CRITERIA FOR
EVALUATING PLAYERS BY TATE LOMBARD CANYON LADY EAGLE BASKETBALL I am honored to speak on behalf of the teams that I have been a part of. Over the past 17 years, I have coached various sports in different schools across the state of Texas. Throughout this time, I have seen firsthand the importance of evaluating players in your athletic program. One important aspect I have taken advantage of throughout the years is finding ways to work with upcoming players before they get to the varsity level. Summer camps and junior high athletic periods are great opportunities to work with the incoming athletes you will have at the high school level in future years. I have been able to work with our junior high athletes developing the skills necessary to produce future varsity players. I know this is a luxury that is not always available to all head coaches. Great youth and junior high programs are the lifeblood to your high school success! As a head coach, one of the most challenging tasks we have is constructing a varsity team to give you the
best opportunity to win. Each year the dynamics are different, and you have to use the players available to you. I feel it is very important to know the strengths and weaknesses of each individual player and put each of them in a role with her best opportunity to be successful. Each player has a role and no two are the same. Creating roles and accepting roles may be the ultimate difference maker in your team's performance. Below is a list I have found to be helpful in this process. Like many things in coaching, this was originally created by someone else then adjusted by our staff several years ago to build our own philosophy. We give this list to our players before each season to help explain how we determine their role on the team.
> > > 1. TALENT An athletes’ talent level is always the first thing we notice. Unfortunately, talent does not always come with these other characteristics that make a “winning player”. Many athletes have the talent to perform the task but often lack in the unmeasurable traits that make a winner. Talent may consist of size, athleticism, and skill sets. When your team is full of talented players that are great teammates, your team has the potential to win at the highest level. But talent alone is never enough.
> > > 2. UNSELFISHNESS Are you willing to accept your individual role for team success? If you are coming off the bench, will you be prepared to enter the game and perform the job you are assigned to do? Can you be a specialist? Defensive player for a special assignment? Are you willing to sacrifice scoring to rebound and play defense? 42
OCTOBER 2024