Creating team chemistry

[softballninja]

As captain of a high school team, what's the best way to promote team bonding? Our team last year had some issues with upperclassmen vs. underclassmen divisions, and overall we didn't have a close bond. How do you go about creating a tight-knit family? Every successful team/program that I've seen seems to have a family-like bond within the team, and I think that's one of the things our program has been lacking for a long time.

Now I know it's tough to force people to have fun or force people to like each other, but what are some things a captain could organize to start fostering that bond? Things like going out to eat after practice, hanging out together before games, etc.

Thanks!

 

[RookKev]

My first instinct is that bond is usually earned within them. They suffer and grow together. You see that very frequently in the Colloge levels... the head coach is often a father figure that is feared and loved. He's the one that keeps running them into the ground together. That keeps making them throw up. But they do it as a group, and the assistant coaches help keep them running, going, 'teaming'.

But they grow together. One of the problem is when an outsider comes in, they will have to earn their position.

That is one way.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

My DD's team had breakfasts on game day. It was expensive for some, but it got the girls together and it made certain the girls were eating on game day.

Most things come with a cost - like decorating team t-shirts. Practice uniforms are good, though. Because it makes everyone one team, even at practice.

Could you find a children's playground or similar to hold a workout and a cookout?

Oh, I just noticed you are in New England. So, probably no outdoor activities. What about making pizzas and the dough, from scratch? Girls could bring an onion, a pound of hamburger, a package of cheese, etc.

 

[James Smith]

It takes a lot of work to bring a Team together and keep them together. It becomes really hard without the right coaching staff.

Completive drills in practice help.

Maybe do some fundraisers that require the Team to come together to raise money while keeping a softball thyme.

 

[SCDad]

I will talk as a father, a parent, on how we do it. We have it, it is the most wonderful feeling in the world. We win championships. Without it, we would not. It is plain and simple. And it starts with the families, and much goes to the dads.

You must have a short memory. At one point in time during the competitive game of softball you are going to feel shorted, be shorted and be mad about it. Every player and parent, if they focus on it, has a beef with every other player and parent. The game is so competitive.

The dads have to be the first, and take an active role in mending fences. This is done by apologizing to all the other families for something or other in the past. Vow that the past is done, and from this point going forward, I am going to be on my best behavior. Root for your player, and you root for mine.

The young ladies will always be bickering back and forth. It is what they do. But when they get home and vent, the family must re-enforce the need for everyone to get along. We are a family, and though you don't like specific things a family member does, we must love and support each other. It is all we have got.

The second thing to do is to not allow anyone to blame anyone else. Pick up the lesser players, treat them as equals, and never place blame. When your player tries to blame someone else at home, say, "I did not see you go 3 for 3 today". When you, my DD has a perfect game, maybe, just maybe I will allow you to criticize another player. And even if you reach that ultimate level, the next step to truly great players is to focus more of your energy into elevating the performance of the lesser players around you.

Once you have that culture, it feeds upon itself. You become an upperclass player, and thank the older players before they left how important it was for my youngster to be around you. You were her big sister, and her comfort and performance reflected it. Now we are going to walk the walk, and talk the talk to all the young players, and parents. Thank you.

As a coach, I would recommend to make sure the upper class players are truly your best players. Nothing tears a team apart faster than only a couple marginal upper class players who are afraid they will lose their spot. They will tear down, and not build up. Focus on these marginal upper class players. If you see this behavior start to develop, they must go. Better to go with a younger player with more upside. For the upper class marginal player who is a team builder she stays.

Lastly, it is the two or three top shelf players who rule the roost. You only really need to focus of their team building skills. They will be your voice when you are not around (a lot). Stress to them, and hold their feet to the fire, saying, you are my best player. I know that, you know that. But to be a truly great, great player you are judged by how well you bring up the youngsters. I know you will do what I need on the field, now I really need for you to step up your game off the field. That will determine if we win or lose.

 

[Kevin Meyer]

The success of a team is built on three legs, ability, coaching and chemistry. I've seen very able and well coached teams under perform by a large degree because of a lack of chemistry.

We work hard with our school team on creating positive team chemistry. As a coach I utilize a number of things that enhance positive team chemistry and any effort you make as a player/captain will be greatly added to by the involvement of your coaching staff.

We have regularly scheduled fun/chemistry building activities. We hold "Kangaroo" courts where any embarrassing event can be "accused" by a team member against another (including the coaches) so long as it is in no way negative like using an error which cost a game against someone. The 3 captains sit as the jury and whomever loses (accuser v. accused) has to pay a quarter into a jug we keep for the purpose. At the end of the year the girls decide what to do with the money (charity, team party, etc.). Promoting as off the wall and irrelevant responses to accusations as possible and jurors who use undecipherable criteria to base their judgements upon are greatly encouraged.

