Making the Perfect Team - The Team

Where to begin. I am sure of one thing. As many coaches as there are out there, there is the same amount of different philosophies on how to build The Perfect Team.

The other wildcard is…are you starting with an established team full of veterans etc., or are you building a new team. I think in this case to be realistic we will assume that we are a new coach on an established team. As a new coach comes to a team, they will need to know why the old coach left. Quit, fired, retired are very different reasons, and it is important to know that as a coach coming in. You will want to know the number of players from last year’s team that are returning, and their years of service and skill set. You will also need to know if new players are on the way in, and whether or not that decision has been made yet. All of these items the Gm should be able to help you with.

Now, let’s build the team.

(I am talking lacrosse, hockey, basketball….type of team in these examples, but the philosophies can quickly fit on any team sport)

Here is what I think you need for a perfect team.

1. Two way – player – can play defense, offense and has great “game iq” – great floor awareness, knows how to read all situations (like a coach) – knows there is 8 seconds left on the shot clock…knows that the penalty is over in 18 seconds….knows that when you are leading 7 – 6 with 2 minutes in the game that the next goal is critical (you would be surprised how many players do not know this type of thing) – able to motivate teammates both verbally and by example. Eg. Hockey – Bobby Orr, Steve Yzerman come to mind. In Basketball – Michael Jordan, LeBron James. In Lacrosse – Look no further than my pal Stu Aird…great floor general. He could score a big goal when needed and make the big stop on defence….and has an incredible floor awareness.(in every sport he plays)
2. Defence – What one coach considers important for a defencemen can be different then another. But I think we can all agree, that a tough, stay at home defensive player is critical to a perfect team. We need a player than can stop the other teams big shooters, can instill a little fear into players than want to come through the middle. Eg. Scott Stevens – New Jersey Devils.
3. Rushing Defencemen – A player that can play defence, make some good hits, but when they get the puck, they can make the “great” pass to clear the zone, or rush with it up the floor. Eg….Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey in hockey. My “roomie” John Munroe of Peterborough Laker fame in lacrosse.
4. Defensive Forward - A player who plays offense but is a good back checker and defensive player. This person could be in category 1 (two-way player) – but in my opinion is a little different. They are invaluable to the Making of the Perfect Team. In the NHL they hand out The Frank J. Selke Trophy who is essentially the top defensive forward in the game. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_J._Selke_Trophy
5. Faceoff – Depending on the sport, a great draw person is essential. To win you need possession more than the other team. If there is a goal for either side, you want possession back asap. I know especially in a game like field lacrosse…if you are up by a goal with not much time left, a faceoff win can win you the game. That is big. My favorite faceoff guy. Dave Johnston of the Oakville Senior Masters….he has been doing it for a long time and is very good (I am not saying how long)
6. Shooters – A pure shooter is essential in building the perfect team. You need someone who can simply put the ball in the net or through the hoop etc. when you need it. They have a knack for making it look simple. I have seen great teams, with all the attributes discussed above…but could not go all the way, simply because of a lack of scoring punch. My personal favorite shooters? Hockey – Hands down Mike Bossy – Still holds record for consecutive 50+ seasons (9). Basketball –Reggie Miller and Ray Allen. Lacrosse – There was a transition in creativity in goal scoring that I personally noticed in Lacrosse in the mid nineties…My favorite to watch was John Tavares. John was more than just a shooter….but he was fun to watch on offence.
7. Superstar – Does the perfect team need a superstar? That is a question for debate. It is kind of double edge sword. Some would say if you had all the components listed above a superstar is not necessary. Some would say it would depend on the “type” of superstar. Let me be more specific. Wayne Greztky and Michael Jordan? –Yes and yes. No argument. What about Kobe, Lebron, - some say yes, some say they can upset the apple cart…the team equilibrium. I don’t want to debate it too much, but I think you get what I mean. The thing is I have seen many superstars in action over the years, and game in and game out they can do things are simply amazing…can win games on their own, and that is hard to say no to.
8. Goaltenders – This is not last on my list, it is just a subject that volumes could be written. Goalies are a special group. My brother is a goalie. I have a ton of friends that are goalies and I still say “they are a special group”. I will not say too much more here for fear of retribution. Here are my thoughts though on building a perfect team. I want two solid goaltenders. I want both goalies to “want” to play every game, but are ok if they don’t get the start and also support the other goalie and get along with them. (HA!!!) – I am so funny sometimes. This is My Perfect Team, so I can ask for whatever I want. I have seen this happen, but in small amounts. Back in Owen Sound Lacrosse days the tandem of Jeff Tait and Steve McMillan were fun to watch. Jeff was a stay in the net guy and a good goalie, but if our team was a bit slow moving and needed a boost on offense, Steve would come in…and the dynamic of the game would change right away…long passes to streaking players, and he would pick off loose balls and passes and suddenly we were back in the game. On the other hand, if our team was getting beat, and we were running a bit out of control, Jeff would come in and settle the game down the other way. You need both…and it keeps teams off balance that you play against…two totally different goalie styles. They got along as well. Hard to find that.
9. Role Players – Unsung heroes again. – In my opinion, good role players win championships. Players that have specific roles on the teams, perhaps in some cases don’t play as much as others, but when they do, they play their role to perfection. Some examples of different roles are checkers, penalty killers, “tough” guys, energy guys, get the ball guys, and so on. Some players have a knack of coming off the bench and with one hard shift can lift the whole team. This is not an easy position for a lot of athletes, because naturally if they are good players, they want to play more, but players that have a certain role, and they play that role on every shift, they are invaluable to a team’s success.

Now, of course, once you have all these players, it is the job of the coach to get the chemistry right, and get them to play as a team...play hard, unselfish and with passion. You put all these ingredients together and what do you get? - The Perfect Team.

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