Do I have the right players in my team? Perhaps, this is one of the toughest questions, if you are a coach who is looking to recruit new players for the upcoming season. Choosing the right players is the initial step to being a strong and successful team.
The quickest way to get started is to make use of available scouting databases to break down the ability of a particular player without any other restrictions. You can sort the results by various parameters, like playing position or by individual stats. In whatever sport you are in, a significant amount of time is used just to find the right players for a new team. In Basketball for example, the process includes the position or role the player has to take for the team. The evaluation can be based on the physical form, knowledge and skills of the sport, as well as attitude.
Formulate your recruiting plan
This should include details on how to carry out recruiting process in a systematic and efficient way. Utilize your coaching staff to serve as the recruitment team, or add a scholarship organizer. This is one way to motivate players to take basketball tryouts. In order to make your plan as systematic as you wish, you can make use of computers where you can organize things. Computers can greatly assist you in making a vast spread of your recruiting program. You might be surprised on the number of responses you will get by using computers alone. It makes the whole process quicker than manual process.
Create a Recruitment Board
Set up the qualities of the players that you are looking for. Indicate the position, or any other information you want to include. You can create a list of your own, and keep it in a computer spreadsheet for easy access. You can include different categories to easily analyze and locate the players you are searching. The categories might be the following:
• Basketball position
• Ability
• height
• weight
• Basketball stats
• Interest and level of experience
You can make use of as many categories as you want to break down the information of each player. Just make sure that you are going to include categories that you are looking for in a player.
Consider having a weekly recruitment
Every end of the season, coaches make use of this opportunity to scout for new players from schools, collegiate levels in universities, and amateur leagues to have their sneak out for potential players. Once your team is ready, you can start recruiting for new players. List down all the players first before you even start eliminating. When you have completed the list, you can then drop those players you think are not qualified enough to play in the level of your team or league.
You must be very specific in getting your list together. Know the exact number of players you want to recruit so that you can limit it down to the number of players you require. In this way, you will get the process straight and direct.
Take the time to scrutinize the aspiring players. Take as much relevant information as you can that relates to basketball. For example, you can ask a player about his priority in life. Will it be around academics and playing the sport? What else? Ask about how your players will feel when they are playing in front of a large crowd. You can better understand the preferences of your players by asking the right questions.
In addition, when you discover what their priorities are, you can shift on things to what he likes, and start assessing further. If you show enough that you care, this is can be a major key that will help you to draw a player’s attention to your basketball program.
Show your prospects what you can offer
You are, definitely, allowed to show the benefits of your program. Offer benefits like one-on-one coaching, playing time, allowances, or any other things you can think of. The thing here is that you should keep your word on what you promise to your players, otherwise you will lose credibility. The worst part is that you might lose your career as well. Do not make promises that you can’t fulfill. Ensure that what you offer is attainable during the course of the entire contract.
Offer Scholarships
Scholarships are one of the most common benefits coaches offer to aspiring players. As long as you follow the mandates of the school regarding this matter, scholarships are very effective in drawing players to play for your team, because they get to go to school for free while playing the sport they love. The thing that you should consider also is to maintain a passing grade for your players. At times, this depends on the rules of the school. Don’t waste your time in players who do not study hard enough to maintain good grades. They only reflect tardiness which cannot be useful on the court.
According to Mind tools, “coaches need to select the right people for the right jobs, and assign them tasks that fit with their skills and proficiencies. This provides structure. To field a match-winning team, first you need to understand the game that has to be played and the skills and abilities required to play it.”
When you finally get your desired player (or players), start mentoring them and help them develop to be good players. Sometimes you have a lot of catching up to do. Spend more time with them, and teach them whatever they need to know. Get your new players into the system as quick as possible, before the season starts. Picking up the right players for your time matters a lot, and it plays a significant part of your task as a coach.
Picture credit: resedabear • Creative Commons Attribution
