Willie M

What Makes a Great Team Great?

You're probably thinking I'm about to launch into a bunch of touchy feely stuff about teamwork and harmony.

You are expecting me to say things like ...

"All truly great teams exemplify high levels of teamwork."

"All truly great teams exhibit a tremendous level of inner harmony."

Of course, there is a lot of truth in this.  But, the fact of the matter is that some teams are very successful despite a lack of emphasis on teamwork and despite the fact that there are some "problem players" who detract more than add to overall team harmony.  We've all played on teams (not necessarily softball) that had that one superstar prima donna who practically tore the team part despite her tremendous athletic ability.  Playing on teams like that is certainly no fun ... but that doesn't necessarily mean the team won't experience success.  Ideally, you experience success with both teamwork and harmony.

I'm going to look at what makes a great team great from a slightly different angle.

Do all truly great teams have superstar players?  No! 

History is replete with world championship teams that seem to have survived and risen to the top with a team of unknowns.  Even the great Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants couldn't overcome the might of the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series.  Can you name a single superstar who played for the Angels?  So how did that team ever become world champions with the lack of any known superstar on their roster?

So, having lots of superstars doesn't necessarily make a super team.  It certainly doesn't hurt to have a few superstars ... but that, in itself, is not always enough.

How 'bout this then:  All truly great teams seem to make great plays.  Not true!

Grand slam home runs are nice.  Diving catches can certainly save the day.  And if your pitcher can throw a no-hitter, that will just about guarantee a victory.  But such outstandingly extreme play is not a critical element of a great team.  Great plays just happen.  You don't plan on them.  They're like bolts of lightning.  You can't predict when they will strike and you can't be sure what will happen as a result.  You can't plan on a bolt of lightning.  We love to watch great plays.  It's fun to make a great play.  And, true, frequently a great play will win a game.  However, on a routine basis, if you are typically relying on somebody to make a great play ... you're probably not playing on a great team.

Did you know that in 1998, when Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals made his historic run on the home run record, that the Cardinals didn't even make the playoffs?  In fact, that season, the Cardinals lost most of the games in which McGwire homered.  McGwire never even batted .300 that season.  He hit more home runs than singles.  His home run hitting, although fun to watch, really did his team very little good.  Also, many will agree that Alex Rodriguez is currently the greatest player in baseball.  A lot of good that did his last place team, the Texas Rangers.

If teamwork doesn't necessarily make a great team.  If team harmony doesn't necessarily make a great team.  If having superstar players doesn't necessarily make a great team.  And if making great plays doesn't make a great team then what does make a great team?

All truly great teams have one thing in common.

They all routinely make the routine play

Boring, huh?  You were hoping that I would have come up with something much more insightful and interesting.  But it's true! 

All truly great teams accomplish all the little things flawlessly.  They never drop easy pop-ups.  They never bobble routine ground balls.  The pitchers mostly throw strikes even though they may not necessarily strike everybody out or throw a no-hitter.  When the batter is instructed to bunt ... she does.  When a runner is instructed to steal ... she steals.  Fielders back each other up.  The players never forget or miss signals.  Their minds don't wander.  For the one-and-half hours that it usually takes to play a softball game, the players focus on all the things they've been taught and practiced.

It's really that simple.  It's surprisingly simple. 

If it's that simple then why are there so few great teams?

I'll let you answer that question by observing the games that we win.  Watch how the other team plays.  Invariably some very fundamental part of their game is lacking.  Their shortstop makes too many mistakes on easy grounders.  Their catcher doesn't catch the ball very well - she drops a lot of critical third strikes.  Their outfielders get confused easily on where to throw the ball.  Their pitcher walks too many batters.  They are not routinely accomplishing all the simple stuff that any competitive softball team should be able to accomplish.

How do we usually beat these teams?  By making great plays?  By hitting screaming shots against the outfield fence?  No.  We just plod along - doing all the things you would expect competitive softball players to do.  When a grounder is hit to one of our infielders, they pick it up and make a good throw to first.  Our outfielders don't let the ball roll between their legs and they always seem to catch easy flyballs.  Our pitchers throw strikes.  Oh - now and then - somebody seems to make a great play.  We all clap.  Mom and dad are proud.  The crowd cheers.  The coach pats a player on the back.  But, in the final analysis, we probably would have won anyway - even without that great play.

A great play may win you one out of ten games.  But solid play will win nine out of ten games.

Most plays in a softball game are routine in nature.  The teams that routinely make these plays are the truly great teams.

Coach Dave