Connection Matters

Humans love community and connection. 

Those of us who play and coach team sports love being part of a tribe. Beyond love of the game, team members thrive on the interactions and shared experiences, love to hang out with friends and value the relationships and bonds that are formed.

When we are physically connected with each other there is a special feeling of belonging. 

Connection stimulates positive emotions and feelings of connectedness with our teammates which produces a powerful social bonding hormone called oxytocin.

Today, athletes are missing the in person connection with their teammates. They are missing the adrenalin rush of being on the field or court together or just plain hanging out. 

If there is ever a time to be connected with their teammates - It is now!

What can coaches do now to keep their athletes connected and engaged with each other?  

Here are Three Connection Tips That Coaches Can Do Now!

Communicate with Athletes - the Head Coach should take this opportunity to connect virtually with each player 15 minutes every other week.  Let it be the athlete’s meeting to talk about things that are on their mind. They might be feeling a lot of stress and anxiety. Listen to them, be compassionate and at the same time optimistic.  You might have an athlete who is going through a tough time and might need to talk to a professional, perhaps the school’s sport psychologist; a trained individual can help them shift their perspective and thought patterns. The psychological impact of Covid-19 cannot be underestimated.  I cannot stress how important it is for head coaches to use this valuable time to connect with each player one-on-one.

Team Building “Fun Virtual Events” - talk with your team captains and ask them what they would suggest.  Team captains are usually the best resource to gauge what would resonate with their teammates. This is a time to create virtual social bonding activities with your athletes. Try utilizing platforms popular with your Gen Z athletes like Tik Tok, Instagram or others to create team contests or live video chats. You may have to rely on your team leaders to suggest platforms. Bonus: You will learn about these platforms if you don’t already know about them and become open to utilizing them in the future.

Provide Updated Information - conduct informative and brief virtual team meetings. 

Include the support staff on the virtual call to provide updates. Utilize on-line platforms to upload important information including:  academic updates, game clips, motivational videos, nutritional tips, strength & conditioning workouts and other information that is pertinent to keep them moving forward this semester.  Keep players and families in the loop.

Plan for the future - in addition to staying connected we need to be planning for the future as well. A time will come when we will gather again and play again. We hope things will return to the old schedule, but there may be some transition periods.

Here are a few questions for you to think about:

What can coaches be doing now in preparation for a return to activity?  

What do you think the environment might look like when we get back to work and school?  How can you create a smooth transition?

Remember, there is no playbook to follow. We don’t have a clear map. 

But what we do have is our leadership, our experience and our creativity. 

Let’s use it.

Namaste,

Cathy