Teamwork leads to success: study

Team-building events may be just as important as drills on winning a faceoff or catching an infield fly.

A new study released by the University of Lethbridge says team bonding initiatives can bring players greater success in their chosen sport — and keep them active longer.

“When players experience high amounts of social identity, they’re more likely to have joy and success in that sport,” reports Danny Balderson, an associate professor with the U of L education faculty, in a news release.

They’re also more likely to return for another season, he says, “and to be more physically active throughout their life.”

Balderson was part of a research team, led by former U of L sports psychologist Luc Martin. It spent a year meeting with teams and coaches across southern Alberta, and interviewed 480 players in junior and senior high.

“The research is saying that if you devote some time to social identity, your team will do better in the end,” Balderson says.

“When the coach can make everyone feel like they’re part of something, that’s where the positive results come.”

Coaches can do that, he adds, by making a point of praising a player’s contributions to the team, letting them know it makes a difference , and encouraging them to continue.

They can also use some kind of team ritual — maybe just a pregame cheer — to help players feel more connected.

When teens value their team membership, the study found, they are more likely to be committed to the sport and their team — and to put out greater effort.

And teams of players with a high degree of “social identity” nurtured that way, win more games.

The study results have been published in several academic journals, and presented recently at the SHAPE America physical education and coaching conference in Nashville.

Follow @DMabellHerald on Twitter