong youth programme, give them the funds to build a competitive team; and give them sufficient time to bring through the first team regulars of the future.
Even the fans have a role, not to build and not crush the confidence of a player.
Success is a developing process
Every team needs to develop its people to be successful. Everyone can improve, however experienced they are, as long as they want to keep improving. A positive attitude all round is crucial. Everyone needs to play their part in making sure that happens. Is everyone doing their bit?