It’s all about Grassroots Coaching / Level 4 - Teams & Bleachers

We continue our review of each of the levels in The Taxonomy of Competition week.  Level 4 will be a familiar environment for many of you, and; we’ve chosen to include an excerpt from our book - Grassroots Coaching. Using Sports Psychology and Coaching Principles Effectively.

Status of Individual: The Person – The Player

Structure of Games/Sports Activities Format: Organized Games and Structures

Entity Involved: Your TEAM and an organizing group

Relationship with teammates and opponents: Playing with and for your teammates and against your opponents

People Involved: Family, Coaches, Officials, and Friends

Competition Status: Competition is present – Winning and Losing gains significance

External Recognition: Trophies, Medals, Connection, and Significance

Parental Role: Investor of time and resources, Supporter, and Spectator

Application of appropriate skills and strategies.  Acquisition of skill and strategy accompanies ‘need’ to apply. 

Complexity of competition begins at Level 4. Games and youth sports move out of the Park and into the Bleachers. Teams that represent entities are formed - The Westside School Bearcats. The Jackson Jaguars. The name on the front of the jersey appears and begins to matter. 

Organizational complexity begins to increase. Games and tournaments are scheduled at venues that may have scoreboards and lights. Participants may be announced publicly and recognized as members of both the Team and the organizing entity. This recognition is significant. This permits ‘us against them’ competition to begin. Our team of players is competing against your team of  players. The outcome of our game or contest gains importance. 

There are Winners and Losers. The team is called a “Winner” or a “Loser” according to its performance. When the Bearcats lose; the player is a “Loser”. When the Bearcats win, the player is a “Winner”. A Player may lose some of her own individual identity and be simply on a team that represents the entity – as in; “Did the Jackson Jaguars win yesterday?” - With no inquiry about her or her role on the team. 

More organized and adult set-ups/versions of games tend to bring tournaments and trophies. External recognition and reward for performance and winning. Teams and players receive trophies and medals. At Level 4, these external rewards tend to be more important to adult’s social media than to the Players’ self-esteem. 

Though the Team tends to be the focus, individual’s growth and development matters at Level 4. The acquisition and application of skills and strategies is important. The Person is moving from being a Participant to becoming a Player.

As a Player there is an increased focus on learning new skills and expanding existing skills. Players begin to have a responsibility to improve. Along with this acquisition of skill and strategy there is a ‘new need’ for their appropriate application. Appropriate application of skills and strategies help to create successful outcomes. Stated more simply - skill and strategy applied correctly help Teams win. 

A Coach’s role truly expands at Level 4. Expanding skills and strategies calls for guidance, feedback, and instruction. Coaches are now more involved in the process. No one wants to be ‘coached-up’ at Musical Chairs or Sharks and Minnows. Players competing on their Team in Level 4 want and need to be coached. 

Becoming a Player means acquiring or having the required skill for a particular level of play and learning how to navigate the expanded competitive environment that Level 4 offers. Teams – Winning - Losing - Expanded coaching - More external noise and pressure. These elements demand the majority of the individual’s attention. 

Key developmental factors take on additional importance. A player’s Readiness and Development status matters. Emotionally a player needs to be able to cope with the ‘pressures’ that winning and losing brings. Social maturity and cognitive maturity are manifested in Sportsmanship. Learning how to compete fairly within the rules and being a good sport - winning and losing graciously. A player needs to be physically mature and coordinated enough to healthily and safely compete. A player needs to be able to learn and adapt to the competitive demands. 

Parents’ role at Level 4 continues to evolve. Parents are still spectators – though sometimes they may try to help the coach make decisions relative to their own children. Families are an important support system to aid players on their journey. Support for their child is a priority. This will include navigating obstacles that their child will face. Their guidance and support should not undermine or interfere with the coach. 

As the competitive demands rise in Level 4 for the players it is likely more of the player’s time may be committed to the playing and practice requirements. This may involve travel and greater resource commitment from parents and families. Camp experiences are often required to improve the skills of the player and establish commitment to the team. 

Teams at Level 4 may be talent-based. Some players may not be qualified to participate. In some cases, players or their parents have decided to terminate their involvement in sports. The stakes are too high or their interests are taking them in other directions. 

Level 4 can go on for quite some time with many different sublevels or iterations. Youth Sports to Junior High. Junior High to High School. Elite Youth Sports. Intramurals. Level 4 is likely to be the pinnacle for most people. Remember, sometimes you are the Winner and sometimes you are the Loser. That’s the Nature of the Game. 

As winning and losing gains importance we need to avoid placing labels on people. Love our players for who they are not for what they do. They are always The Person regardless of the results of any game.