ATHOL — We all know it. The Athol boys’ basketball team has struggled. The team has not won more than three games in a season since 2013. So it comes as no surprise that the team struggled through the summer season.
The Red Raiders had three different coaches throughout the summer season and all three spoke of the same thing: attitude. In high school sports, attitude can be everything.
If a team thinks collectively, believing in each player’s individual talent, it can win games. The Red Raiders lack that and lacked that this summer season.
An old wiseman once told me, when players begin believing they have to make the plays to win the game, a team fails to function. When players make decisions for themselves rather than what’s best for the team, that team has already defeated itself. The Red Raiders seemed to have that self-interested mentality.
At times, it felt embarrassing. The amount of technical fouls assessed to the Red Raiders this summer, with one coach even tossed for arguing calls, it all stemmed from unnecessary aggravation. These things were avoidable. Also, if coaches can’t set an example for the players, who else can?
This shouldn’t reflect the varsity roster, but it’s likely to. When the regular season comes along, things should settle. Players will rein in those emotions. Officials and coaches alike will be at peak performance. That should stop all the technical fouls at least.
But how much will those factors change the inner attitude of Athol boys basketball? That comes from within, not the outside. A coach can’t fix that no matter how hard they try.
It’s unfortunate for a group of kids that have talent, too. Mark Ferrari has the ability to shoot and work his way into the paint. He has long arms and rebounds well. Brymere Edwards possess a strong basketball knowledge and passion.
Then the Red Raiders have Noah Pottinger. He came to the varsity team midway through last season and excelled, contributing 12 points against Mahar Regional High School and 14 points against Lee High School. He continued to progress this summer season, showing an ability to shoot from beyond the arc. And although size is not in his favor, Riley Payne should contribute to the varsity team this season, barring anything unforeseen. Payne showed a never-give-up attitude on each play this summer.
Even with all this individual talent, not one of these players has the ability to do everything on his own. Ferrari isn’t a complete package yet. Often, he becomes non-existent on the court as teams find it easy to isolate him. In a summer game against Notre Dame, one that Ferrari should have dominated, he failed to score even 10 points. Edwards often takes improbable shots and unnecessarily difficult paths to the hoop. Pottinger needs to work on an interior presence or he becomes a one-trick pony with only the ability to shoot from afar and never within.
Playing as a team minimizes those weaknesses. If a team works together, they put each player in a position to succeed (you didn’t see the Boston Celtics forcing Greg Monroe to shoot 3-pointers). That comes from attitude not talent. A single person shouldn’t feel it necessary they have to do everything. Trust in the team and trust in your teammates.
Coaches talked about it, preached it and yelled it during this summer season. But that only goes so far. This summer season showed minimal — if any — improvement toward that one goal everyone has for this team: to win games.