Players make systems work

From the Evansville Courier Press, October 5, 2008

You know that age-old question about 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' It seems similar in trying to gauge whether the system determines the players or the players determine the system?

A 'system' in any sport could be described as what alignment is used, but I think the alignment is probably based on what I would use to describe as a coach's 'system' — how will his players try to attack, and how will they try to defend.

The challenge that good coaches find is whether to fit their players into a specific system, or to create a system that utilizes the players. The goal for either is to maximize the strength of the group.

If you are in a setting where you can purchase players (professional level) or recruit players (collegiate level), it is easier to bring in players to fit a system. But it also be restrictive if you have dynamic players capable of doing more in a relatively rigid system. Remember the old saying that the only person who could hold Michael Jordan to under 20 points in a basketball game was Dean Smith, his coach at the University of North Carolina?

In a level where you can't bring in players to fit a system, these are factors you should consider:

Who are your key players, and how can you utilize their strengths? If the best passer/distributor in your midfield is a really good athlete as well, that will influence how many players you use in midfield. If your best 1-on-1 central defender is a step slow, perhaps he will be deployed as a 'stopper' with a 'sweeper' behind to cover the lack of speed.

What is your team's overall athletic ability? That could determine the areas to attack and defend. If you have pacy defenders, you can hold a higher defensive line and press more — playing in the other team's half. If you have speed up front, you can try to play off the counter-attack more to create space behind your opponent's defense.

What kind of depth does your team have? Having a deep player pool can allow the opportunity to play in a fast-paced system. With limited depth, you might have to be creative with either substitutions or pacing your key players.

The key to any good system is to find a way for your team to be successful. A coach is only as good as his players, so the best way to measure a system's success is to see how the players' comfort and how they're utilized affects the outcome of games.