Developing a Selection Guideline

One of the questions I am often asked when I travel around talking to Sports Coaches is, "What do you feel are the most important things to look for in a player when picking a team?" Well that is not and easy question to answer, because it largely depends on the team you are picking and what that team will be doing. So what I have now done is develop a set of guidelines or pointers that I look for then adjust them according to the team and the level I am selecting.

This is what I look at in general terms-

1. Are the a thinking player, do they have a sports brain if you will can the read the game, can the read the play and how far ahead of the game are they. I believe that this is the most critical requirement for any player if they don't this then the rest doesn't really matter.

2. How do the relate to the potential team-mates, coaches, and even how they relate to others such as there parents etc. Do they show respect, do they listen, do they contribute and above all else will they fit in with the team.

3. Whats there work ethic like, how hard are they prepared to work in order to succeed, are they seeking perfection and pay attention to details or are they lazy and cut corners.

4. What are their basic and key game skills like, w.ill they hold up under pressure or will they crumble

5. Do they have any special skills, can they for example in my sport of hockey drag-flick. These special skills are they valuable will the team need them or not

So as you can see I place a big focus on how a player thinks and also how a player relates to others around them, before I look at their skills, and once I turn to there skills again, I am looking at their basic skills first and foremost before I look at anything else, because I believe that substance in a player is more important than flash, and this is where allot of novice coaches and novice selectors get it wrong, they mistake flash for substance.

At the end of the day this is not a comprehensive list, its designed to be a basis from which you can form a more comprehensive selection criteria to determine a squad depending on the team you are choosing.