In any sport, and at any level, there are generally four types of personalities: the star mentality, the hard worker, the average player, and the bench player. These types are by no means names given by clinical psychologists–we’ll get to those in the conclusions–rather they are a generalization and layman’s terms.
The “Hard Worker”
This individual is extremely coachable and will take everything the coach says to heart. S/he is the first to arrive and the last to leave the weight room or practice field. S/he is working diligently in the off-season doing all of the conditioning regiments. These players are a coach’s dream. Often, the hard work pays off and leads to great success. As long as that success does not affect the player’s work ethic, s/he will continue the hard work. Conversely, some of these individuals are never satisfied with their performances. Generally, this player may not be the most confident, but is the most competitive and most coachable.
The “Average Player”
These players can be a dime a dozen. They are (mostly) on time to practice, weight room, and games, and they leave on time. They are generally happy with performing at their best and confident in their abilites. Once in a while, these individuals will step up and have a big game. The rest of the team will congratulate them. These players know their roles, take a coach’s advice, and come to play on a daily basis. This player is fairly confident, competitive, and usually as coachable as the hard worker.
The “Star Mentality”
Every team has a star player or two. And there’s nothing wrong with that. However, there are some who think they are the best and beg to be placed on a team of their choice at the higher levels. Some have the skills to back that up, and some will sit with an undisclosed attitude and often be a burden to the rest of the team. Sometimes, these players are the coach’s nightmare. The player will often be very confident in his/her abilities, and is usually very competitive, but they are not always the most coachable.
The “Bench Player”
These are the players who are quite content on the pine and get in the game for just a moment. In high school sports, these players are much more likely to occur. However, that aside, there are players that always have the burning desire to get better so they can play. At higher levels, the bench player mentality begins to fade away and they get anxious to play. While ability may keep them on the bench, this player can quickly become the hardest worker on the team in a fight for playing time. The high school bench player may not be the most competitive or the most confident. However, these players-at any level-can be coached into gaining confidence and competitiveness.
Diagnostics and Conclusions–How EXACT Can Help
With EXACT, a coach can use the tools they have to their disposal. These tools include personality testing. There are literally hundreds of personality tests available on the Internet at varying costs. EXACT’s Competitive Athlete Psychological Inventory (CAPI) questionnaire .The test measures eleven domains including Confidence, Competitiveness & Coachability. This survey is used by EXACT with clients such as various colleges, MLS, the NHL, and many more. The test can tell the coach precisely the types of players s/he is dealing with.