The Miami Heat are on the verge of being eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics, prompting many fans and sport psychologists to examine the idea of “stacking” a team (Sport Success 360) – and how worthwhile it really is to create a team this way? When LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwayne Wade in Miami two years ago, James promised “not 5, not 6, not 7 championships…” yet the Heat “Dream Team” may not even make it to the NBA Finals this year. How can this be, especially when 3 of the top players in the league play in Miami?
Often teams look really great “on paper,” but don’t gel and come together as a winning, championship-caliber team. On the surface this may not make a lot of sense, as it’s easy to assume that having the best players = a championship team. In Miami, there is without question great talent on the team, but there also seems to be issues around player roles, motivation, “heart,” and overall mental toughness. The reality for all teams, professional or not, is that team chemistry, coaching, player motivation an role assignment, and player resiliency are factors that directly impact (and sometimes take away from) team potential and future success. What this means, in short, is that stacking a team may lead to championships, but by no means does it guarantee them.
Interestingly, stacking teams is something not uncommon to amateur sports, as there are countless baseball, softball, and soccer teams that will be groomed and hand-selected this summer in an attempt have a better chance for a championship. All across the country there are volunteer coaches mulling over how to build the ultimate machine of a team, often looking at stats alone while overlooking many of the variables I previously mentioned. Will every “all-star caliber” kid be accepting of a more limited when placed on an entire team of studs? Will the team rally together when times are bad, or during losing streaks? And how well will the kids get along with one another (how will their personalities mesh)? These are all examples of important questions to be answered when trying to assemble a team.
“Stacking” a team might seem like a great thing to do, and it may even mislead a coach into thinking he is that much more prepared to win a championship. The reality, however, is that sports are won on the field and not “on paper,” and simply having the most raw talent doesn’t always offset other important factors — including motivation.
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