Michael Jordan is known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Before each game he wore new shoes, lacing them up in a specific way. He wanted to feel like he was at a showcase or recruiting event every game he played. How did this impact his on the court performance?
The Oxford dictionary defines culture as “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.”
Culture is extremely important to many sports organizations and franchises. Sometimes pregame rituals can be something that is meant to be fun and not seen to have any effect on a team’s game play; occasionally they can be perceived as a superstition. However many times these activities that teams participate in are carried out in order to promote team bonding. Team bonding often has a positive impact on a team’s in game performance. Many times all people see when researching and watching sports teams are their stats and records; it is unknown what goes on before and after all the successful wins and difficult losses.
A sport that incorporates a lot of team bonding into their practices is football. Both at the amateur and professional level, this sport utilizes many different activities to promote teamwork and positive team culture. When it comes to the NFL, the players are at practice with each other almost everyday and tend to be extremely close. On top of the countless hours they spend together while physically preparing for upcoming games, they also have a lot of time on the road while traveling where they can get to know each other better and become closer friends.
When referring to physical practices, sometimes NFL teams will have joint practices during training camp and preseason. This means two different teams will practice together. When analyzing this it can be seen as an extremely beneficial practice allowing both teams to play with different competition to further their talents.
Some examples of developing culture also occur from a staffing perspective. Each team has hundreds of staffers that work together to allow the organization to run smoothly. This large responsibility involves a variety of practices and protocols. Something that ensures everything goes according to plan is making sure that everyone is on the same page. By understanding the same details and events that are going to take place, everyone can understand their role which leads to an organized structure of management. In this case, being on the same page means understanding the team’s mission and vision.
It is important that every person involved with the team knows the core values and principles of the organization so that their actions can be carried out accordingly. Another piece of team culture includes being willing to give and receive feedback whether it be positive or negative. By following these predetermined practices, the players and workers involved in organizations such as the NFL can come together to establish a team culture that is recognized by the world.
When looking at an amateur level, there are many activities that take place through Wilson’s sports teams that promote team bonding. One team that focuses heavily on team culture is Wilson’s field hockey team. The main mission of Wilson Field Hockey is to “develop women of character through the sport of field hockey.” There are many non-negotiable rules that players must follow on and off the field such as providing encouragement for teammates, having direct communication and listening to coaches and teammates at all times.
Aside from the distinct rules, there are also practices such as the mentor-mentee program that the team takes part in. Every season an upperclassman is assigned to an underclassman. They are meant to guide their younger teammate through the season. Occasionally, they will give gift bags to each other for away games. This program is extremely instrumental in ensuring that the girls remain close as teammates so that they can perform together on the field. It is extremely important during game days that the team’s energy stays high. This is important because it allows the team to be successful, but also have fun.
When looking at how sports organizations conduct team building exercises, it can be seen that there are many similarities both at a professional and amateur level. By understanding that camaraderie really makes a difference in the performance of a high level team, athletes and coaches across the country can improve their game play and management skills in order to achieve success.
