Consistency: the crown jewel in coaching.

"CONSISTENCY" HAS always been a trigger word in sports--consistency on offense and defense, consistency by the players, and consistency in coaching.

Players will respond to a coach who maintains consistency in his/her team rules, coaching philosophy, and particularly, the coach-player relationship.

The $64,000 question always has been: Should the coach "treat everyone alike" or should he treat each player as an individual?

A lot of coaches believe that the superstar should be governed by a different set of rules, and this can cause problems. Will the rest of the team accept a double standard? Will it affect the team discipline? Will it put the coach on the spot every time a difficult decision has to be made?

Wise coaches will recognize the importance of having a basic set of rules, but will also acknowledge that people are different and may require individual consideration. The trick lies in making the necessary allowances without offending the rest of the team.

Coaches would do well to address this problem at the first group meeting. The team rules and the consequence of disruption should be explained and put into writing. Once the rules are recognized as fair and are consistently enforced, the entire team will usually come together.

One-on-one meetings will enable the coach to let each player know what will be expected of him/her on and off the court, as well as clarify any gray areas that the player may have about the rules.