What is team spirit?

It is a combination of respect, trust, and enjoyment amongst a group of individuals who work towards agreed common goals.

It is not a simple concept and is often elusive to some teams and coaches, but when it flourishes it increases the chances of winning and fosters commitment.

Team spirit increases the chances of successful performance and winning

Building team spirit is one of the most satisfying experiences for a coach. The building blocks to team spirit include other aspects of team management including motivation and goal setting, player management and cohesion.

A general team building intervention is team communication.

Coaches often exhibit a communication style which may be either competitive or cooperative. Competitive communicators tend to be slightly aggressive and view the player as a threat or enemy whereas a cooperative communicator, which is more appropriate, is assertive rather than aggressive and looks for mutually acceptable solutions.

Being assertive illustrates your confidence in the subject and doesn't offend players or discourage them from contributing

From a coaching perspective, the communication principles include:

• Honesty
• Presenting clear and simple information
• Listening to all players
• Gaining attention before presenting information
• Appropriate tone and volume of voice
• Reading body language
• Keeping a positive approach
• Knowledge of the subject and appropriate terminology
  

Types of communication include:

• Feedback to the group post training
• Pre-match motivational talk
• Presenting video footage of opposition
• Setting individual and group goals
• Mentoring
• Resolving conflict between players
• Written materials such as moves or training planner
  

From a team perspective, a player should be encouraged to communicate with all other players and understand their role in the group.

Building trust amongst players is imperative - they begin to understand each other and develop rapport. Players also need to adapt their behaviour to enhance the team culture.

Individuals are vital to a team and their willingness to adapt their behaviour in order to enhance the team performance is crucial

Examples of team spirit enhancing strategies include:

• Fun warm-ups
• Non rugby games i.e. Aussie rules or soccer
• Pre-season tours
• Social events e.g. trip to the races
• Seminars i.e. similar to the Application Example

To be a successful coach , you need to be in the right frame of mind, have a plan and deliver your coaching in a way that engages and invigorates your players. It's about being motivated and prepared mentally too.

The training manual, Motivating Your Team for Their Best Ever Season can help.