University of Georgia Athletics
Ask Suzanne: How Do You Promote Team Bonding?
March 05, 2009 | Gymnastics
Jennifer in Gilberts, Ga. asks...
What types of things do you do as a coach to promote team bonding?
First off, we teach our team the importance of Team cohesiveness in our drive for each gymnast to be the best she can be. They have to believe it is important before they will embrace the concepts. Because of our success, it is not difficult to get everyone on board and listening.
Team building is a process and cohesiveness can not be reached if there is no respect for one another and for each others differences. We teach concepts and hope that the girls will embrace them. For us, it is not about so much about specific things we do, but about our attitudes and beliefs about one another. I do not mandate a lot of team activities. I believe when the girls plan things themselves, it is more real and more affective so we encourage a lot of social time together.
