Quote: Wow...this thread's been busy! What you guys have been saying is spot-on with my observations; it really should be about the players' goals and whether they are having a good experience with what they are doing. Players who are happy with where they are and who they are with have a greater chance of achieving "success," however you want to define it. Wins do not necessarily translate into player development; some of the greatest strides in individual ability I've seen over the last few years have been with players on teams who started out struggling and learned HOW to win with the players they have.
I had the pleasure this year of coaching a "reunited" team--girls who had played together at younger ages, but had been split off into different teams for different reasons. They came back together their senior year for one last season together, and the results were pretty impressive; attitude, morale, and effort were improved, the girls actually had FUN playing together, and their performance (state finalists) was the best yet. I still maintain that many players--girls especially--are at their best when they enjoy what they do, not just when they're pushed from spot to spot simply trying to find the most wins.
