Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Understanding Team Personalities: Real Teams Aren’t Fantasy Sports

Understanding Team Personalities: Real Teams Aren’t Fantasy Sports

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Nov 12, 2019

No Comments

When it comes to the composition of a team, be it in sports, the workplace, or even a music band, you would think that success ultimately depends on getting the best players/people.  Interestingly, successful teams are often not just a set of the best individuals, but instead a collection of people that compliment and work well together.  Delving deeper, the implication here is that potential problems exist when only selecting the most talented individuals for a team, and there may be great potential in teams that aren’t the best “on paper,” but are instead comprised of members that like, support, and pull for one another.

Teams in real life aren’t like teams in fantasy sports

If you have ever played fantasy sports then you know the game is entirely about  getting the best players with the best stats.  In fantasy sports, egos and personalities don’t matter, thereby making team dynamics a moot point.  The players on your fantasy team don’t complain about playing time, playing out of position, or the players around him/her, unlike in the real world where real players complain about those kinds of issues all the time.  In the real world, team members deal with bruised egos and team conflicts, making the job of a coach far more complex than simply putting the best players out there.  Great coaches, therefore, tend to wear many hats, including teacher, psychologist, spirit leader, and enforcer, to name a few.

Getting team dynamics right is a big deal, making the role of a coach/leader arguably much bigger than you might think.  In fact, there are even concerns when a team gets along too well and run the risk of groupthink.  The team dynamic issue of groupthink occurs when thinking or making decisions as a group discourages creativity or individual responsibility because team members don’t feel secure enough to speak out about their concerns, so they instead put out less individual effort and simply “go along with the flow.”

Building teams is like cooking a great meal

If you have ever tried to cook your own meals you have probably come away with a true appreciation for professionals who cook for a living.  When the average person goes into a kitchen and begins to prepare a meal, it is not uncommon to experience frustration and stress relating to not having the right ingredients, over-/under-cooking foods, and/or not getting the spices and seasonings right.  For example, if you enjoy making a pot of spicy chili, you know there is a very delicate balance here — not enough hot peppers and the result is a bland dish, but one too many peppers and you risk not being able to eat the chili because it ends up being too spicy.

Coaches, regardless of whether it’s sports or business, risk these same problems when composing a team.  How many vocal leaders do we need?  Where is our team toughness going to come from?  Who is going to step up and lead in the areas of integrity, hard work, and doing things right?  Who will be our role players who do what is asked without hesitation or reservation?  Getting these team dynamics right is like making a great pot of chili and takes into account how everything works together, not just on its own.

Final thoughts

While having the best players isn’t a bad thing for a coach to deal with, it’s important to remember that talent alone may not be enough — especially if your players don’t work well together.  Getting players into the right positions, massaging personalities, creating opportunities for players to speak up, and creating a culture where players “buy in” to the team are important tasks for coaches if the end goal is winning.

drstankovich.com

Coaching, dynamics, groupthink, Leadership, psychology, sport, team

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • March 22, 2023 Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • March 20, 2023 Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • March 14, 2023 Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • March 13, 2023 3 Important Tips for Today’s Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • February 26, 2023 The Most Important Sports “Ability” Might Surprise You

PREVIOUS POST

The Top 5 Ways to Start (Or Stop) a Habit

NEXT POST

Learn the Most Important Question Every Kid Should Ask the Coach

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Coach , Coaching , College , Emotional Intelligence , Leadership , Performance Enhancement , Playing Time , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sports Leadership , Sports Performance Science , Team Building , Team Chemistry , Team Cohesion , Uncategorized , Youth Sports

Tags

Coaching, dynamics, groupthink, Leadership, psychology, sport, team

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • The Psychology Behind Breaking Bad Habits
  • What has Happened to Free Play and Recreational Sports for Kids?
  • The Importance of Efficiency Applied to Success & Productivity
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • Accident Prone & Forgetful? Poor Stress Coping May be the Reason
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