During the weeks of training camp, coaches teach players the plays, schemes, and techniques they need to know in order to have success during the season. But, more importantly, coaches are developing a team that will work together to accomplish the mission.
During the year I was born, 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman came up with the development sequence that describes the path a team follows on their way to high performance. He labeled the four stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, and performing.
The “forming” stage is the beginning when a new team is formed. Individuals will be unsure of the team’s purpose, how they fit in, and whether they will work well with one another. Players will be anxious, curious, and excited to get going during this stage. They will be looking to the team leaders for direction, and coaches need to be clear, concise, and candid in their directions and expectations.
Next comes the “storming” stage when conflict or friction can arise between team members competing for positions on the depth chart or with team leaders as they challenge their authority. Left unchecked, this can lead to confrontations and simmering tensions. This stage can make or break a team. Again, as coaches, we are responsible for reinforcing expectations and aligning behaviors toward the culture we want to create.
When properly guided through the storming stage, the team moves into the “norming” stage. People start to resolve their differences, appreciate one another’s strengths, have more respect for team leaders, and begin to work together with a shared commitment to the team’s goals. The elements of culture we’ve been working on all spring and through summer OTAs are becoming natural and common.
When teammates develop a common purpose, common vision, common values, and common goals, we enter the “performing” stage where differences among members are valued and used to enhance team performance to work at its full potential. We’ve grown to become interdependent, value each other’s contributions, and demonstrate proficiency at the scale of the team. As Coaches, we look to reinforce the very best aspects of teamwork, camaraderie, character, and culture.
As stated in previous blogs, we do not end our last practice of each day with a demoralizing conditioning drill that has little translation to increased athletic and team performance. Rather, we play full-speed team-building games requiring athletes to work together, use strategy, and make good decisions while they are running, changing direction, accelerating, and decelerating. They are working through Tuckman’s phases, getting conditioned, and increasing athletic performance without even knowing it. They think they are just playing and having fun. As playing football should be.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
O Line Skills 