The summer season focus

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011

It is generally conceded that summer is a time for skill refinement, while the real important team season is the winter one, so have the courage to treat it that way.

With the onset of the summer season, new teams are formed, and age groupings change. There is a lot of upheaval as players adjust to new roles and often find themselves up against bigger, stronger players in a higher age group.
For many players, that means playing down a division or two. Unfortunately, this can discourage many players unnecessarily. There are two schools of thought on the higher/lower division argument. One is the prestige of the higher division, and the opportunity to play against better opposition. The other is the greater opportunities afforded in lower divisions in terms of playing time and confidence.
I've seen both ways pay off, and the unhelpful answer is 'everybody's different'. I personally favour the lower division option, provided the coaching isn't significantly worse (this of course is assuming higher-division coaches are always better, which isn't necessarily the case). The factors to consider include:
1. playing opportunities (are there any other players in their position likely to take court time off them)
2. team competitiveness (no-one wants to get belted every week)
3. coaching focus - is the coaching focused on skills (good) or strategy (bad) (I'll explain this reasoning another time)

The bottom line is, summer is a time to work on your individual game. Look for the best in every opportunity and grab it with both hands. In the end, it will always depend on YOU, and not the people around you, to improve your skills.