OBSERVATION OF THE PHOENIX SUNS PRACTICE SESSION


 


Date: October 12, 2006


 


Time: 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm


 


A. Physical Setting


 


            The venue of the author’s observation was at the US Airways Center, the home court of the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix, Arizona.


B. Nature of the Group


            The Phoenix Suns is a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association. Established in 1968, the team has recently become one of the elite teams in the NBA because of its impressive performances, such as back to back trips to the Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006. Led by two-time and reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and 2005 NBA Coach of the Year Mike D’Antoni, the team went from being a loser to an instant championship contender. This coming new NBA season, expectations are again as high as the skies as the team is expected to make it all the way to the NBA Finals. The supporting casts can’t really be described as pushovers. Returning this season will be the ever hardworking Shawn “The Matrix” Marion, defensive specialist Raja Bell, Boris “3D” Diaw, Leandro “The Brazilian Blur” Barbosa and Kurt Thomas. But the eyes of many Phoenix Suns fans as well as NBA experts and fanatics will surely be on Amare “STAT” Stoudamire, the superstar forward who unfortunately had a micro-fracture surgery on his knee last season, forcing to miss most of the games for rehabilitation procedures. This year, however, STAT has expressed optimism that he is close to coming back to 100% come the opening tip-off of the new NBA season. This is definitely not good news as far as Phoenix’s Western Conference opponents are concerned, and obviously a source of thrill and optimism for Phoenix Suns fans who have yet to experience another trip to the NBA Finals since the Charles Barkley-led team that made in 1993 but eventually lost to Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.


C. Forms of Interaction


            During the practice session of the Phoenix Suns which I attended and watched, I observed that it was Coach Mike D’ Antoni that typically had most of the control. He would always discuss and remind his players regarding the new goals and objectives of the team this new NBA season. He would then assign every player significant roles within the team for the purposes of achieving bonding and cohesiveness. Coach Mike then proceeded in discussing both the offensive and defensive strategies that the team will employ for the season with assistance from a video tape player.


            After the session with Coach Mike, it was the turn of the team captains Steve Nash and Shawn Marion to take over. Both of them reminded their teammates to always strive hard and always play like it would be their last game.


            The scrimmage over the court was also full of verbal and non-verbal interaction. Players would often scream the names of plays and expressions of disgust or frustration over a botched play. Hand signals and pump-fisting motions could also be seen among scoring players.


 


D. Norms of Interaction


            During the practice session, there were indeed several new players who failed to easily adapt to the run and gun system of Coach Mike D’Antoni. After a series of back and forth running, these players were visibly tired and gasping for breath. Coach Mike surely was disappointed with the deviant behaviors he saw from his new players, and this prompted him to stop the practice session momentarily to replace those tired players.


E. Group Leadership


Aside from Coach Mike D’Antoni, the team captains Steve Nash and Shawn Marion were considered as team leaders of the Phoenix Suns, where a relational type of leadership was being implemented. In this model, planning was a necessary function within the Phoenix Suns organization. In most organizations this process is often very difficult because of the fast rate of change and the occurrences of unplanned events. But a relational model of leadership uses several methodologies depending on what the situation demands. Nevertheless, the objectives of this type of leadership for do not change: efficiency and effectiveness.


Planning was being implemented by the Phoenix Suns organization in order for its activities and resources to be coordinated over time. This enabled the organization to achieve its goals with minimal resource utilization, plus the opinions and suggestions of the members were also taken into consideration.




Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Top