Being a Good Teammate

Since basketball is a team sport the success of a team depends quite profoundly on the ability of the teammates to connect with one another.  Everyone has had teammates on their team that they just love to be around.  They make you feel great and really help the team to be much more cohesive.  Generally speaking, cohesiveness helps to increase the success of a team. It is an “X Factor” that can help to gauge how well the season will go as well as the longevity of the team.  

On the other hand their can also be teammates who can be very divisive and damaging to the group.  After being involved in teams as a player and coach I can see the importance of developing these types of positive relationships.  It can be such an effective way to maximize the ability of each individual because when good teammates do more their is a multiplier effect within the team.  It often causes a chain reaction of reciprocation.  

There are some simple things that can be done to solidify being a good teammate:

1. Be Positive - 

There is a reason this one is number one and that is because it is the most important one.  When things aren’t going the way you want them to in a game or practice the fastest way to turn them around as a teammate is to remain positive and encourage.  I remember reading an article once about giving 3 positive statements for each criticism.  This way when the criticism is made it is like making a withdrawal against some deposits that have already been put in the relationship’s bank account.  If you start making withdrawals first it can be tough to build a relationship.  

It is just like that old saying goes you catch a lot more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. 

2. Be Happy - 

One of the most important things to remember is that when your teammate is successful you are too.  This is how it works in team sports.  Celebrating the success of your teammates in a game or in practice is one of the most solidifying things a team can go through.  When a teammate makes a great pass and thanks the passer the team gets stronger.  When a teammate makes an incredible shot and gets dog pilled by the team the bonds solidify.  When a player gets a great steal and teammates chase him down the court to make the sure the shot goes in the team becomes a unit.  It is all of these little things that make a team great.  

If a teammate does well you should never feel like they are taking away from you. Each player is the reason that success was able to present itself. Players who are being singled out should recognize this as well. On a team you never accomplish anything alone.  

3. Hand out Encouragement - 

Possibly one of the most consistent qualities of great teammates is that they are expressive with their encouragement.  They give out high fives and encouragement freely without holding back. When the tides of the game are going against the team they are the ones that help to spark the change by providing the right amount of positivity to help the pendulum to swing in the opposite direction of where it is currently going. Great teammates don’t hold back on encouragement they give it out knowing fully that when they need it they will get it right back.     

4. Sacrifice 

Teammates that sacrifice themselves for the good of the team are great teammates.  Other people recognize this and it becomes contagious.  Soon members of the team are doing all sorts of extra things to reciprocate such as making the extra pass, sitting on the bench so someone else who doesn’t get to play often gets some playing time (this could be during a game when there is a big lead) and then cheer them on when they do something positive.  

5. Remind Don’t Reprimand 

Being a good teammates requires that you understand you are not the coach.  If you want excellence from your teammates then remind them don’t reprimand them.  There is a fine line here because one helps to create bonds while the other one creates walls.  Reprimanding when you are a teammate is risky.  There is resistance that is formed when you try to tell someone else what to do in a nasty way.  If you tell them in a way that makes them feel like you are reminding not reprimanding it makes a big difference.  Remember body language matters too so make sure your words and non-verbal communication are coinciding. When you remind with the proper tone it makes it look like you are trying to make the other person look good. Whereas reprimanding with the wrong tone makes it seem like there is judgement and you are trying to make your teammate look bad. Try to use reminders in a way that you are solidifying what your coach has said without judging or criticizing.    

(I will say this last statement as a bit of a disclaimer for teams as they get older.  Sometimes players who are the leaders of the team can speak up towards there teammates in order to get them to pull together at an opportune time.  During a season it can't always be rainbow and butterflies sometimes things don't go well.  Getting upset is a tactic that is used in order to solidify what the Coach is saying.  It is probably a good idea for players to keep it positive until they are mature enough to handle the fallout that may come from a teammate being upset about being called out.)  

In closing, there is a great John Wooden quote that says “It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”  Great teammates live that quote day in and day out.  When you see a team full of great teammates it is really something special.  The most important thing great teammates do overall is make their teammates feel great about themselves.  They care and show it on a consistent basis.