Every shift, every period, and every game matters. You hear that all of the time and in a way it definitely does especially when it comes to consistency. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, one bad outing or game doesn’t or shouldn’t make or break a player. However, from a scouting perspective it’s their reaction to that adversity which reveals perhaps the biggest question mark of all, their character and resolve.
One bad game doesn’t matter, the way you handle it sure as hell does. A less than stellar performance in one game doesn’t define a player’s path. You see every player handles adversity differently. Young players need to let their character, resiliency and work ethic guide them. You can learn a lot about a draft eligible player’s character and resolve when they don’t have their “A” game. We all know their “A” game, but what’s that prospects “B” game?
As a scout you can always tell when players grind it out or just go through the motions. Over the years, I’ve seen players literally give up on a play, a battle or a back check when they screw up or make a mistake.
The energy they took to give up on the play or show their poor awful body language or attitude could have propelled them back into the play. To be honest, I’ve learned more about highly touted draft prospects when they have a bad outing or haven’t had their “A” game then when they do.
Even if some prospects have a bad outing or performance their attitude never changes or varies. Draft eligible prospects that don’t have their “A” game should ask themselves the following. A) What aspects of their game are they bringing to help the team? B) What type of teammate or leader are they? C) Have I worked hard enough in practice and is my maximum effort there in games?
A bad period or game should never define a player only if it keeps happening over and over and over again. Bad games or subpar outings are perfectly normal, they happen, but if a player is making the same mistake over and over time after time that’s a massive cause for concern.
Obviously, making the same mistakes raises a lot of concerns from processing perspective, to questions with regards to their receptiveness to perhaps the coaching they are receiving or the fact that they aren’t ready to make the jump to the next level just yet.
The character and the intangibles a player possess can propel them to any level in the game. It can also ground their ascension within it. It’s one game, but that one bad game or outing can reveal a lot about your character, attitude and how you handle and cope with adversity. There’s a big difference between a bad game or “one off” versus making the same mistakes over and over again.
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