Building Team Morale

(from Green Light Sports, September 1997)

For the past 17 years I have coached cross country, basketball, track and even one season of football in high school. I teach advanced English to juniors in high school and recruit heavily from these kids. I also have three children, write articles, short stories and have a novel published. Somewhere in that time, I have managed to produced several state-champion athletes and teams. When I was asked to write an article on teame morale it made sense that it also applied to my own life. It's like building a family. We lay the foundation in the first weeks with hard practices and discipline. As the season progresses we add variety, adding more fun and work on bonding.

So how do your athletes enjoy your sport?

We must start with the coaches. They need essential rules to build morale. Every coach must take the absolute stance that "Sports are for the kids." In our programs we work with about fifty or more students. Every student in good academic standing has earned the opportunity to compete. Not always equal time but we do our best with large numbers. We go to no cross country meets that restrict the numbers of athletes from schools. We always treat players with respect and I talk to every person on a team daily. Just a quick, "How was your day today?" can do wonders. Try to never put down a student in any way during practice, during games or meets, on or off the courts or field. Encourage and teach. Never tell them they can not improve. Think before you speak. Emphasize improvement, not winning.

Your decision to put the well being of the student first and winning second, along with adopting a cooperative style rather than a command style is essential.

In our program we ask the students to set both individual and team goals. By placing greater emphasis on achieving personal goals, athletes can gain control over an important part of their sport participation -- their own success. The coach must help them keep it realistic.

Athletes are motived to play sports to fulfill their need for fun and to feel worthy. You can help keep their morale high by keeping practice varied, expecially as we are 1/2 way through the season. Keep the players active with little standing around doing nothing.

A hard taks with fifty or more athletes: Always be postive. Many players are out for your sport because they need a place to belong. A family, a motivator, may just be the rapport with their coach.

Activities inclued in our track and cross country programs are an open house for the parents and athletes with a pot-luck dinner. We have different training games that we play. The athletes meet for a pre-meet dinner the night before competition. We mix our own power-drinks after practice. We attend an optional camp in Colorado each summer. We also have "Quotes" that we give out and a weekly newsletter that the kids help write and contribute to that is sent to parents, coaches and alumni every week during the season.

The parents put little notes of encouragement on their school lockers. We sit together at events and travel together to create unity and good team morale. They also design their own team shirts and put up weekly bulletin boards in the locker room.

I guess if I had to sum it all up: Just like in your marriage and life, be postive and have fun.

Remember some athletes go on to be college athletes, but very few can make a living off it as professionals. A majority will go on and take over our towns, churches, and governments. Therefore, coaches must focus on instilling good values and building character through sports opportunities we have with them.