(This is something I wrote a while back but never posted. I'm not exactly sure what I wanted to be different about it, but I think ill post it now even if it seems incomplete. I have plans to write more about this topic later.)
One of the most important things necessary for a group of individuals to play well together, as a team, is trust in each other. But not the trust you may be thinking of...
I'm not really talking about trusting a teammate to execute "above" their level, I'm talking about trusting him to make the right decision in an particular circumstance. Not that he will have the forehand bomb, but that he will ONLY throw that if it is too the right cut and he is sure of the pass's success. While its great to have someone on D that can run a 4.3 40, its vitally important that I know he will follow the structure of the team D set.
I need to trust in someones intuitions about themselves, their teammates and the current game state.
Flow comes when teammates can predict each other's moves. O has a massive advantage when they know whats coming next based on who has the disc where. Likewise, D has a massive advantage when it knows just as much about the potential actions of a untrustworthy thrower as the offense.
I've been thinking about this Trust idea for a while now, but a recent event precipitated some waves of crystallization in understanding about the whole thing. Last night we were scrimmaging and doing some work on Vstack offense. I was 3 in the stack on a dead disc - my man is committed to poaching the open lane right in front of the throw. I ran to the break side under and just stood there across the field without my defender even following. That thrower, Kyle "Kenobi" Frost, recognized the situation, turned toward me and made the difficult 25 yard cross field backhand break. It what had to happen- my defender played that gambit - and he saw this and worked hard to break the essentially flat mark. The exact instant he did this I had an amazing sensation of satisfaction wash over me. After the point i realized that from that moment on, i trusted him. Not his throws - hes just a sophomore and a little rough around the edges. Not his cutting - he could have a faster first step and better closing speed. But i trust his intuition. He can realize the situation and apply the skill set he actually has to help the team.
Ive haven't been so aware of a-ha! moments with other teammates but maybe thats because I havent started trusting anyone since I started thinking about the concept. I can say this for sure though: when I look to the side line for a O player in a big game, Kenobi is has my nod of approval and that seems more important than any other single personal characteristic.
1 comment:
It takes a lot to trust, I think.
It's essential to let an offense work--getting those dumps and swings off requires trusting the guy you dump to to continue the throw, and similarly trusting the next guy to be smart too. At some points your trust will be tested--do you throw to that rookie? He bonked the last one--and sometimes it will fail, but I think there's a much greater reward to be had in trusting fully and failing than maintaining a deathgrip on your control of the situation and succeeding.
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