Borrowing a concept from Kevin Sivils, a prodigious basketball author and outstanding coach, I award only one 'prize' every year, a peer award (voted upon by players).
Last season, a player earned the "Teammate Award", recognized as the best teammate (not an MVP contest), the player whom teammates felt best represented a great teammate. This season, a player earned the "Effort Award", selected by peers for giving the highest consistent effort at practice and games. Next year, I plan to create the "Value Award" for the player voted as making teammates better.
How do players "add value" to each other?
- Create quality opportunities. Basketball isn't rowing. In The Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown makes it clear that to achieve 'swing' (total rowing harmony), each oarsman must pull together precisely. At times a player can take over a game offensively, defensively, or on the boards. You don't have to subsume your identity wholly but fully integrate the process. Analysts are working to quantify this.
- Play hard. Some argue that playing hard is the number one skill in basketball. Playing hard isn't about maximal talent, but maximizing talent. The most damning comments I would have about players are "being soft" or "mailing it in". A few years ago I saw a high school player fail to block out, allowing consecutive putback scores the first two defensive possessions. Her team lost by a point. People looked to the end of the game for answers. The solution belonged as much to the beginning. Excellent players bring the fight every possession.
- Help your teammates to create ball separation. Players who move without the ball, set great screens, cut effectively, penetrate and draw defenders, pass generously, or are alert to move or occupy defenders. They fulfill Coach Phil Jackson's saying, "Basketball is sharing."
- Help your teammates to deny ball separation. Communicate. Communication energizes teammates, intimidates opponents, and makes for more efficient and earlier defensive actions. Perimeter defenders pressuring the ball helps interior defenders prevent both scoring and fouling. Defenders behind the play have to 'call' defensive help. Backside defenders are essential to fronting the post. The ball scores. Your defensive edge comes from assisting teammates to deny that process.
- Support teammates. Philadelphia guard Andrew Toney had a reputation of being 'soft'. Charles Barkley was sitting next to Toney and accidentally hit his foot. He saw tears start streaming down his face. Toney was playing with stress fractures (broken bones) in his feet. Barkley wasn't a medical person but he knew enough that Toney wasn't soft and let people know that. Support comes in many forms - a kind word, a pat on the back, a call to engagement "let's go" but all are forms of 'activation' and refocusing on the task at hand.
Coaches seek value solutions among personnel, strategy, and operations (preparation, practice, game play) every day. But our greatest potential lies in helping players and teams achieve together.
