Logan Traylor

"She's a great shooter, but..." "He's really athletic, but..." "She's a solid defender, but..." "He's a great teammate, but..." For over 20 years, I've worked at different levels of basketball. Elementary school. Middle school. High school. AAU. Division I. Even the NBA. I've heard some version of those comments hundreds of times. And I'm as guilty as anyone. Sometimes I wonder if we spend so much time focusing on what players AREN'T that we forget to appreciate what they ARE. Not every player is supposed to be great at everything! That's why it's called a team. One player spaces the floor. One player rebounds. One player communicates. One player defends. One player brings energy. One player makes everyone around them better.  The magic happens when those strengths come TOGETHER! Of course we should help players improve their weaknesses. But let's not become so obsessed with fixing what's missing that we overlook what's already special. I've seen talented players lose confidence because people only talked about what they lacked. I've also seen average players become really good players because someone recognized what they brought to the table and helped them build from there. Confidence grows when people know their strengths matter. Read that again. Great teams aren't built when everyone becomes the same. They're built when everyone brings something valuable to the table.