Forrester PE Dept

Defining roles

 

Defining Roles

 

Defining the roles, understanding the role responsibilities, and agreeing on who will handle that role is an essential part of every teams progress. Clearly defining roles is vital to team efficiency and success. When team members understand their roles, they will be more productive and have a greater chance of fulfilling their role within the team. Role definition is particularly important in teams for example, a point guard’s role in Basketball is specifically to bring the ball up the court or the setter’s role in Volleyball is to set the ball up for wider players to spike rather than play the ball over themselves.

 

How to develop:

 

When:
Coaches should predetermine each team role and responsibility prior to selecting the team member to fill that position. They should take time to assign roles and tasks to each member.

 

How:
Avoid assuming team members understand how to carry out their role. Take time to clearly communicate expectations, boundaries, responsibilities and goals to each team member. Ensure time is given to check understanding.

 

Why:
Understanding the boundaries and expectations of a role provides support and accountability for team members in performing their tasks. Pre-defined roles also help to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings between team members ensuring all are aware of expectations within their roles. Allocating each player a role gives responsibility and ownership to fulfill their role and feel part of the team which gives a greater sense of motivation and team cohesiveness.

 

Suggested strategies

• Using a sport education approach to allow all pupils experience of having to define roles in a chosen activity for example, all pupils given the chance to become team coach and allow them to use their own knowledge and understanding to select players accordingly depending on strengths and weaknesses.

• Using a conditioned game, allocate zones within the playing area to help understand where players should be within their roles for example in Basketball mark out wide areas where the forwards must move to when possession is gained.  They must remain in this area until ¾ court where they can then cut to the basket.

 

 

Defining roles

 

Your position or role within a team/individual activity can be determined by your body shape, height, fitness, skill level and past experience.

Socially it also can be determined by your life style in terms of what you eat and drink prior to a game or how much you have slept the night before. This would determine if you took part in a game.

Your role in Rugby for example would be determined by a number of Physical factors (Speed, Strength, Power, agility, co-ordination), but also would take into consideration a number of mental and emotional factors such as determination, mental toughness, and resilience.

Socially a team manager would want to pick a player who follows codes of conduct and is likely to apply him or herself in a positive and respectful manner during a game without the likelihood of being sent off. A captain is selected based on leadership, communication and cooperation strengths.

Tactically before a game the manager would want to define what a player is responsible for. i.e zonal marking or man marking.