Mental Toughness: Team Building vs. Team Busting Part 2

2/9/2017

Chad Griffin

If you’re a coach or athlete who plays with a team, then you’ve got a whole set of communication challenges that aren’t present when the focus is on one individual athlete.

There are unique tactical complexities and social dynamics to consider, but there is also opportunity for great synergy, the kind that you can only get when the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

In any team sport, the best team isn’t the one that always emerges victorious. You can have more strength, speed, talent, and skills on your team yet consistently lose.

Success usually goes to the team that plays the best TOGETHER.

It’s important to understand that not only is the team’s performance as a whole affected by how well the players get along and work with each other, but each of your athlete’s individual performances during the game is directly affected by the quality of the team experience. That is, if a player feels supported by his/her teammates and accepted as part of the group, he/she will be far more likely to excel during a game. However, if he/she feels either scapegoated or ostracized by fellow teammates, or doesn’t feel safe, accepted, or relevant on the team, then that athlete’s self-esteem, confidence, and performance in practice and during games will suffer, in turn also affecting the entire team in a negative way.

A great team is NOT a bunch of all-stars, it is a collection of athletes who all have different skills and abilities that complement each other, each playing a vital role in elevating the collective efforts of the group.

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