Stacy Danley Talks About How To Promote Team Building In Sports
Cohesion and a sense of belonging play a vital role in every team, as it has a great influence on the motivation of every player and thus on the success of the team. As per Stacy Danley, in a number of sports, teams can only win when they are closely knit, no matter whether it is volleyball, hockey or baseball. Apart from good technique, strategy and fitness, it is the interaction of the individual team members and their relationship that determines whether the team enjoys the game and success – or not.
Stacy Danley shares insights into ensuring positive team building in sports
When it comes to professional sports, teams host “rookie dinners” every season, where the whole team goes out to a fancy dinner, so that players can get to know each other on a personal level. While doing so is not always possible with a youth team, coaches can definitely take lessons from this big league tactic and come up with a team tradition of their own.
Going to an escape room, for instance, can be a fun activity for a big group. It is a team oriented challenge that can actually teach the coach a lot about the mental makeup of the players. During such an activity, natural leaders are likely to emerge from the pack to advance the mission for their team, while problem solvers will shine in areas where they are most talented. Through an activity like an escape room, coaches can get to learn about how the team members perform under pressure, as well as see how well the players work as a team. Such team building activities would also help athletes to learn how to communicate and work together more effectively, which can eventually contribute to their improved performance on the team.
Going to see a game at the pro level together would also be a great outing and team building activity for a youth sports team. It is always an exceptionally valuable experience for young players to watch professionals play their sport. Moreover, there are usually little details that the coach can pick up on while watching the pro games, and apply those techniques on their own team. For instance, a football coach may learn how to work with the quarterback when the defence is on the field, while a baseball coach can learn something about what the shortstop does in between pitches.
As per Stacy Danley, in addition to exploring various team building activities, coaches must also ensure that they keep lines of communication open at all times for the team members. For each player in the team to feel equally valued, it is critical that information is distributed fairly amongst all team members. No coach would want information to trickle through the grapevine and create confusion or distrust. Hence, it is vital to be transparent and up front with the team members. Coaches should make sure that team matters are communicated in a professional, so that every player learns about the lineup, game schedule, or other things at the same time. The simplest way to do so is to hold a weekly info check-in during practice where coaches can relay important information to the athletes at once.
