Mission Statement
The Hanover Heat basketball developmental program is offered to girls between the ages of 8 to 17 who attend or plan to attend Hanover High School. The program’s goals are to develop fundamental skills, to teach the game of basketball and to provide a competitive basketball experience.
Program Goals and Commitments
We believe basketball is the ultimate team sport. Therefore all goals, decisions, actions, and thoughts about the sport must be viewed through the lens of the team’s best interest. This will lead, in many cases, to the delay or denial of individual gratification. We succeed or fail as a team. We define success as giving one’s best effort, both in practice and in games, on behalf of the team. Success is defined by what we can control. Wins and losses, playing time, and statistics are byproducts of our combined efforts. Working toward a group goal in a group setting is rewarding only if the athlete understands that the team’s interest is our primary focus.
To achieve the greatest degree of success, we will expect
a. From each player: Value each teammate for her own sake and in a way that recognizes her uniqueness. We are always inclusive, never exclusive. Treat each teammate, and each opponent, with respect, honesty, clarity and care. Develop your own skills, attitudes and knowledge in full appreciation of the needs of the team, melding and building on each other’s talents to become the best team that we can be. Commit to matching your coaches’ instruction with your best efforts to improve individually, and as a team. We are here to enjoy the sport and to support each other. Commit to the highest level of sportsmanship.
b. From each parent: Value the participation of your daughter in a sport that promotes the melding of talents in the interest of team success. Expect your daughter to treat each of her teammates with respect, honesty, clarity and care, and we will help her by acting this way ourselves. Knowing that individual gratification is not the point of this sport, you should support your daughter by focusing on her contributions to the team rather than on comparing individual outcomes (often focused on by media and others outside the team) such as specific minutes of playing time, individual statistics, etc. Help develop in your daughter an appreciation of the full needs of the team and in so doing, help the team be the best that it can be. Understand that both physical talent and individual commitment to skill development, both during the season, but especially during the off season, play a role in her ability to contribute to the team’s success. Encourage your daughter to control those things she can and accept, in the interest of the team, those things she cannot. Encourage your daughter to resolve any conflicts that may arise by speaking with the coaches. Support the team by participating in program activities to the best of your ability. Enjoy each moment of the basketball season for its own sake; remembering it’s all part of a learning process. Make sure, your daughter always knows that, win or lose, successful or not, that we admire her efforts to be the best that she can be.
c. From the coaches: We value each individual athlete for her own sake and in a way that recognizes her uniqueness. We treat each athlete with respect, honesty, clarity and care. We strive to develop, in each individual athlete, an appreciation of the full needs of the team and in doing so become the best team that we can be. We commit to matching each athlete’s attempts to improve with our best efforts to help her make progress. We will enjoy each moment of the basketball season for its own sake, balancing hard work with fun and remembering it’s all part of a learning process.
Common Goals for Players in the Program
Have FUN
Develop physical, emotional, social and mental skills
Develop respect for authority, teammates, opponents and oneself
Develop pride in oneself and your teammates
Develop leadership qualities
Learn to work as a team member towards attainment of common goals
Develop team responsibility and dedication
Develop skills necessary to play the game of basketball
Take joy in the accomplishments of your teammates.
Each player should seek the help of the coaches in the program, ask for substantive feedback and then make a genuine effort to improve in those areas of need.
Attitude
A player’s attitude is the most important aspect of the game. What is your attitude? It’s easy to have a good attitude when things are going well. However, what is your attitude when things aren’t going well - when you make a bad pass, miss a layup or commit a foul? Remember, YOU decide what your attitude will be!
Basketball is a game of mistakes. While you are always trying to minimize the number of mistakes that you make, inevitably you will make one. But, after the mistake, you need to forget about it and “play the next play”. Never let one mistake lead to another!
What is your vision of the ideal player and the ideal attitude? What is your vision of you? Come up with a vision that you can be proud of and work to achieve it. Measure your success against that vision and you will represent yourself, your team, and your community well every time you play.