Last year, This year and the Years to Come

September 2nd, 2019

Leadership

Goals

Purpose

Opportunities

Challenge

Each year is a little bit like the last year and at the same time a little bit new and different. Kids complete their senior year season and move on, new kids join, kids return. Some kids get better, some think they are better than they are, some don’t care enough to work at it, and others are driven to improve. For us the best approach to each off season is a little bit different every year. The direction we choose is always measured to the overall program goals. Those goals address the reason we run this program –

“We want every kid to experience the joy and satisfaction of being part of something bigger than themselves. We want kids to experience the satisfaction that comes from investing in their own personal growth and sacrificing so that others can grow as well. Participating on a true team – one that shares a commitment to a common purpose, brings together the complementary skills of all the participants, works towards shared goals and demands accountability to those commitments – is a life changing experience. Teams are like families – they connect us to others and to a larger purpose.

The Voorhees girls’ basketball program has a unique history. That should be sustained for girls in the years to come. It is tied to the history of our communities as sisters, cousins, neighbors, babysitters, and now even aunts and moms played in the program in years past.

We do it because we love the game of basketball and the opportunities it presents for learning life lessons – committing to work hard for yourself and others, working through frustration and failure, stretching your perceived limits (and finding out you can do more than you think you can do) and learning to trust – people and processes. We do it because others did it for us and gave each of us a gift that cannot be easily repaid. We want to give back because they gave to us.”

We’ve had some good years, including last year’s 20 win season. In fact the girls have recorded twenty or more wins in four of the past five seasons. But for the school program to become a successful and elite “program” again there needs to be a consistent flow of talented players ready to come in and contribute at a high level, year after year. Much like a business the goals need to address the short term and the future. So the question we try to answer is “How do we move in the direction of our goals with this current group of players?”

This year is predictably different than last year. Going into the 2018 - 2019 offseason we knew there would be plenty of depth with 7 returning seniors, 4 juniors with varsity experience and some talented sophomores ready to contribute. The challenges were focused on technical skill execution (playing to the level of their ability), navigating team chemistry issues (drama reduction, playing for the team vs. playing for the self) and both individual and team confidence (learning how to win the close games). That team came through on a lot of levels. This off season the challenges are multi-layered. There are 5 returning players with varsity experience. That’s it.

That doesn’t mean there are no other players with potential. In fact there are several – possibly many. Where depth was not an issue last year it is an issue this year. Looking ahead it will remain an issue the following year. In our current status we will have only 1 returning player with varsity experience as we begin the 2020 off season. For us this is more of an opportunity than a problem. There will be 5 to 7 positions available to the players who, through commitment to improvement, show that they can contribute at the varsity level. With underclassman rounding out the varsity roster, opportunities open up on the JV roster. The opportunities trickle down to the freshman. With some freshman playing JV other freshman may get more playing time on the freshman team.

If past history is an indicator, the pecking order will shuffle over the next year or two. Some players grow, some get stronger, some worker harder, some quit, some choose to focus on another sport. Some experience a little success and invest more than they did prior. One player’s misfortune is another player’s opportunity when an injury occurs. All of these factors contribute to a fluid hierarchy. So, for those of you who think positions are set and you don’t have a chance to secure a roster spot or earn more playing time – don’t give up. Those assumptions may prove false. And for those of you who think you have a spot locked up – be careful. If you are not working on improving someone else is. It will be interesting to see who is OK with the current hierarchy and who will challenge it with their play.

This year is different in other ways as well. Each spring we bring the 8^th graders over to work with the high school players (there next season will be at the high school level). Last year there were 5 8^th graders. This year 15 of the 24 high school players were 8^th graders – now freshman (one was a 7^th grader who helped out with the summer and fall league games when injuries cut down our roster).

Although the potential is evident, the skill level is varied. It’s a different dynamic than in years past. With the high school players in the past we were typically breaking our time down to new skill development (20%), acquired skill maintenance (30%) and skill application (50%). This year it’s skill development (70%), application (30%). Creating the right level of competition is challenging. These are good problems to have if you are looking towards the future.

There is a lot of potential talent coming up through this year’s 7^th and 8^th grade class. Time will tell for the 6^th graders who are just developing their skills and need game experience. The future looks promising. If these young players continue to develop and improve the high school teams will be very competitive for the next 4 or 5 years. To close the gap between potential and reality players need to compete and learn, often by failing. In time the competition will build player confidence. Confident players often experience success. Success motivates players to seek higher levels of competition – and the learning continues. It can become a virtuous cycle. When it does the gap begins to close and the player moves closer to their potential. It’s not a given, it involves a choice. The choice is about investing. taking the risk of struggling or failing, and reinvesting again. There’s no time to waste. If you think the summer, the past 2 ½ months, flew by, consider this – it’s about 2 ½ months until your tryouts. If you are serious about wanting to be an impact player it’s time to get serious about the effort you put in.

Bob Peterman