Video
Establish A Supportive Team Culture
Description
In partnersnip with the Project Play
Create a safe space that supports social and emotional skill development
Supportive team culture in youth sport is built by displaying and encouraging positive attitudes and language, caring behaviors and effective emotion management.
PRACTICE SPOTLIGHT
- Set high expectations and clear limits on behavior
- Get trained in the basics of coaching techniques, including the prevention of physical, emotional and sexual abuse
- Start and end practices on time
- Establish a code of conduct that prohibits bullying and creates meaningful consequences
- Incorporate team-building activities throughout the season to create dedicated opportunities for building relationships among coaches and teammates
- Create specific responsibilities to provide leadership opportunities for players, e.g. Stretch Captain, Equipment Captain or Cheer Captain, and rotate these youth leadership opportunities
- Allow youth athletes to make and correct missteps as leaders
- Create community by adopting practices such as composing a team cheer, selecting a team name, logo or slogan, or incorporating team-building activities into games and practices
- Give youth athletes the opportunity to clearly define their goals and objectives
- Engage all youth athletes in co-creating and setting positive norms, rules and routines for practices and games and work with them to consistently reinforce the structure