As a coach, when I anticipate the beginning of another successful season, it is important that I understand why we have had success and why this season will be another great season. There are so many ingredients involved in creating success, and there may not be one thing that clearly is more influential than anything else.
I am now in my seventh season as the pitching coach at Adrian College. We have been fortunate to have competed in the NCAA DIII Regionals in five of the last six years. How does that happen?
Perhaps the most important ingredient in having successful athletic teams is the talent level of the players. Athletes have God-given abilities and they have specific sport skills that they have developed and continue to develop as long as they are playing competitive sports. In addition to the talents of the athletes, it is important that they practice and play games with the attitude that the team comes before any individual. Therefore, the thoughts and attitudes of the players have a tremendous effect on the team's ability to compete for championships.
Obviously, we have had the luxury of having players with ability, skill, and unselfish attitudes on our teams in the last six years. Those attributes can always improve, though. We have not yet won the national championship, though in 2008 we were in the DIII World Series and finished in the final four. We can't win a national championship unless we win the Regional title first and advance to the national tournament, so obviously we can get better.
As for natural athletic ability and specific sport skill, coaches who recruit the best athletes become 'better coaches' simply due to having good athletes on their teams. I can't take any credit for any of the recruiting that has taken place for the Adrian College team. The coaches who are on campus all day every day are the ones who have done a great job with recruiting. A good coach can coach any kind of athlete....those with great skills and those with poor skills. But coaches have a much better chance to coach competitive teams when the athletes have great ability and skill.
The attitudes of the players are influenced in no small way by the way the upperclassmen interact with the younger guys. Upperclassmen have learned their practice habits and attitudes from the teammates who came before them. In most cases, they buy into the philosophies that their teammates have handed down and they buy into much of the guidance of the coaches as well. Every interaction between teammates and between coaches and players has some semblance of teaching, learning, and mentoring. Thus, in theory, every interaction can have a positive effect on the team.
The importance of having unselfish players cannot be overstated. That unselfishness is just one of the ingredients of the overall attitude that helps teams become championship teams. We have already talked about the recruiting aspect, and one thing that can be challenging for the coaches is knowing for sure if the athletes he is recruiting will have great attitudes. Sometimes a coach can clearly see the positive attributes of an athlete, but sometimes the athlete seems a whole lot different when they arrive on campus and the recruiting process is over. In saying that, a kid with an undesirable attitude can develop a more desirable one, but it takes positive influences from teammates, coaches and perhaps others to help develop that great attitude.
There are so many other things that I have not even touched on that contribute to team success. We can discuss those things at a later time. For now, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that the presence of positive leaders, who are often the upperclassmen, is crucial when teams are hoping to win, improve, and maintain success. The former Adrian Bulldog players have led the way for the current and players. Their contagious, positive approach to the game has left a mark and enabled the program, and the current players to expect success and set goals of winning league, regional and national championships.
The talent is there. The positive attitude is present. The expectations are now always high. As with any team in any sport, good coaching can enhance a team's ability to achieve lofty goals, and inadequate coaching can hold a team back. As a coach, I can only hope that I and my colleagues can contribute to the success of our players and understand that our previous players have built a great foundation for the guys we currently have the privilege to coach!!
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