Team Identity
Why have some teams (in both college and club) been around for years while others fade in and out of existence, emerging with new names and members every year? What seems to be true is that teams with strong identities have more fun, are more dedicated, stick around longer and play better. The teams that don’t will fight, argue and fade away. What do you think about as a leader and team member of a team struggling to exist? What does it take to build a strong team identity. What are the team building things that you can control and what is out of your control?
Finding people who like to play together, who want to put in the time it takes to run and be a part of a team, and who are equally obsessed with a sport that is still on the fringes of popular athletics, is the first and probably the most important element of starting a team. While it takes a critical mass of these efforts and emotions from people, we have to realize that as individuals these element are mostly out of our control. If they are not there then it may not be worth spending time trying to wrangle them together. If you have these elements, then the following are some things that you can control as a decision maker.
Be Inclusive:
Even if you have a strong returning team it is important to be inclusive,
especially in the preseason. Make an effort to make new members feel welcome,
show them that it has the potential to be their team as well. If you treat
tryouts like a hazing to get into an exclusive club, in a couple years you
will not have a team. Small things like learning names and greeting people
during tryouts goes a long way to making people stick around.
Be Visible:
One amazing thing about a team is that you have twenty members at your
disposal that you can use to make a statement. The opportunity to design
something for that many people to wear or do all at the same time does not
come along in everyday life. If you want everyone wearing bright green
sweatshirts with a giant panther wrestling a boa constrictor printed on the
back… make it happen. If you want to find a company that will sew dragon wings
onto the shoulders of all your jerseys and print them like they have scales,
do it. Even if you don’t go over the top, team gear makes you visible and
interesting. Especially on college campuses your uniforms and identity will
generate excitement and recruit new players. Take advantage of the
opportunity, do something different, do something fun and remember that people
will associate your team with your colors, logo and style.
Have a United Front:
Strong teams have strong leadership. If you have a group of captains, or a
core of decision makers, it is important that your leadership at least seem
like they are making decisions together. Even if they fight and bicker during
meetings, when they present to the team put up a united front. If you have an
issue with a co-captain don’t interrupt them as they run a drill and tell them
what you think they are doing wrong. Wait for an appropriate time to bring it
up and address the issue. This may seem like a straightforward thing but I
can’t count the times in college where captains disagreeing in front of
players has brought team moral way down. Being together as captains boosts
team confidence and confident teams play better.
Trial By Fire:
People bond and build trust by going through things together. Sign up for some
fun tournaments where you can be easy going and then make sure you sign up for
tournaments where there will be teams that challenge you. Fly to tournaments
if you have to but also go to some that take a long drive. Some of my favorite
team moments have happened in a van driving ten hours to California for
tournaments. Somewhere around southern Oregon there is a tipping point. Crazy
things start happening and you have to become closer.
Ride the Ups and Downs:
Realize that high performing groups take time to form. Having realistic
expectations of your team is important for its growth. There is a progression
that any group which is building will go through. There is a forming period
where everyone is figuring out what it is like to be a part of the group.
There is usually a rough period where people fight and disagree (this stage is
as important as any of the others because you work out some of you most
important values during the storm). Sometimes the rough period breaks groups
apart but the ones that emerge are stronger. Hopefully you then reach a stage
where everyone is performing well and together. Just knowing that groups go
through ups and downs can help set good goals and expectations for your team.
Building a team can be hard. Knowing what you can and can’t control make it easier as a leader. Doing it with friends and like-minded people can make it really fun. I hope this advice helps and that next year there are more strong teams out there than the last.