Developing a Team in Sports - Case Study Example

Running Head: DEVELOPING A TEAM Name Course Instructor Date Developing a Team Normally, the number of members in a soccer team varying based on different league requirements. In Sydney college football club, the team comprises 24 people. Twenty of these individuals are the key players whereas four of these members are the soccer leader. The football team has been working together towards ensuring that there are the best within Sydney. Normally, one eleven members of a soccer team play and therefore the other members act as substitute and are cycled though each game. Each of the members has a specific task he/she is required to do. Members here are divided into quarterback who is the leader of the team; centre who normally snaps the ball to the quarterback, running back is the player who is involved in running with the football. Additionally, there is a fullback player who is responsible for running back as well as blocking the ball finally, there is the wide receiver who is the player who quickness and speed to elude defenders as well as catching the ball. The team has various defined rules that require each member to follow. In soccer team are defined as a number of people with a certain set of performance and are committed to a common goal as well as approach for which they hold themselves as mutually accountable. Teams in sport industry are being relied on to enhance performance and therefore there have been emphasis to create strong and effective teams. With increased recognition of sporting activities, most sports teams have developed key strategies to enhance their team leadership. In my recent experience in a soccer team, I realized that individual team members have different opinions, perception and ideas from each other and therefore need to respect one another opinion. From this, it is necessary that to adjust team system and strategies both inside and outside the field often. An Example, recently, we had two team captains who had very different personalities; one was not verbal while the other was effervescent. In order to accommodate these two as leaders of the soccer team it was necessary to adjust their time so that these two can have separate time in coaching their team members. Clearly, you can never change team individual personalities but it is important to ensure each team leader performs activities depending on his capabilities. From the experience with these two team leaders I understood trying to change the personalities of team members can result into conflict and thus poor performance by the soccer team. At times the youngest or rather the newest team members can be the best leaders and therefore there is need to assist them realise their full potential. It is necessary that in such a scenario you encourage them to step forward and take leadership roles while at the same time showing respect for seasoned team individuals (Kets De Vries, 1999). Leadership is perceived to be plural and not singular and in that case, when developing senior leaders’ skills you do not neglect freshman opportunities so that they work together to enhance team performance. In my engagement with my home based soccer team, I realized that there was a young soccer member who had leadership and communication team that if effectively used can enhance teamwork. I tried not to assume that just because someone is old should be the leaders but select a leader due to his ability. Often, individuals do not realise how other members are looking up for them for leadership as they normally do not realise their influence and power they have (Oliver, 2001). In the Sydney college football club, positive team experiences come from using the team members’ personal abilities to enhance the whole team effectiveness. This requires the understanding that being in a perfect team is not random but rather it is a key function of one relationship behavior and what one constantly does with others (Leoni et al, 2001). Decisions made by several individuals who plainly share data, opinions and experiences are approximately always enhanced, more pioneering, long term decisions that those made by a single person. Efficient team meetings are possibly the single most significant component in team success. While persons contribute much, their assembly together as a synergistic team produces more. A well-run assembly not only accomplishes its charge goal but motivates and excites team members. An assembly that is not fruitful due to unfortunate planning or conflict has just the contradictory result on team members. They lose self assurance in their capability to achieve something, and many choose to contribute only minimally (Leoni et al, 2001). Further, it is quite evident that enhanced team work performance call for effective and strong leadership. Clearly, I believe in finding leadership in much unexpected places. It is evident within my home based soccer team, they are uneven motivation and talent and to ensure the team function effectively, it is necessary to explore this uneven talent (Leoni et al, 2001). The question that is important to bear in mind is how you draw on the full range of talent within a team to ensure maximum performance (Scarnati, 2001). The wide variety of team members’ motivation and skills played an important role in building a strong team work. While most soccer team focus on listening to other talents before you can be at a position to give advice, I have tried to shun that culture in the home based team so as to encourage maximum interaction between the players. Normally, people give credit or blame for a give team performance to the various team leaders. It is important to let all members to be accountable for their results. A coach while focusing on individual players in assisting them to succeed it is necessary to also assist them learns how to assist the other team members (Kets De Vries, 1999). Luca and Tarricone (2001) maintain that, the development of teamwork is an important element in all teams and therefore to have a good degree of teamwork and understanding among individuals. Evidently, provisional nature of soccer requires an understanding of the highest level as well as dedication by the team members. As a couch, there is need to develop good relationship with all the players. From observation, it is quite evident that players play as much for their coach, themselves and all the other team members (Johnson, Heimann and O'Neill, 2000). This is therefore importance since developing a certain personal interest in their development both on and off field is necessary towards getting members to understand one another. Luca and Tarricone (2001) maintain that, vision plays an important role in driving the performance of the soccer members and thus need to share with them. From my home based soccer team, I have observed that it is easier to get members to work beyond this limits whenever there have shared