But some words assault character and competitiveness...labels we never want.
"Selfish." Basketball is a game where letters (W's and L's) dominate numbers. Players who won't pass, worry about the scorebook more than the scoreboard, and take "My turn" shots earn the "Night at the Opera" (mi-mi-mi) Award. We don't need you. We don't want you.
"Quitter". We can't control many life situations. But how we respond to adversity speaks volumes about us. Urban Meyer talks about "crossing the line". He means that when we step onto the field, we must be ready to go.
"Soft". In Toughness, Jay Bilas talks about not going to the floor early in his Duke career. It didn't happen again. We want competitors, players who are alert and aware, who get the 50-50 balls. No "alligator arms" rebounding, no "bailing on layups", no "buddy running" on transition defense...
"Disengaged". CARE - concentrate, anticipate, react, execute. When you're not in the game, study what's happening. We learn much from watching players on the bench. Some coaches (Pat Summitt, as I recall) would film players on the bench.
"Bad Teammate". Coach Auriemma addresses this in his interview above. In another, he says, "we put a huge premium on body language...I'm checking what's going on on the bench." Most of our communication is non-verbal. Coach Wooden said, "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses." Coach Urban Meyer describes, "above the line" behavior. Don't make negative comments about your teammates. Ever.
"Loser". Being branded a loser isn't about results; it's about your process. "Losers" are low character players whose ethos embodies many of the above negative qualities. Our team had a bad record last season, but we practiced hard, played hard, supported each other, and didn't quit. I see life success for last year's team (two are on a top-ranked volleyball team this fall as freshmen). Many are performing well on other teams.
"Uncoachable". Uncoachable players have an agenda, usually their "numbers"...but not always. Coachability is dynamic, because it's about attitude. I had an 'uncoachable' player a few years ago, but I kept working with her, and the light went on. She was named most valuable player for her school last season (in a private school) and will be an excellent high school player. Coachable players don't complain about playing time; they ask what they can do to improve and contribute more.
Coach Wooden and others remind us, "sports doesn't build character, it reveals character." UNC Women's Soccer coach Anson Dorrance looks for "competitive fury" in players. That doesn't mean uncontrolled rage, it captures skill and will. Every player must ask herself, "what kind of player, what kind of person am I?"
