Creating team chemistry

[Greenmonsters]

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

Add "In my area" or "In my opinion" or "I believe" etc. to all your posts and you will have far fewer disagreements

 

[wichita]

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.

In South Carolina your probably right but in these parts and other parts of the country that isn't necessarily true. We have about 4 travel kids and the rest play rec ....or worse just play school ball.... and all the non travel kids get attitudes about the travel kids...... in our area at least

 

[Doug Romrell]

Parents have nothing to do with team chemistry.

Really??? We all know the parents that are cancer to a team, instilling in their kid's mind how bad this player is or that coach. Pretty tough to get true team chemistry when the seeds of this type of cancer are instilled in one or more of the players by their parents. Further, on the other end of the spectrum, I've also had parents that are wonderful in terms of their support and what they instill in their daughters. This helps make team chemistry possible.

Don't discount the effects (good or bad) parents have on teams, whether it be chemistry or something else.

 

[Doug Romrell]

No DR they don't. This is high school and parents are not involved in our team activities. They cheer in the stands. Their DDs are their own persons, separate from parents. Good grief.

Ummmm....... Really??? So you do discount the effects (positive or negative) of parents. What a huge mistake on your part. Contrary to what you believe, parents can have an effect on team chemistry because they do, in fact, have an effect on their daughters. Funny you don't recognize that.

 

[YOCOACH]

No DR they don't. This is high school and parents are not involved in our team activities. They cheer in the stands.

OILF, If that is the case, and I have no doubt that it is in your area, I think you, the school team and their parents are missing huge opportunities not only for building team chemistry, but for building team parent/community support and fundraising. The parents of our HS team are very involved with the team. Yes, come game time all they do is sit in the stands and cheer. But off the field many are organizing fundraiser activities with team involvement while others are planning the HS showcase schedule (travel, hotel reservations, etc. etc.) that the HC wants to attend and even more are scheduling team chemistry building activities like a bowling night for the team or Christmas parties. During the Winter months, several parents with TB coaching experience take the remnants of last years Varsity squad and some promising JV/incoming Freshman, form a team and coach them in an indoor league since HS coaches in Ohio are not aloud to interact with their team as a whole in any official capacity before such and such date. The parents of our HS team do so much, not only for the team, but with them as well, that before the first practice of the season ever starts, we are like one big family.

DD is an incoming Freshman. It looks like she will make the Varsity squad according to the HS coach. Because of parent involvement, fundraising activities and team building activities organized by and attended by parents, DD is very close to her future teammates and can already see that this will be a team with chemistry. Since the Varsity team will probably consist of 7 Seniors, 2 Juniors, 1 Sophomore and 3 Freshman, I find it hard to see any other way of doing it and having a successful season.

Edit to add: Up until 3 years ago, DD's HS was horrible in SB. Three years ago, the AD hired 2 new coaches; a husband and wife team. They actively fostered the type of atmosphere I have described above (what they call the Family Atmosphere). Last year, in their 3rd year of coaching and creating this type of atmosphere, the team made it to the State semis before elimination. This year, they plan to go even further; maybe even bringing home the championship. Yes, good coaching was involved but team chemistry fostered by the parents of the players certainly made it easier on the coaches and the team as a whole.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I will talk,....... lose.

SCDad - you are such an interesting individual. Since Hal is gone now you are the one that provides me with excess curiosity on solving the "what makes you tick" question we all have to some degree or another with each other.

I have a challenge for you SCDad,…. if you are willing to take it - and we will use the honor system.

I challenge you to take the entire long thread you made here, print it out, and hand it out to all of your high school teams players & parents and ask them if this is how they see your hs team or not. Then share with this DFP community ALL the responses you get.

Up for that challenge?

 

[JAD]

I am not a teenage girl, so my opinion is probably not worth much, but I would highly recommend treating everyone equally. The seniors on the team need to demonstrate leadership by taking the underclassmen under their wing and encouraging them. If the upperclassmen shun the underclassmen you will never have chemistry.

 

[JoeKC]

I am not a teenage girl, so my opinion is probably not worth much, but I would highly recommend treating everyone equally. The seniors on the team need to demonstrate leadership by taking the underclassmen under their wing and encouraging them. If the upperclassmen shun the underclassmen you will never have chemistry.

JAD, I completely agree with your last point. It simply isn't possible for a team to achieve great things without the more experienced players mentoring and accepting the less experienced players. Softball is after all, a team, not an individual sport.

Treating players equally is where I disagree. The talent level and ability are never equal. Every girl should be given equal opportunities to achieve and succeed, but at the end of the day the best 9 (or more with the DP/Flex) players should start and play in the most competitive situations. Practices, scrimmages, (pool games, even exposure events for comp ball) can be equal, but playing only the best when it counts is a life lesson that will benefit all involved long after playing softball is just a memory.

 

[JAD]

Treating players equally is where I disagree. The talent level and ability are never equal. Every girl should be given equal opportunities to achieve and succeed, but at the end of the day the best 9 (or more with the DP/Flex) players should start and play in the most competitive situations. Practices, scrimmages, (pool games, even exposure events for comp ball) can be equal, but playing only the best when it counts is a life lesson that will benefit all involved long after playing softball is just a memory.

The players should treat each other equally, it is the coaches responsibility to decide who receives playing time.....

 

[JoeKC]

The players should treat each other equally, it is the coaches responsibility to decide who receives playing time.....

Ah....I misunderstood the point you were making.....