ownership of the purpose and vision of the team. Additionally, a coach is expected to treat every member fairly so as to ensure harmony within the team. Additionally, having harmony in a soccer team ensure individual develop a common focus and thus maintaining team bond throughout the long season (Scarnati, 2001). Flynn (1997) maintains that, team work in sport offers some ground which individuals can compete together. In soccer, the coach of the team can make his objective to motivate every individual of his team to give out their all so as to win in the league championship. It is important that winning is not everything but ensuring there is a healthy competition is necessary (Lorenz, Arundel, Lundvall and Valeyre, 2006). Working towards a common goal can enable individuals the value of hard work, dedication as well as commitment. Within the home based soccer, it is necessary to build life skills. Flynn (1997) maintain that, team work can assists team members to assists in giving participants stronger and effective communication skills to constantly work better with other individuals. On team, people accomplish more that what they could have done in their individual level. Observably, team work has proven to maximize strength while at the same time minimizes weaknesses (Leoni et al, 2001). Clearly, various individual weaknesses can largely be minimized through the efforts’ displayed by a team. In soccer, a weaker lineman receives assistance from team members to assists help block an opponent and the pass is completed fruitfully (Johnson, Heimann and O'Neill, 2000). Additionally, weaknesses’ within a soccer team can be reduced through giving much focus on the areas of strengths’. Sporting is fun when individual within a team cooperate and dedicate their efforts’ on achieving common goals. Clearly, it is necessary to build on members ideas and share amongst everyone so as to have mutually agreeable decisions. Research indicates that laughter and having lots of fun assist in reducing stress and thus increasing the effectiveness on the sporting activities. Coach need to ensure that people are treated fairly. Having favorites is known to disrupt harmony and thus equal treatment guarantees there is effective team development (Leoni, et al, 2001). In today soccer world, there is rapid turnover among soccer star players just as many organizations are facing churn on the talented employees. It is quite evident that the world is becoming more globalised and thus increased competition. We are currently dealing with the fast changing team environment and therefore developing a competitive edge enhancing team performance (Scarnati, 2001). In my experience, the best team have also have standards and objective which everyone owns. It is quite evident that teams that are always winning in soccer are normally the one who work closely together. Learning how to cooperate with other members towards a certain goal in sport is what builds character among team members. Friendships that are normally built within a can exists lifetime with some member it is a journey throughout a season (Lorenz, Arundel, Lundvall and Valeyre, 2006). An effective team work has many advantages namely; it is possible to tackle various complex issues through sharing of ideas, various problems are largely exposed to greater experience, skills and knowledge, team work largely boost morale as well as ownership through engaging in participative decision making and finally, recommendations have a higher likelihood to be implemented that when they are seen to come from an individual (Fisher, Hunter and Macrosson, 1997). The following components needs are required in enhancing team work; The wide variety of team members’ motivation and skills played an important role in building a strong team work. While most soccer team focus on listening to other talents before you can be at a position to give advice, I have tried to shun that culture in the home based team so as to encourage maximum interaction between the players. Normally, people give credit or blame for a give team performance to the various team leaders. It is important to let all members to be accountable for their results. A coach while focusing on individual players in assisting them to succeed it is necessary to also assist them learns how to assist the other team members. In conclusion, while in soccer people mind is geared towards winning games, the key focus should be on long term development of members’ ideas and attitudes. Coaches’ key focus based on long term development of players as opposed to short term goals. Clearly, coaches are required to encourage players to play in all position and not to focus on one area they know so as to assist in the overall development of soccer players. According to Luca and Oliver (2001), coaches should always realise that they are the role models and thus their actions and behavior should be in line with the defined rules. To learn about the various strategies that are found in soccer, it is important for one to become a student first. Firstly, there is need to listen to the coach and be open to ask questions about the game. Soccer is normally a game whereby individuals should enhance their creativity. Teamwork is a pert that usually makes team soccer to be fun to watch and play. References Fisher, S. G., Hunter, T. A., & Macrosson, W. D. K. (1997). Team or group? Managers' perceptions of the differences. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 12(4), 232-242. Flynn, G. (1997). How do you know if your work teams work? Workforce, 76 (5), May p. 7 Johnson, P. R., Heimann, V. L., & O'Neill, K. (2000). The wolf pack: team dynamics for the 21st century. Journal of Workplace Learning: Employee Counselling Today, 12(4), 159-164. Kets De Vries, M.F.R. (1999) High-performance teams: Lessons from the Pygmies. Organisational Dynamics,Winter, p. 66-77. Leoni, R. et al,(2001). New work practices in Italy. Adoption and performance effects , University of Bergamo, Italy Lorenz, E., Arundel, A., Lundvall, B.Å. and Valeyre, A., (2006)The organisation of work and innovative performance: A comparison of the EU15 , Paper prepared for the 11th International Schumpeter Society Conference, Sophia Antipolis, 21-24 June 2006. Luca, J., & Oliver, R. (2001). Developing Generic Skills through On-line Courses. Paper presented at the Ed- Media 2001, Tampere, Finland. Luca, J., & Tarricone, P. (2001). Does emotional intelligence affect successful teamwork? Proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education at the ASCILITE, p. 367 – 376, Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Oliver, R. (2001). Developing e-learning environments that support knowledge construction in higher education. Presented at the 2nd International We-B Conference, p. 407 – 416. Perth, Western Australia. Scarnati, J. T. (2001). On becoming a team player. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 7(1/2), 5-10. Read More