Teaching Teamwork

Basketball is a game of great individual achievement.  It is one of those team sports where one great player can truly make a difference.  Regardless of how true the above statement is nobody is good enough to win a championship by themselves.  Even star players need to trust their teammates in order for the team to succeed.  It doesn't matter how good a player can be its tough to guard all 5 opponents on defense.  It's even tougher to beat all 5 defenders on the offensive end of the floor if they know that one player will refuse to use his teammates.  The point I'm trying to make is that even if you have an exceptional player playing for you, the best thing you can do is to teach the squad how to play as a team.  This is the only way a team can be successful.

So how do you go about doing this?  How do you convince players that it doesn't matter how many points you score as an individual, what is more important is that every individual on the team does what's right for the team.  If that means making an extra pass so be it.  If that means sacrificing your offensive game because you need to focus your energy on the defensive end then so be it.  If that means taking a foul at the end of the game (a game your losing) which fouls you out but stops the clock so be it. The list is endless.  

The team concept is so important that the only way to play a good suffocating style of defense is if all 5  players are on the same page and covering for each other.

On the offensive end, the most beautiful brand of basketball is the style which keeps both man and ball moving.  There's nothing better than watching an offense where players are looking to screen for each other or make the extra pass for the open shot.

The key question any coach should ask is how do I teach team work?  Is this even possible?

The answer is yes.  There are a lot of things that you as a coach can do in practice to help build up the team concept.

Teamwork concepts:

1. Stress teamwork verbally at the beginning and end of very practice and every point in between.
2. Do drills which involve the whole team pulling for each other.  This could be a players vs. the coaches drill or something similar ( more on this in an upcoming blog). 
3. Stress how important teamwork is when coaching both offense and defense. 
4. Stress that players cheer for their teammates during drills .  
5. Encourage high fives. 
6. Do something outside of basketball together.  Go to a movie or laser tag or out for pizza.

Whatever you do as a coach it can go for naught if your players don't mesh as a team.  Team building is just as important as any skill you can possibly teach a player or any play you can possibly teach a team.  Live as a team die as individuals is what I say.