Building team culture in sports is no easy task, but it is very much worth it if the desired goal is a fun team that plays at a high level. Coaches are regularly tasked with developing team culture, or an environment where every player feels appreciated and respected — regardless of athletic talent. Great coaches today instill a team standard that is expected from all players, but has it always been this way historically? Or did coaches from the past simply find the best players and let team culture develop naturally, if at all?
Connie Mack’s Code of Conduct
The late Connie Mack managed the Athletics professional baseball team for 50 years, from 1900-1950. Mack is in the major League Baseball Hall of Fame, and widely discussed as the greatest manager in baseball history having won over 3,700 games. Was Mack’s success simply a product of having good players all those years, or did he proactively create a team culture designed to maximize the commitment and productivity of each player? Surprisingly, even though professional sports were very new in America when Mack began his career, Mack saw the value in developing a code of conduct explicitly stating team expectations from each player designed to contribute to the highest level of team success. From this perspective, Connie Mack was a man ahead of his time.
We are 75 years removed from when Connie Mack last managed a baseball game, but his code of conduct remains just as important today as it did in 1950. How would your team do if the following expectations were posted in the locker room?
- I will always play the game to the best of my ability.
- I will always play to win, but if I lose, I will not look for an excuse to detract from my opponent’s victory.
- I will never take an unfair advantage in order to win.
- I will always abide by the rules of the game—on the diamond as well as in my daily life.
- I will always conduct myself as a true sportsman—on and off the playing field.
- I will always strive for the good of the entire team rather than for my own glory.
- I will never gloat in victory or pity myself in defeat.
- I will do my utmost to keep myself clean—physically, mentally, and morally.
- I will always judge a teammate or an opponent as an individual and never on the basis of race or religion.
Are the words alone powerful enough to build a winner? Or is it simply the fact that a coach cared enough to take the time to express what he feels would help each player on the team? Or did the code of conduct allow each player to pause, self-reflect, and evaluate if he is living up to the expected standard?
Today, athletes at all levels are regularly criticized for playing for themselves, being self-absorbed, and acting out like sore losers when they are victims of bad officiating or lose an important game. And yes, even kids at the youth sport level engage in these behaviors. Connie Mack’s message was about self-discipline, pride, fairness, and respecting the opponent. Do we still prioritize those same qualities today?
While Connie Mack doesn’t get credit for the importance of team culture in sports, maybe he should. Playing together as a team for a greater good doesn’t always just happen naturally, but it does often come about when coaches and team leaders clearly identify expectations, promote unconditional fairness and respect, and put forth effort for the team, not just individuals. This type of team building approach improves focus, motivation, and resiliency, the most common qualities found on great teams.
Final thoughts
While athletes from 100+ years might look different, the elements of what makes up great team culture is the same today as it has always been. Treat people right, build them up, maintain consistent rules, create healthy expectations, and create an environment of accountability — teams that uphold these standards and expectations often over-achieve and maximize team success as a result. Rather than focusing on cutting corners, cheating where you can, and blaming others for your tough days, Connie Mack preached about how doing it right can lead to optimal team results. Great words then, and perhaps even more powerful today.
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