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There IS An
"I" In "Team"
Without You There Will Be No Team
(Auckland's Winning Wisden Cup
Team After the Match a Team That Gelled on and off Court)
It takes more than just getting each
individual to perform well for a team to succeed. Rather it
should be getting the individuals to play the best for the team.
As a member of any team, individuals should be placed
responsible for the whole team's performance. Physical
performance is one thing but a positive mentality within the
team between members can be critical when the team is under
pressure.
 As a player or a coach we are sometimes
placed into teams where some players are foreign to us. We may
know who they are but may find it difficult to build a
relationship with them. However a successful team needs all
their players to form some sort of bond with one another; some
effort showing ones commitment to the team and to the other
members in the team. This is not saying that everyone in the
team needs to be best friends with everyone else but should
there be any broken links, the team will encounter some
difficulty in gaining success.
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(NZ Northern Region 1 June Bevan
Team Champions -
Well Coached and Managed with
an Awesome Team Spirit)
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As a coach it is our responsibility to find
the source of these broken links; how to identify them and how
to mend the holes.
It is important that we emphasize the
importance of each individual and it takes everyone's effort for
the team to succeed.
No matter how little a person's role may
be, they have a responsibility to do their job well.
For some players they may struggle to bond
with other team members
e.g. They are new to the team, their
ability is a lot lower than the rest of the players, they're a
lot better than the rest of the team.
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The reason can be
anything. When we sense the problem it is important for us to
speak to the individual, ask them how they feel about being part
of the team and possibly build a clearer picture of what part
they play in the team. It is important that we help them realize
that their role is significant in the team and how they play a
part in the team performance.
(China and International Teams
Supporting their teammates at the
Thomas and Uber Cup in Jakarta
2008) Photo
courtesy of Sue Smith) |
Another reason problems with integration
between members may arise can be due to personal conflicts
between team members.
This can result in bullying and
ostracizing of particular members.
Not only is this detrimental
to the performance of the team, it can also serious damage an
individual's wellbeing. For us to resolve such an issue we must
first find the root of the problem.
Find out the leader or main
persons involve, help them deal with their individual problem
rather than publicly deal with the problem as a team. Keep
monitoring the progress between those individuals, also letting
them understand their roles and responsibility in the team.
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So
it is often in a team situation that we forget the importance of
ourselves and our performance whether it is at training or
competitions.
Whether we are the fifth sixth player in the
team who sits on the bench to cheer the team on, or the star
player who is playing three games every match, we must remember
our input and effort will impact on the teams final performance.
Without YOU there will be no team.
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