Leadership by Kaylee Miller

Team culture involves the behaviors expected of each other, the level of work ethic desired, attitude toward each other and the coaches, and having a shared vision of goals. A positive team culture does not just happen, it is built. Coaches can try to build a championship culture, but the most successful teams have players who are effective leaders, who build the culture. Kaylee Miller is one of those leaders who has the ability to change the direction and culture of a team. She shares her beliefs about how to be an effective leader, and what she has to say is outstanding advice for all of us. 

What Makes A Great Teammate?

Camellia is a very good teammate- she gets it as far as supporting her team and her teammates. But I thought it would be better for an actual teammate to write about Camellia as a teammate.

The following was written by Kaylee Miller:

Camellia is such a good teammate because she is the definition of a good friend. I’ve always thought a good friend is someone who is kind, caring, and supportive of your successes. Camellia is just that; she is the person who would jump up and down for any small success you may have! She is a diligent worker in every aspect of her life, and that includes basketball. 

Out of every teammate I’ve ever had, she is the most diligent person when it comes to watching film and being “game prepared.” She was always the person to have the film up before games or know exactly what the other teams plays were.

She is a great teammate because she leads by example. Even if Coach Massey or Coach Barshinger were not talking to her specifically, she would listen intently to improve her game as well. 

Leadership by Chelsea Stevenson

Leaders come in all different forms. There are so many ways to express leadership, whether it is by a verbal actions or simply doing things the team can and should follow.

Showing leadership can mean cheering your team on during practice when a play goes wrong, cheering for them while doing the ladder, or simply saying “good shot” when someone shoots. Simple actions like that gets everyone moving and being verbal together.

Not every team has that one person to get everyone motivated to speak, but there are always players who show leadership by their actions. Getting dressed for practice and coming out to shoot makes everyone else want to hurry and get out there too. It makes the team ready to get things going and let’s the coaches know the team is serious! Or having a player simply listen to the coaches corrections and fixing the mistakes they pointed out helps everyone. Always be supportive of your team, even the younger players. Everybody makes mistakes and it is always good to be a positive role model.

It is better to have good leadership in some form at practice than it is to have no connection and feel like the practice is dragging on with no energy. Plus, that could involve having to run for a “not so focused” practice.

And while the players are stuck in quarantine there are ways to still be a leader. Grab and ball and just practice shooting up to yourself, or going outside and shooting for 45 minutes a day. A little time each day can go a long way. Motivating friends to get outside is leadership. Posting a picture of yourself on snapchat showing you’re outside shooting is leadership because it may make other players want to go out as well.

It is so much better being a leader and not a follower. Do what is expected and it will make the coaches and other players much happier. And it will lead to a fun season!