In volleyball, the team dynamic is as important as any skill you can master on the court. Talent can sometimes be trumped by the internal strife your team is experiencing and can compromise your team's ability to play at the highest level.
A team's dynamic can be thrown off kilter in many ways. Perhaps there was an incident between players or their parents on or off the court that has damaged their relationship. Perhaps a coach and a player had a falling out over playing time or coaching style that is affecting the rest of the team. It could be that a player made a huge mistake that got them removed from the team altogether and left a hole that everyone is feeling deeply.
Whatever the issue, the worst course to take is to let the matter go and hope that the problem will resolve itself. It won't. In fact, it is more likely to fester with time and corrupt everything you are trying to do with your team.
Address the problem right away and your team gains a chance to move through it and emerge on the other side better for the opportunity to challenge themselves. Here are five tips for opening up the conversation and handling the problem.
- Listen
- Identify
- Address
- Apologize
- Be Patient
