Stan the Star - ss

Let me introduce you to Stan the Star because he's used to having a significant position and batting in the fourth spot. He is the best player on your team and if you don't believe it, just ask him. All of his former coaches have treated him in the manner that he expected to be treated -- catering to his every wish, praising him at every opportunity. After all, Stan is the kind of player who could make you a winning coach and take your team to the state finals.

Somewhere along the way, Stan was convinced that he was indispensable. Without him, the team didn't have a chance to win. Everybody told him that in one way or another. He has agreed to the deal and he has learned how to use the power that comes along with it. He can have things be the way he would like them to be. It's easy (in the short term) to deal with him. Just give him everything he wants; let him bat clean-up, let him pitch all of the important games, let him come late to practice, etc. In the long run, however, you'll have a real problem on your hands.

A Situation:

You have told everyone to take three laps around the practice field to loosen up for drills. You look over at the dugout and there's Stan checking out the bats. “Hey, Stan, get going around the field.”

“Oh, Coach, come on. You know that I don't need to run those laps -- I'm ready to do some hitting.”

“Everybody takes those laps. Get going.”

Stan starts out in a slow jog and you know he's going to take two laps, or maybe only one if he can get away with it.

Stan comes in with the last group of kids who have taken three laps: he has taken two. It's confrontation time. “Stan, you ran two laps. Get out there and take the other lap.”

“I ran three laps, Coach. You can ask those guys. I ran with them.”

How are you feeling about this?

“I'm tired of him getting things his way all the time. He thinks he can do anything he wants, but that's not how our team is going to be run.”

What you'd like to do:

Take him down a few notches. Show him who's boss. “Get out and run that lap or you can go home.”

Let's see what happens:

“Just get going!” Stan gives you a dirty look and starts out very slowly and all eyes including yours follow his snail's progress around the field.

So where are we?

Stan took center stage again. You had to conduct a power struggle in front of the whole team; you've lost practice time; the good feelings about practice have been replaced by negative feelings, and last, and most important, you have given Stan another lesson that the person with the most power wins. You had more power than he did -- this time -- and you 'won' and he 'lost.' Stan thinks, “Maybe next time...”

Try this instead:

Set up your next drill or practice session and don't give Stan a place. Whenever he tries to get into line, say, “Hold it, Stan, I don't want you to be in this drill.” Ignore him as you give directions to the other players.

Sooner or later, Stan will beat your side. “When is it my turn to be in the rundown, Coach?” (calmly) “Maybe later, Stan. The only guys I'm working with now are the ones who have run all of their laps. You can take that lap now or agree to do it at the end of this practice session.”

He may get the idea and start on his third lap or agree to do it later and you have made your point in this situation and have set the tone for future encounters.

Going all the way:

“Coach, I'm not going to take another lap.” “That's your right. You can either take that lap the way we talked about it or you can sit out the rest of the practice. And, if you don't practice, you don't play the next game. Now, make up your mind so I can get back to working with the rest of the team.”

This is a lot different than saying, “You haven't run that lap, so get off the field.” By doing this, you are forcing him to make the decision -- he can choose to run the lap or he can choose to sit it out.

Stan's Goal: Power