Troubling Times for High School Student-Athletes Require “Competitive Maturity”

Leadership Does Have Its Trappings

Through Facebook this week we heard from a client-prospect who was disgusted with how her senior year is developing.  Writing that her teammates are constantly complaining about the coach and the way their practices are being run.   She said that she had dreams and expectations that her final high school season would be fun, focused and productive. But, with some on the team taking a negative attitude, the year is quickly spiraling downward before it has had a chance to really get started.   Here’s an athlete whose hard work and dedication have pointed toward having a great, satisfying senior year, but with all the turmoil surrounding the team, she now faces a rough three months ahead of her.

Reading her words, her pain was evident.  In response, I pointed out to her that they are wasting valuable time and energy which could otherwise be spent on improving and preparing for the upcoming basketball season.  Further, that’s when her own character and leadership can make a genuine difference for the team. Her willingness and desire to turn the situation around is her opportunity to lead, confront the culprits head on and change their course.

In ten years of scouting for National Scouting Report, that is, being on the ground observing and evaluating prospects, I’ve watched this happen and to say the least it’s sad to see.  No athlete escapes troubling times whether it comes in the form of a headstrong or difficult coach or disgruntled teammates.  After all, athletics reflect life and all the ups and downs which are offshoots from living and engaging with others on such intimate terms day after day.

College coaches know that prospects face tough situations.  They realize that no athlete arrives at their doorstep untouched by controversy.  They also know that the athletes which have the intestinal fortitude to rise above it or to put a team on their back and push through it are the ones they can count on at the next level.  Let’s call it competitive maturity.  And when an athlete has summoned the courage to push themselves and their team past the unavoidable messy parts of team dynamics and thus developed a higher degree of responsibility than the normal athlete by tapping into and demonstrating their leadership potential, that is the moment when a mature student-athlete and competitor emerges.

In counseling this athlete, I offered that she has several options, if she wants to see change happen.  She can refuse to be a party to the complaining by walking away from those conversations thus not so subtly showing that she will not get caught up in the ruckus.  She can speak out and point out that as a team they should come together to make the most of the situation, regardless of the outside influences.  She could work harder than anyone on the team, treat the coach with respect and try her best to lead by example.  She could speak directly to the athlete or athletes that are spearheading the unrest, expressing her disappintment and explaining that she expects more from them.  She could call a team meeting and encourage everyone to speak their minds and in the end be done with it.  She could encourage the malcontents to go straight to the coach to complain.  Or, she could speak to the coach about the problems.

In any case, something needs to be done and a leader makes things happen.  A true leader cannot stand by and watch the team disintegrate.  Leadership has its trappings and this is one of them, but it is far better to act than it is to give passive approval by not acting at all.