French coach Pierre Salame wrote an excellent article on what it means to be a team on the ffck website. He correlated the results and the team spirit and found a direct correlation between the times when the team spirit was best and the results.
Of course, it's difficult to determine which causes which. Does having good team spirit help spur the athletes on to better performances, or is there better team spirit because the team is doing better?
I have found that a program is more successful if the athete feels that when he goes there, he is going to see his friends. When the athlete feels that he has to leave his friends in order to go and train, his motivation usually suffers.
So, I believe it is important for the coach to help support a positive group atmosphere. How to do this? Social activities in addition to the athletic training helps build the positive group atmosphere. Going out for pizza after the workout, or having a party at the coaches house are good ways to help build the team atmosphere.
And if there are conflicts between members, the coach is in a good position to help resolve those problems. Get the parties together and try to resolve any issues, rather than letting them divide the team.
Many coaches feel that this is all beyond their job description. Their job is to provide advice and coaching about the sport. However, this makes the coach into a mere technician, rather than a leader. Being a coach is about being a leader, not just about supplying some technical information.
Having group workouts also helps to build a team atmosphere. It gives the paddlers more of a chance to interact and spend time together. And they learn from each other. The coach should encourage the athletes to help each other, rather than to be adversarial in their relationships.
Other ways to build the team atmosphere include having team apparel and traveling together to events. Most people like to be a part of a group and enjoy the social interaction. Having a positive team atmosphere helps attract new people to the group. Everyone wants to be a part of a positive, fun group.
Also, there is a culture of excellence that develops as part of the training group. Everyone in the group is very committed to slalom racing, which reinforces the individual's commitment to the sport. If, on the other hand, the athlete trains alone, he is likely not to have the social support for his training. His friends often won't understand or support him leaving them to go pursue this solitary endeavor.
So, it's a good idea to help build a community of serious slalom racers who can support you in your training, who you can learn from, and who share your enthusiasm for the sport. This will help encourage you in your training and racing.
Comments