How to Evaluate Team Performance

At the professional level, it's almost always about winning and losing. That's fairly obvious, even to the casual sports fan. However, there are many factors that help fans, managment, the media and ownership evaluate how a team did during the season that goes a somewhere beyond the won-loss record that can be found in the newspaper everyday.

Instructions

    • 1

      A team needs to show progress from start to finish during the season. A team many have struggled putting wins on the board during the season, but did they get better as the season progressed. That's the job of the coach to get the team on the right track and to get them to improve as the season moved along.

    • 2

      The team needs to have harmony in the lockerroom. There have been examples of teams that did not like each other personally but found a way to be successful. However, in general, teams that have players who like each other will play hard for each other. Players who play hard for each other won't necessarily turn a team into a winner, but there may come that one play late in the season when one player wants to come through as much for his teammate as he does for himself. That's when a team truly becomes a team.

    • 3

      A team needs to show one or two areas of strength. It's called building an identity. A baseball team may struggle with their hitting and base running, but if it is known for pitching and fielding, that is something to build on for the future. A football team may have a great running game but struggle to move the ball through the air. Having a good running game may not be enough to win consistently but it is something for the team to build on.

    • 4

      Honest communication is an important aspect for any team to have. If a coach or manager can't speak frankly and honestly with his players because he fears hurting feelings, than the team can't make progress. The same holds true with the players. They have to be able to talk honestly without fear of reprecussions.

    • 5

      A team needs to play its best baseball when it faces its rival. This is more than just to please the team's fans. This is to show that the team knows how to rise to the occasion and play its best game when it matters most. It helps a team build for the future.