When playing on a team we’re often told to that we should be a team player, but what exactly does that mean! They don’t seem to give awards for it at higher levels so we can’t just check the criteria on espn to see if we qualify! Does it mean we always defer to someone else? Should we always pass the ball to another player when they want it? In sports, must we let someone else take the game winning shot? In business must we let someone else deliver the presentation after all the work is done?
The answer to all of those questions is basically “that depends”. But on WHAT does it depend? And now we’re right back to being unsure how a team player should behave!
Being a team player is knowing your role and taking the responsibilities that come with it including applying yourself to fulfilling the duties of that role. When necessary you may find yourself filling the gaps when another team member is unable to carry their load, and you’ll do so enthusiastically without pointing at other team members to blame. That’s pretty much always the case. Carry that with you your whole life and you’ll have teams that want to work with you because they know you’re there to help them get stuff done.
Unexpected Inspiration
But still – how can you know what your coach needs from you to be the team player they need you to be? Check out this quote (video source linked below it) and we’ll discuss how it relates to this topic. It’s about job interviews so don’t get too confused! Trust me, it relates back.
Here’s the text:
Here’s what you should say in a job interview to practically guarantee that you will get a job. In the part of the interview where they ask you if you have any questions for them say some version of this:
“when you look ahead six months to a year from now and I’m in this role doing an excellent job – what do you picture?”
Every single time I’ve asked that question the interviewer is like “wow that’s a great question” because it shows that you’re interested in doing a good job. Also their answer to that question is usually very telling about what they’re actually looking for.
https://youtube.com/shorts/hxHwpRavOfw?feature=sha
One of the things i love about sports is that they are so related to real the world and lessons are often transferable between the two – especially interpersonal communications.
Just like the hiring manager, a coach will really think that’s a great question! If one of my players asked me as an underclassman, either at the beginning of a season or the end of the year, that same question I’d be delighted!
Ask Your Coach What is Needed
As a player you should ask your coach that type of question using basketball language such as “Hey coach. At the end of the season the person who’s playing the position that I want to play (point guard, shooting guard, etc)… what are you envisioning them doing for the team and what about the same at the end of two or three years when they’ve really got it down?”
A lot of times coaches know what they think they want. They have in their mind this vision of their prototypical player at each position for their system of play, and they can describe that player exactly. They rarely do so, but they probably would if they were asked by one of their players in such a way that they know the player is trying to figure out how to become closer to that vision.
As a player it would give you great insight into what the coach wants and expects in general. This is the ultimate in becoming a team player because it lets you know what the coach believes the team needs. It means you don’t have to guess and you don’t have to overstep your role. You just have work each day to become closer to the player the coach describes for the role you want. As a bonus, if you employ a little psychological trick and phrase the question it in terms of yourself you can automatically get them picturing you advancing to that degree.
At a Minimum Know These Concepts
You can increase your chances of becoming that player by being sure you’re reviewing the answer to that question regularly and planning ways to close the gaps between your current self and the coaches ideal. A great way to make sure you’re improving is learning and putting into your game the concepts good basketball players should know – many of which will make you a better team player.
Follow Through and Follow Up
Be sure to ask the coach occasionally what steps they suggest for you to take to move closer to that vision that they have. They’ll appreciate you interest and if you work to close the gaps, they’ll know you are making the sacrifices it takes to become a team player – the one your team actually needs.
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