Vitito Ojeda: "A winning tradition begins with all around respect"

Every player often speaks of the admiration of the tradition of winning teams, and the positive atmosphere that creates that tradition. When a team has many triumphs, it creates a momentum and a positive attitude toward the coach and the winning team, at the moment ... everyone wants to be like them.

This tradition is born when a team gets a few seasons of success. It is then that the phenomenon occurs that the coach instead of looking to find star player, those stars come to him.

The reality is that winning this admiration is a process, not acquired quickly, but one that occurs in a gradual development designed by the coach through his philosophy and goals. There are many qualities and requirements that are also needed to be encouraged. Do not forget that there is no bad coach with good players. While there are other players without skills that are not develop by average coaches on supposedly winning teams. What causes this?

As a beginning to this process, the coach on the first day of practice should make clear all of his needs, his coaching philosophy, rules to follow, expectations with the players, know the expectations that the players have of him, his system and the training days, their obligations and all matters relating to competition that they will be playing in.

A coach that has no respect can never get their players to do what is asked of them. Respect must be earned at all times and it’s gained by the addition of three basic attributes:

• ACCURACY: The players never respected someone they cannot trust. Every coach knows their capacity and they should strive to let you know immediately that his work and personal character can be trusted. If you as a coach establish an atmosphere of communication and truth, you are on the right track to build a winning tradition.

• ATTITUDE: There are many players who will not care to acquire knowledge, until they know how important they are to the team. A player that feels he is really important, puts their interests first, listens and respects his coach. The player must receive the message that you care deeply about him as a player and his development as a person. This is the most important.

• ABILLITY TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS: Players cannot respect a coach that is not able make tough decisions necessary for the team’s success. When the coach has this ability, players will feel safe and in return act according to the best interests of the team.

Doing the above, you will win the respect of your players. They know when you care about them. Given that reality, you will be able to develop credibility as a coach, not by how much you know about basketball, but because of your principles and values.

 

About the author:
One of the most significant coaches in basketball both in Puerto Rican and international levels, promoter of a new basketball, and the voice of coaches in America, Mr. Victor "Vitito" Ojeda coached the Puerto Rico National Team in 1978 and has one of the highest percentages of victories in the history of Puerto Rican basketball.