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Teambuilding Tricks and Treats
By Jamie Gau, Champlin Park Dance Team
Coach
One of the most challenging tasks as a coach takes place almost
immediately following your tryout period.Ý You have a group of individuals
all with a passion for performance and competition and now they
must instantly get along, respect one another, have fun, be the
best of friends, and bond as a cohesive unit.Ý And you, as the coach,
are responsible for facilitating this enormous task.Ý What do you
do?Ý Where do you start?
Immediately following the feelings of elation and excitability
your team has gone through after they have each ìmade the teamî
come numerous other doubts and questions floating around in their
head:Ý ìWhat am I doing here?,Ý Am I making a good contribution
to the team?, Who are all of these other people?, Can I get along
with them?, How are we going to work together?, Are we going to
be successful this season?î In order to tackle these issues
to increase team motivation and performance, facilitating some simple
teambuilding ìtricks and treatsî is a must.
Task 1:Ý Getting to Know You
Getting to know each other is important not only to remember what
each otherís names are, but is also essential to building a community
with your team. Creating a community focuses on making team members
feel that they belong, that their contributions are valued and they
are a part of a whole that cannot function without their role.
Some strategies to promote community building with your team:
-
Have all members write a question on a sheet of paper and hand
them to the coach.Ý Think of original or silly questions (not
a yes or no reply) that provoke conversation or make the discussion
interesting.Ý [Ex:Ý If you could turn into an animal whenever
you wanted which one would you pick and why?]Ý Have everyone
sit in a circle, draw a question and answer.
-
Divide your team by grade level.Ý Have each grade level think
of a cheer to introduce them selves representing the seniors,
juniors, etc.Ý Give prizes for the best/ most creative/ silliest
cheer.
-
Blanket game-- Divide your team in 2 and separate them with
a blanket or sheet (make sure it is not transparent).Ý While
sitting, the entire team must fit behind the blanket so the
other half cannot see them.Ý The coaches/advisors hold the ends
of the blanket and are standing between the two halves.Ý Assign
each side to quietly pick one member of their team to
sit close up to the blanket.Ý After both sides have chosen,
count to 3 and drop the blanketóthe first one to say the otherís
name is the winner!Ý The winner stays on the team, the ìloserî
is out and must leave and sit on the side.
Task 2:Ý How can we be a team?
Finding out more of who our other team members are creates a team
identity.Ý Forming a team identity by working on and accomplishing
things together helps your group learn the importance of functioning
as a team instead of individuals.ÝÝ It puts them in tune with the
other talents and skills on the team and contributes to learning
about trust and respect. These activities also increase team spirit
and help your team to have fun!
Some strategies to promote a team identity:
1. Scavenger huntóAs a coach or
advisor make a list of various items to be found.Ý Depending on
your surroundings tailor your list to fit items that are possible
to locate.Ý A good place to start is with items people carry with
them.Ý Most of the time girls carry purses; some things I like to
include are nail files, change (pick specific dates to find), lotion,
etc.Ý Divide your team into groups of 3 or 4 people; give a time
limit or prizes as options.
-
Lap sit-- Have your group sit in a circle, turn to their right
and take small steps towards the center until they are very
close to the people next to them.Ý On the count of three everyone
slowly sits down.Ý Everyone needs to help the person in front
sit in their lap and not worry about where they are sitting
for this to work.Ý The key is that everyone must take care of
each otherÖthis is the foundation of teamwork and can only work
if everyone is helping.ÝÝÝÝ As a challenge try walking in your
circle after everyone has sat.
-
Human knotóEveryone stands in a circle shoulder to shoulder.Ý
All members put their right hand in the middle and grab anotherís
hand.Ý When all hands are paired repeat with left hands.Ý The
group must untie the ìknotî without letting go of their hands.
ÝÝThe end result is a large circle with everyone holding hands.
This activity usually helps the natural leaders emerge and creates
good discussion and problem solving among your group!
Task 3:Ý Keeping the motivation/ ìDe-stressingî practice
ÝIn the beginning of the season it is easy to motivate your team.Ý
Everyone is excited to be back or be a part of the team; everyone
is working hard and getting along great.Ý However, as time goes
on your team may become sluggish, unmotivated, tired, stressed out,
and crabby.Ý To lift spirits and re-energize your team donít forget
to keep up those teambuilding games and remind your team that practice
can be fun!
Some strategies to re-energize your team:
-
Jump rope gameóAssign 2 members (or use advisors/coaches) to
be the twirlers.Ý The object of the game is to get the entire
team to run through the turning rope without touching it.Ý One
member runs through at a time, if at any point someone hits
the rope, the entire team must start over.Ý To increase
the difficulty, have each person jump once, twice, etc. before
running out.
-
Hand gameóEveryone forms a circle standing shoulder to shoulder.Ý
Have your group lay on the floor where they are standing so
they are on their stomachs, propping themselves up on their
elbows.Ý All hands cross with the people next to you- right
over left.Ý One person starts by slapping their hand on the
floor, the next hand in line (going clockwise) slaps next, and
so on, keeping the ìslapsî rotating around the circle.Ý If a
member forgets to slap or slaps at the wrong time they must
remove their hand out of the game.Ý Once both hands are removed
they are out.Ý To increase difficulty, add more options:Ý a
pounded fist reverses the slaps; a double slap skips one hand.
-
Peer PressureóCircle your team up so everyone is close enough
to grab their neighborís elbows.Ý Everyone raises an arm in
the air.Ý Pick one person to point at someone across from them
in the circle.Ý Once chosen, that person lowers their hand and
points at a different person and so on until everyone is pointing
at someone different.Ý Now that everyone knows who pointed at
them you can start.Ý The leader begins by doing something simple
(like scratching their head).Ý The person they pointed at has
to copy them, the person who pointed at the 2nd person
copies them, and so on.Ý You end up with a chain reaction of
events.Ý The leader can change motions, getting sillier or more
difficult, but the object is to copy only what your ìpartnerî
is doing.Ý After a few seconds watch your team wriggle and moveÖitís
guaranteed to get your team giggling again!
Teambuilding games are almost always the trick to getting your
team to work together, learn to respect one another, and have fun.Ý
With a demanding practice and performance schedule, school activities,
personal lives, and family events, donít forget to make those important
connections with your team up front and to continue teambuilding
traditions all season long.Ý It will make your bond stronger, increase
team motivation and dedication, and keep your group refreshed and
coming back stronger!
Jamie Gau
Champlin Park Dance Team Coach
Jamie.gau@anoka.k12.mn.us
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