Every team has integral parts that make it successful. From the locker room leaders, to the star, to the role players who are very good at one particular piece, everyone contributes to the success. The coaching however, must be flawless. As a coach you must properly place players in positions, actively rotate players on and off the bench, and also be able to reprimand players when need be if they don’t get in line. A coach must be respected or your players will not act correctly. This means having rules and regulations that must be adhered to with no wiggle room. Over my many years of coaching, I’ve learned many things. I haven’t been perfect, I’ve definitely made mistakes that have cost me a franchise or two, but as long as you learn from these mistakes, you can be a better coach going forward. Keep in mind, I haven’t perfected anything but I can give enough guidance to you the reader to ensure you don’t make the same mistakes I have.
First things first, realize who are most important players on your team are. They will need extra incentives, better contracts, a little bit more attention than the bench players. Second, you need to understand your limits as a coach. I believe 5 is a very solid number of players to invest time with. It is fine to keep those bench players active but don’t treat them special. Just make sure they understand what their role is in the grand scheme. Finally, communication is key. More so how you communicate than how often. The little black book is an expired concept, the world revolves around smart phone technology now, and with that assorted apps to organize your playbook. The worst thing you can possibly do is use the phone’s internal text messaging. Use and app (Whatsapp, Voxer, KIK, Text plus) or any of the other 20,000 different ones out there. The best option however, is the use of a secondary playbook (i.e. burner phone). Cheap, and you won’t miss it when it disappears in an accident, or you have to throw it out the window to avoid discovery.
The Point Guard
Every team needs a star. I like to refer to this using the five positions in basketball, 1-5. One being your point guard and five being your center. This also helps categorize them in level of importance. Your point guard (or number 1) needs to know how she important she is as you can easily use her to free agency. She will be the one that cares for you, thinks about you all day, drops you kisses in the morning, and so on. Most likely she is the potential franchise player that you’ve been looking for, even though you still accept applications and resumes from time to time. Your contact with her should be constant. Never sacrifice time with her to chat or spend time with less important players. Don’t forget the things that are important to her and she will be loyal. However, under no circumstances will you ever let her know about the others.
The Shooting Guard
She is ready to take the number one spot always. One rule to follow always: Number 2 should never know how much you do for Number 1. A reliable number two must be incredibly loyal and dedicated to your science. Choose a number two that has only a few qualities that exceed the number one. Obviously she takes precedence over 3, 4, and 5. The problem with her though is that she will try extra hard because she knows where she stands. Also because number one has no idea that she exists, if number one slacks at all, number two is ready to step up. You have to be careful what you disclose to number 2 because she will take extra care of this knowledge and use it to her advantage. How do you keep number 2 from being over-zealous and attempting to sabotage your current relationship? Time management. Don’t spend more time with her than necessary. Also, never give up time with number one for number two. If she knows this, it’s all over. However, be sure to keep her happy, because you never know when you might need her.
The Small Forward
Just like being the middle child, she is sometimes forgotten. However, she is ready to be a leader at a moment’s notice. You can tell her more than you tell number 2 simply because of her position. You will not be wanting to devote much of your time to her because, it’s important to not make her feel as though she is rising in the ranks. So, how exactly do you handle her? Treat her well enough to always keep her in play. You’ll have to take her someplace every now and again, so make sure she can look presentable in public. Ensure that she is also a woman you wouldn’t mind dating if 2 &3 decide to seek employment elsewhere.
The Power Forward & The Center
I’m not even going to lie about these positions because they rotate like revolving doors. This is because you barely pay attention to them. It’s only right that you give it up to your star players constantly, so no one will fault you for this. However, one of these will end up being the most down out of all the positions. Why? Because they have no one else. They are usually lonely, often single, and usually looking for anyone that will pay them the slightest bit of attention. The biggest problem though, is that they will eventually want more. Because they are always available, you will call them up on late nights when you haven’t been successful at the club, or your point guard is busy with a girl’s night, or you are just plain bored. The biggest plus is that they are easy to please. It doesn’t take an elaborately planned dinner or event to get them in the mood. You don’t have to spend money on lavish gifts. They really are not expecting much but a bit of company and the “ball” from time to time.
CONCLUSION
For the guys out there reading this, know that your playbook is most important. If you are inexperienced, don’t go jumping into managing a full roster right away. Start small with two players and work your way up, be sure that even when you achieve a level of confidence, not to overwhelm yourself. This is the quickest way to lose everything. Also, know the type of players you are dealing with. Sometimes, you have to weed out the volatile types…unless you like that sort of thing. I just can’t deal with it. Balance of communication and front office face time is paramount as well. Most of all, be prepared to deal will the consequences. This is not an easy game to play and it is even harder to play it well. I’m am not advocating the sabotage of a healthy relationship, however if you are going to f*ck up then “f*ck up”. Do not neglect your point guard for your center, it’s just bad business. To the ladies reading this, I have one question…Do you know what your position is?
