How can trainers encourage teamwork?

We have all grown up listening to the age-old adage that there is no ‘I’ in a team. Teamwork is key for success in any sphere of life, including sports and without it, no team can function effectively to the best of their abilities. 
 
Lack of teamwork often leads to friction among the players, poor communication, higher instances of injuries, and ultimately poor overall performance.
 
This is where your role as a trainer comes into play. This blog shares some effective strategies that you can use to ensure that your players work as a team.
 
How can you encourage teamwork?
 
Every trainer works with a team of diverse personalities. Each player has their own mindset, style, and coping mechanism. Teamwork is not just critical for winning the game but also for a host of other reasons.
These include:

• It helps athletes set aside their differences and work towards the common good. 
• Teamwork encourages them to socialize and build communities of friends and mentors.
• It helps in building better confidence levels and a more positive self-image.
• Encouraging teamwork helps athletes learn and practice the concept of accountability. 

 
Here are some practical tips for trainers to create effective teamwork within these changing and challenging dynamics:
 
Lay down shared objectives
 
When athletes are young, it is natural for them to be more concerned with their performance than that of their team as a whole. The trainer needs to engrain in their team the concept of ‘we’ instead of ‘me’.
 
This can be done by laying down the objectives of the team and what it is trying to accomplish. Players find it easier to commit themselves to clear and well-defined objectives. 
 
Encourage communication
 
To create an environment that encourages team play, it is very important to have clear and open channels of two-way communication. Trainers and players should know exactly what they are trying to achieve. 
 
Whether it is winning the next league or learning new techniques, communication helps in achieving what the team has agreed upon. 
 
Use positive reinforcement
 
Establishing an atmosphere of positivity in the team and using positive reinforcement are the only ways your communication channels can be properly channelized. 
 
Your players will flourish and get encouraged to work as a team only when you highlight their strengths and praise them for the things that they do well. Never single out team members for their mistakes and admonish them publicly. 
 
This will only deter their self-esteem and may lead to them distancing themselves away from their teammates. 
 
Pay special attention to recognizing acts of teamwork. This is at times enough for players to replicate their behaviour in the future, even if it is to seek praise. 
 
Distribute ownership
 
While you as a trainer may be in complete charge of the team, to foster teamwork, you need to build a sense of ownership amongst your team members. This is done best by making them feel things like their own. 
 
The players must take ownership of their actions and act for the entire group instead of just for themselves. One of the most effective ways of distributing ownership amongst your team is to allow the members to participate in decision-making. 
 
When they play an active role in this, the members naturally feel responsible for their actions and take ownership.
 
Give your team members responsibilities
 
Assigning your team members their roles and responsibilities is an effective way to encourage teamwork. When everyone on the team has roles, they understand the larger picture and play together cohesively. 
 
You should also take steps to make them understand how one role fits into the other and helps achieve the larger team goal. 
This is a great way to ensure that your team members visualize their roles jointly while knowing that every person is crucial for achieving these team objectives. 
 
Create open feedback channels 
 
Teamwork is not possible if the players don’t listen to each other. Listening to one another on a team is central to developing strong connections and coordination during the game. 
 
Just remember that the feedback sessions must be devoid of negativity. Instead, they should focus on the positives. For instance, you should dwell on what went well during the last game or what could have been done differently. 
 
Another way to encourage teamwork here is to allow the team members to review each other. This is a great way to create an inclusive environment and draw out introverted players into the conversations. 
 
Summing up
 
Teamwork is essential for helping athletes ace their game. Trainers must remember that this concept means different things to different people and must be encouraged intelligently after taking into account varying team dynamics. Youth Sports Index helps you connect with the best teams in basketball, baseball, soccer, football, and softball. Download the app today to know more.