Appreciating the INDIVIDUALITY of your players is not disconnected from the goal of building a team. In fact, it helps facilitate the process. It’s easier for the group to come together as a cohesive unit when each player feels like all of their teammates, and they themselves are necessary contributors. One of the main reasons kids play sports is the social aspect. Plan teambuilding activities into your practices or off the field when you can. Friendships formed between players will help to make your team stronger and the overall experience more enjoyable. Teach the kids fundamentals, promote hard work, but also make the season fun.
While you want to provide each child with a positive experience, decisions should be made with the best interest of the entire team in mind. Two responsibilities you are tasked with are assigning positions and playing time. It can be difficult when a boy who has worked hard and done everything you’ve asked is not yet ready to assume his desired role. If you spend a few years volunteering, you’re sure to encounter parental pressure for greater playing time or what is perceived by them to be a more prestigious position. Potential problems can be alleviated if you are able to demonstrate your dedication to the individual, keeping him educated about where he’s at as a player, letting him know what he needs to do in order to improve, and working with him so that he has the opportunity to do so.
A special situation where you need to be especially careful is the treatment of your own child. Assigning a fair role on the team can be more difficult and the failure to do so can have the most damaging effect. I’ve seen teams destabilized by coaches who put their son in a critical position that he was not yet ready to assume. Just as the coach must put the team before any individual player, there may be times when his own pride must take a backseat. Remember, the coach is there for the players and not the other way around. Leadership is servanthood.