How long do I HAVE to be here? (Not exactly the message you are looking for.)
We always considered player evaluations to be extremely important part of helping our players evaluate where there game was at and where we felt it needed to go. We used several different forms and tried to meet one on one with each player shortly after the end of the season. We included their past season's 3 pt. percentage, 2 pt. percentage, free throw percentage, rebounding numbers, and turnovers. We tried to be very honest when we
did the evaluations. We also included in the written evaluation where we projected the player in the coming season. We gave the player a copy of the evaluation and kept a copy for our files. In some situations, we even sent a copy home to parents. If you do this, don't be surprised if your evaluation is challenged. Unfortunately, players and their parents can be very threatened by your assessment of their child's skills. If you want a copy of
the evaluation form I used, just use the contact form and I will send you a
blank copy.
It was at this time of year, I would begin to lay the groundwork for roles. If you have a player who doesn't understand his or her role, this is the time to let them know where you see them AT THIS TIME. One time, after I had an evaluation with a player, the parent saw the evaluation and was so upset they came in and talked with our A.D. about whether they should transfer their child to another school because I said their child was not in the top 8. (No sense wasting an over reaction!) He stayed. Worked his tail off and ended up being a starter the next season. In my opinion, without the evaluation, he would not have accepted the challenge to elevate his game.
Don't be naive. You have players and parents who do not want to hear the truth. Parents love their children but that does not mean they are objective evaluators. You as the evaluator need to be honest but not vindictive, sarcastic, or intentionally negative. HOW your present the truth is important. I believe in going over the player evaluation with the player in a one on one situation. If you feel it is necessary, have another staff member in the meeting is not a bad idea. File the evaluations. I once had a former player who years after leaving the program told me he kept his evaluations and used them to develop his own evaluation tool he used on his employees.
For some players, being confronted with the truth of where they are within the program and what areas of their game need to be improved, is a difficult reality to face. Some players are faced with the reality they will have to compete for playing time not only with members of their own class but from classes above and below them. Not all players want to compete and some may even feel they are entitled. The evaluation period is important to shock some of them back into the real world of competition.
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