We also play "clincher" (16"softball) games every so often. No gloves are allowed to be used by the fielders and a great deal of humor and comedy tend to occur while also and almost un-noticeably causing a pretty good cardio workout. I was once drilled by a comebacker while pitching and counted all 16 girls on the ground laughing.

Then there's "SBolf" (Softball/Golf) where everyone has their own ball and free hands (fungo's) it to the target/hole. You make up the holes as you go. We go over fences, around light poles, putt on the dirt infield at buckets, aim at the outfield fence in between the first two poles to the left of the foul pole and many others.

Also, always remember that April Fool's day falls in the middle of the season. We have an annual "Spin Around the Bat" championship where everyone has to put their forehead on a bat that is held against the ground and without taking their head off the bat or lifting or moving the bat on the ground spin around 25 times and then race about 60' across the finish line. We always do this on the grass and I always tell them they don't have to do it and they will almost definitely fall but everyone who watches it ends up wanting to participate.

 

[SCDad]

really the success model you have is the girls are alwYs bickering and daddy has to go around and apoligise to everyone because he says stupid things when he feels his dd has been slighted. If that's how it works for your team. Good for you. I would rather not have bickering and if a father has to go around and constantly apoligise for his and his DW's boorish behavior then that would be the first and last season for that family.

BTW I really like how you think I am a player (child) and then you give me the "we win and you don't line" no wonder you're always apologizing

I apologize ....

You have no clue what I try to do for our HS team as a dad. My DD's softball play is well taken care of by coaches who are far smarter than I. I have nothing to offer here.

So this time of year, I focus a vast majority of my off work time team building. The methods and techniques are extensive, and though I do so without wanting everyone on the team to know, they do see it.

And sooner than you might think, I am surrounded be a group of families doing much the same thing. Some more than others, but this type of thinking is contagious and is the fundamental aspect of team chemistry. It is really easy once you get the hang of it.

High School softball is the best for various reasons I have said over and over on this board.

Now the terrific young ladies on our team need to repeat their championship run from last year. We have youth in key spots. For those who think it is the stars who determine the final outcome, fail to see that every team needs the youngsters, freshman and sophomores to elevate and win a handful of games for the team.

That is the ultimate beauty of HS softball. The youngsters hold much of the key, and are the most fragile.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Chemistry: the interaction of one personality with another

It is very difficult to change peoples' personalities, so your best chance for success is to focus on the way teammates interact with each other despite their normal chemistry. Learning to work with people that "aren't your cup of tea" for a common purpose is a life skill that will serve them the rest of their lives.

It starts by creating a new identity, the team, and separating that from whatever has happened in the past or goes on outside the team. Every player has a new identity as a member of the team and their success is based on the success of the team as a whole. As such, all of their efforts should be focused on doing what's best for the team.

There are numerous sets of rules for teams, but it really comes down to the Golden Rule - treat your teammates the way you want to be treated. Beyond that, provide examples of positive actions that good teammates do.

There are numerous exercises that businesses do to promote team building and you can google them. Most involve some introspection of what you can do better, acknowledgement of teammates' strengths and mixing people into small 2-3 person teams to accomplish small tasks.

 

[CoogansBluff]

There's nothing a coach or team can do to guarantee chemistry. There's a reason that teams like players who are ''good in the clubhouse.'' It's because it's hard to coach that. To paraphrase Lou Holtz, ''The best way to handle an attitude problem is get rid of the players with bad attitudes.'' The character and personality of the players are pretty significant in this.

But I'll make two random observations on teams that I've had --

Doing a bunch of things together outside of softball may or may not work. I once had a team where everyone got along fine - until we had a sleepover or pool party or went to an amusement park together. On the field, they were fine. Anything they did outside of softball led to cliques and arguing.

Also, jealousy can eat away at chemistry. I've always made it a priority to make each player feel good about their role on the team. And you can't just sell them on it. It's got to be backed up by your actions. If a kid never plays, then you don't value them. I've even gone so far as to use that as a tiebreaker when deciding what position to play a girl. I once had two catchers that got 50/50 time behind the plate. Both were very good hitters who batted high. They could've split the same time at 1B when not catching. But that would've meant moving another ''roughly-the-same-defensively'' 1B to RF. Two part-time catchers and one full-time first basemen were happier than two C/1B and one RF who batted eighth. That 1B became very good at her position b/c she took pride in it and felt much more valuable than if she'd been in RF. Every player on the team either pitched, caught, played infield or batted cleanup. That team had very good chemistry.

 

[sluggers]

(please be civil... I don't want to delete posts)

Team chemistry really means that all members of the team are focused on winning and they understand that it takes every player to win.

Players do *not* have to be BFFs forever... They only need to respect each other. (Players can like each other too much.)

The way to get good team chemistry is for the coach to be fair and * rational* in her decisions about PT and how she treats the team.