Basketball Tips: Being a Team Leader - by Lamar Hull
From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook"Helping coaches coach better..."
Submitted by Lamar Hull
Lamar is a former NCAA basketball player for Davidson College who also played professionally overseas. Lamar spends a lot of his time now writing about sports. He also loves to coach young kids and help them become better basketball players. Lamar has a youth basketball site and you can follow him @lamarhull20.
Good leaders are essential to having a good basketball team. They are often times the difference between a winning team and a losing one. The question is what are some of the things that you can do to be a better teammate and leader? There are multiple things that leaders can do in order to help their team win.
Here are some tips for being a better teammate and leader:
Give it an all-out effort
Good leaders and good teammates are those who are willing to work hard for the team. The good leaders are those who are doing the best they can. Good leaders and teammates have an attitude that is about the better of the team instead of the individual. They are willing to make sacrifices if it means that it will move the team forward.Encourage
A good leader or teammate gives words of encouragement and keeps the team positive. The great thing about encouragement is that it helps the players to play even better. Even the weakest member on the team might surprise you from a few words of encouragement.Understands that basketball is a team sport
When one person on the team is doing good, everyone is doing good. When a teammate is down, it is important for the leader to bring that player up. A good leader or teammate will not have an endless amount of pride for what they have done but for what the team has done.
Travis Trice
Understand mistakes will be made
It is important to understand this early on and not get too down on yourself when mistakes are made. Instead of criticizing yourself or a teammate when someone makes a mistake, simply make sure that the lesson from that mistake was learned. Looking at what everyone did right and what everyone did wrong at the end of a game helps to make it less personal.Do not allow others to talk negatively about the team
Any personal insult against a team member should be taken as an insult against the whole team. Sticking up for that team member not only shows that you have the initiative of a leader but it also shows courage and that you are a good teammate.I love watching the NBA playoffs and March Madness on tv during basketball season, because there you can witness some of the professional leaders like Durant and Lebron show you why they are leaders and great teammates.
Here are the benefits of being a great teammate and leader:
Builds your own confidence
Because you are taking pride in what you do, it helps to build up your own confidence.The team looks up to you
When you are out there doing your best, the team is going to see you as a role model. A good example of what the team should be about. It will inspire your teammates to play harder.
Grant Hill
Gets you through the rough times
When times get tough, it is important to have a team leader who can lead you through it. Good teammates who are giving it their all will also help. Leaders also know what to say when times are tough during competition.Team leaders also tend to work harder than everyone else; eventually that is what makes them a leader. Growing up, I wasn't born with great leadership capabilities, but by practicing every day and becoming a better basketball player, I developed a leadership role. Players looked up to me because I was the hardest working and best player on the team.
Basketball is a team sport. It can be a highly satisfying sport that helps to build up your confidence. Especially if you are doing everything you can to be a great player, basketball will come with healthy benefits and lifetime friends.
Leadership qualities are not only exclusive to point guards either, but it is very helpful if you have a great point guard as they are considered the quarterbacks in basketball. Check out on Coach's Clipboard, some of the leadership qualities that a point guard and other leaders should have.
