As coaches, we are all faced with situations where we might have a very skilled player that is an underclassmen or just a player that you tend to favor. And if you don’t handle the situation properly, resentment can arise from other players on the team. This can kill team camaraderie.
In an article from ESPN, Bill Self explains how he has handled elite underclassmen point guards. This could be applied to any elite underclassmen and your best player.
“I’d say flat-out, ‘I’m going to ride your butt today because I want them to see how you react,'” Self said. “And I’d tell him, ‘If you don’t do a good job, I’m going to run the whole frigging team. And if you let them know we had this conversation, I’ll run you twice.'”
Seems like there are better ways to build team unity than this. It’s appears petulant and poorly conceived. Can you explain the science behind this action?
Now, I would never advise this for a youth team, but my take is that it helps with a respect level from the team. They see that you’re not afraid to get on the best player like you see with some teams. Sometimes, the best player will make a mistake and the coach ignores it. While somebody who isn’t the star will make the same mistake and the coach will let them know about it.
An example would be the stories reported about Mike Brown and Lebron James when they were with the Cavs. This naturally created friction between teammates and the coaching staff.
Also, I would agree that there are certainly are better ways to build team unity. This is just a tool in the toolbox for certain situations.