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Tuesday, October 4, 2022

The Delicate Ecosystems of Teams

 ecosystem

ē′kō-sĭs″təm, ĕk′ō-

noun

  1. An ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit.
  2. A system formed by an ecologicalcommunity and its environment that functions as a unit.
  3. The interconnectedness of organisms (plants, animals, microbes) with each other and their environment.


The ecosystem of a team includes its community, fans, coaches, players, and families. When everyone pulls together, great things can happen. But science and psychology favor entropy, agendas, and chaos. 

Examples clarify. 

Sam Walker's book, The Captain Class, profiles teams whose central leader crystallized winning. Bill Russell said that his ego depended on the success of the team. Yogi Berra wasn't the top player on the Yankees, but an engine and leader that propelled the team ahead. 

The University of North Carolina women's soccer team has won over twenty national championships. Yes, they've had great players like Mia Hamm. Coach Anson Dorrance has a sign in their locker room, "Excellence Is Our Only Agenda." 

Great players aren't enough. The pieces have to fit. The Brooklyn Nets trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons may yet do great things. But will those pieces fit? 

A high school team was favored to go deep in the postseason. But before the playoffs, the 'star' was accused of hijacking another player's boyfriend. The team fractured and was an 'out' in the first round of the playoffs. 

Women's college teams famously have a blend of straight and gay players. Occasionally, open conflict has fragmented teams resulting in chaotic, selfish play, and eventual transfers. 

What factors bring stability to programs and what factors promote fragility? 

Stability
  • Leadership (Talent aggregation is not enough).
  • Player development - "Every day is player development day." 
  • Character - Etorre Messina preaches character as the coach's first job. Find and keep talented grinders. "Success doesn't measure a person; effort does." 
  • Find the balance of "Give and Take." Giving + ambition = power. 

Fragility
  • "Ego is the enemy." Coach Popovich has players who "get over themselves." 
  • Inflexibility "Takers tend to stick to their decisions because admitting a bad choice makes them look inadequate." We see this a lot as teams stick with high draft choices, trade acquisitions, or scholarship players because they seek self-justification. 
  • Living on the fringe. Players who do not buy in, who sulk and take energy from the team, or who are there to "live the life" disrupt the process. 
Lagniappe. Study greatness. "Leaders make leaders." 


Lagniappe 2. 
Lagniappe 3. Making a difference... 
Lagniappe 4. Simple drills for motion offense. Well-explained. 






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