Coaches from many different sports around the Hampton Roads area discussed with SpotLight High what it means to be a great player with student athletes. The consensus was that all great players have great effort and perseverance. What I’ve observed is that a lot of coaches enjoy the process of building a great athlete. A student athlete must want to be the best, and have a “I’m going to do whatever it takes” attitude. They must be willing to work hard and ask questions. Coaches love to see the potential of a great player in a young athlete willing to work hard. It is essential that they learn from not only their successes, but also their failures. Coaches believe that this is the start of being a great player. Coaches also believe that the difference between a great player and an average player is that average players don’t work as hard but they want the same results as a hardworking, dedicated player. Anything one wants in life, one must work hard. A great athlete continues to work hard and appreciates learning all that they can in order to make themselves prepared for games or any situation they may have.
Hampton roads coaches continue to teach excellence and everything in between. I’ve observed that if an athlete has the passion to be a great player, they will complete academics to the best of their abilities. Academics play a huge role in success because one must be a great student & have outstanding performance in the class as well as on the field. Great player must also take care of their teammates, because a team can’t be a successful team unless they come together to play as one. A great team is often composed of great athletes, because great players make great teams. By Amanda Howard
