The point of pre-season
We had a pre-season tournament over the weekend. The thing I love about pre-season is the chance to see what everyone on your team can do. During season, you're already concerned with your record so you basically just put the best on the field all the time.
With pre-season I really believe that it's your chance to play different people, see what they can do, give them a chance to show you what their made of in game situations, and also (maybe most important) give your players a chance to see what they can do. More often than not in the past few years I find that, as coaches, we often have more confidence in our players than they do. We believe they can play, we believe they can be the best, but sometimes they don't quite believe. As coaches, it's our job to get them to that point.
It's the first time I've ever seen pre-season as an opportunity for the players to really know what they can do. We're carrying 17 on our roster this year. Obviously everyone isn't going to get to play all the time come season. But there are always situations that arise in which you need to call on those who aren't regular starters. When they get called on, I want them to know that they can get the job done. If they are never, ever given a chance, not even in pre-season, they will probably not have that confidence. Some might, but most won't. So before our second pool play game in this tournament, I did let the girls know that this is as much for them as it is for us. Because even if they don't earn a starting role through all of this, we will need them at one point or another, so I asked them to use this opportunity during pre-season to gain some confidence at this level. We have only 3 returning starters so many of the girls don't have a lot of playing experience at this level. Whatever game time they get before the season starts, I'd like to see them jump into the mix and just "get dirty" - just do their thing and realize that they can hang with everyone else. They wouldn't be on the team otherwise, but sometimes they need to see it to believe it. They need to be thrown into the fire to know they can handle it and we will give them that chance. Hopefully, they make the most of it.
With pre-season I really believe that it's your chance to play different people, see what they can do, give them a chance to show you what their made of in game situations, and also (maybe most important) give your players a chance to see what they can do. More often than not in the past few years I find that, as coaches, we often have more confidence in our players than they do. We believe they can play, we believe they can be the best, but sometimes they don't quite believe. As coaches, it's our job to get them to that point.
It's the first time I've ever seen pre-season as an opportunity for the players to really know what they can do. We're carrying 17 on our roster this year. Obviously everyone isn't going to get to play all the time come season. But there are always situations that arise in which you need to call on those who aren't regular starters. When they get called on, I want them to know that they can get the job done. If they are never, ever given a chance, not even in pre-season, they will probably not have that confidence. Some might, but most won't. So before our second pool play game in this tournament, I did let the girls know that this is as much for them as it is for us. Because even if they don't earn a starting role through all of this, we will need them at one point or another, so I asked them to use this opportunity during pre-season to gain some confidence at this level. We have only 3 returning starters so many of the girls don't have a lot of playing experience at this level. Whatever game time they get before the season starts, I'd like to see them jump into the mix and just "get dirty" - just do their thing and realize that they can hang with everyone else. They wouldn't be on the team otherwise, but sometimes they need to see it to believe it. They need to be thrown into the fire to know they can handle it and we will give them that chance. Hopefully, they make the most of it.
posted by Stacie | 1:47 PM
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