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