Teenage players and team chemistry

[coachb13]

Anyone have any advice on how to make teenage softball players build better team chemistry? It is a struggle trying to get my 16u team to mesh well and trust/communicate/respect each other.

 

[_MIA_]

Be bold..

 

[Eric F]

How do you make a teenager do anything? LOL. How long has the team been together?

Also...please don't do the giant bold font thing. It's really unnecessary.

 

[Shiloh]

Do some non-softball outings.

Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just get them together for pizza or a service project. Go swimming. Ice skating. Anything that gets them together as a group and doesn't involve softball.

 

[coachb13]

How do you make a teenager do anything? LOL. How long has the team been together?

Also...please don't do the giant bold font thing. It's really unnecessary.

All together for a couple months now, there are multiple groups on the team that have come together. So basically four or five teams meshed into one team all butting heads. I know teenagers can be difficult but there's got to be something to help lol

This was my first post so I'm still learning.. forgive me haha

 

[coachb13]

Do some non-softball outings.

Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just get them together for pizza or a service project. Go swimming. Ice skating. Anything that gets them together as a group and doesn't involve softball.

That was my first thought, we have had multiple team dinners, bonding nights, bowling, and I'm at the point now where I give them partners each week and require that they get to know each other away from softball. I'm still not seeing much progress lol

 

[quincy]

16U is a tough age for players. Lot is going on in their personal life and they have a lot of opinions about other players.

I say this more then I would like but "i do not care" what is going with their disagreements outside of SB. Once they are on the field they better trust each other or there will be hell to pay.

They need to at least to pretend to respect each other, I do not care if they like each other.

In 16u a player left for another Team. We were in tournament against old player's new Team. Had a break and DD and another player were watching old player's game.

Me: What are you doing? How is game going?

Them: we are just watching to see her fail.

No idea the animosity existed because I will not tolerate during practice or games.

There are clicks, try to break them up during practice.

Not big on Team events but previous HC did an escape room. Interesting to see how players communicate.

 

[Shiloh]

That was my first thought, we have had multiple team dinners, bonding nights, bowling, and I'm at the point now where I give them partners each week and require that they get to know each other away from softball. I'm still not seeing much progress lol

Ah OK. Good try.

There's something undermining the team and counteracting these efforts. You need to find out what it is. Because it's pretty powerful.

A 1:1 phone call with each player might help.
Just tell them and their parents you're checking in on how things are going for them mid-season.

 

[_MIA_]

There's something undermining the team and counteracting these efforts.

Hormones and a not yet fully developed prefrontal cortex?

 

[quincy]

Hormones and a not yet fully developed prefrontal cortex?

Does certain development in this area help with power?