To establish team cohesion, we need to have group-relational strategies to help the team come together. This team cohesion strategy can also serve as a great opportunity to impart character. Remember, part of a coach’s job is to put kids in trying situations and help shepherd them towards perseverance, proven character, and hope. With this strategy, in a short period of time camaraderie can be forged and character can be strengthened as teammates learn to stick it out together.
Strategy Overview
One high school basketball coach told us about an annual canoe trip that always brings his players together. Before they leave, each player is asked to bring some canned vegetables from home. The coach brings a big pot from the school along with some beef stock. The team usually leaves on a Friday afternoon and then enjoys the rest of whatever daylight is available to ride down the river. The first night, they combine all of the ingredients and warm up the stew while setting up their tents. If it’s not raining, the weather is usually hot and humid. As the kids fill up their bowls, they tend to complain about the poor conditions and the stew, which barely gets touched. At the end of the second day, the team eats a little more than the previous meal. The conversation picks up and the kids no longer seem to mind their less-than-desirable living quarters. The next morning, the players finish off the rest of the stew for breakfast and enthusiastically talk about how good it tastes. The coach never ceases to be amazed at the drastic change in attitude between the first day and the third day.
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