Own Your Role, Whatever It Is

‪The players on an athletic team do not all perform the same tasks, but they all have the same goal. If they want to win on the scoreboard, then all players and coaches must own their roles within a successful team.‬ #DailyMight

One of the most valuable lessons a youth athlete can pull out of their youth sports experience is how to be a great teammate. Specifically, an athlete’s role on a team and how when they perform their role well – it correlates to the overall success of the team. But, in order to own a role, athletes and coaches must know what the role is and how to succeed while doing it. That’s where all members of the team, from coaches to parents, can own their role.

We have to keep in mind a common thread to role assignment. No matter the role, we all have the same goal in team sports – to be successful as a team. There are personal goals like skill growth, acquiring knowledge, and satisfaction – and it influences team success to a degree. However, it’s when each of the personal goals align to the team goals where most success happens in team sports. When each member of the team has a role they can own and contribute with, the collective strength and skillset of the team increases.

A Player’s Role

A player’s first and most important role is to be coachable. Be curious, open for teachings, and desire to learn. Try new things, get out of your comfort zone, and let the instructor help guide you for growth. And then, when a role is assigned, do whatever is necessary to excel at that role. Prove that your role should be expanded by first mastering what has already been assigned. Build the trust of decision makers (ahem, coaches) to show you’re capable of a bigger role. And welcome those roles too with the same tenacity to learn and grow.

A Coach’s Role

The coach’s role is to be knowledgeable in the sport they are teaching. Then, assign team member roles (which are defined) as fair and equitable as possible. Coaches are to be transparent and act with autonomy in how roles are decided, and plans are to be put in place to get other players equipped to be assigned expanded roles too. Coaches should have a written indicator of expectations of roles for athletes (within reason), and other coaches and support staff of the team. It is a coach’s role to hold others accountable, just as they would themselves, and their athletes.

The Role Assignment

Role assignments from the start of the season to the end of the season might be fluid. It’s OK, based on the needs of the team, for coaches to change the game plan with players help. Just because a role is identified and assigned early in the season, does not mean that role needs to exist throughout the season – or that the same person is in charge of that role once assigned for the remainder of the season. Always leave room for growth in role assignments.

Athletes and parents need to make sure they are following the right coaches and leaders because they won’t go any further than the coaches do. Coaches need to be fair, equitable, and transparent in their role assignment duties. Because although a player and coach have different roles, the goal is the same. Success.

Give everything your everything. And then some.