Program Building - absolute essentials -

Coach,

Someone once said that you achieve where you set your sights.  I do not think that a coach can necessarily expect a young team to over achieve especially at the High School level where so many factors are involved in a young man's emotional and physical development.  However it appears that three areas are of major concern to you; toughness, disciple, and unselfish play.  Without really knowing you situation in detail my guess would be that you may have settled for a level of achievement below what the players can achieve.  If you have seen the football movie, "Facing the Giants" there is a great example of this when the Coach asks a player to give all he has in a crab walk with another player on his back while blindfolded.  The coach asks the player to "give his best" and see if he can make it 50 yards.  The player doesn't think so, but the coach keeps challenging and encouraging the player.  The camera pans to watch the coach motivate, encourage, drive, and not allow his player to quit on him.  When the player finally collapses and takes off the bllindfold he has done 100 yards.  The point I am making is this.  I think you can probably ask more of your team.  More commitment in off-season conditioning, more commitment in execution, and even service to the team and school outside of just actual practice.  You have to raise the stakes to find out which players will be committed to excellence and doing things the right way, your way, or the highway.  The more a team is challenged in this manner with encouragement, motivation and drive, the more, I believe, they begin to execute the little things.  Your offense and defense improve.  Your help rotations and willingness to step in and dive for loose balls, chase down a tough rebound, etc. improve.  When things get physically tough and demanding, in general players either get more together, or in some cases, some quit.  I would raise the bar of expectations on your team and tell them you are asking this of yourself, your coaching staff and of course the players.  Then let's see what happens.  I think kids who believe in a system, the coaching staff, and their teammates are much more willing to bust their chops at all times, and not let the team down.  While I'm sure you can and should evaluate your offensive and defensive systems of play as any coach does each year and adjusts, I sense the situation you are in is more one of commitment and drive towards excellence.  Raise your expectations, efforts, and attention to detail in a fair and fun way, starting with yourself and coaches, and I would be surprised you will face the same issues next year.  But it starts now, not in October.  The longer someone has invested in a project, the more loyalty they have to see it through.

On the X's and O's side I would look to determine or establish players roles and expectations early this spring and into summer so that come fall they are fairly well established.  You may have to adjust as the season rolls along, but the more kids understand who takes shots, what kind of shots, and from what areas, who defends the opponents best player, who is expected to distribute the ball, etc. the greater chance you will have of success.   I don't know if you are playing 4 out and 1 in, and a lot of drive and dish, but one of the disadvantages to such offenses is that they allow "young" players a lot of lattitude to make decisions on the that can adversely affect team concept.  If you are looking for less selfish play, start with an offensive set that requires every player to execute specifics.  When they aren't executed you sit them.  Playing time is the best friend of the coach in getting players to buy into system of play.

Good luck and check back as your year progresses.  I would really love to hear what happens to next years team.