Why Teams Fail

Why Teams Fail

By: Shaun Smith- Performance Mental Coach

Hockey is a great team sport. There has never been a team that has won the Stanley Cup because of one elite athlete. Hockey teams win because they work together to become something greater than they are as individual hockey players. A great hockey team can be compared to a large dogsled team. When the dog team is running together they can pull a lot of weight quite quickly but when one dog decides that he no longer wants to work or decides he wants to go another direction the entire team is brought down. Hockey teams are very similar. A great example was the growth of Lee Stempniak after being traded to Phoenix from Toronto. In Toronto he was struggling to get points but once he joined the Phoenix Coyotes he had an offensive explosion. When interviewed about his recent success Stempniak attributed his point explosion to his new team who were closer knit than any team he had ever seen.

Great hockey teams win because of the group not the individuals. Look at the teams which were unable to earn a playoff spot and you will find that these teams failed to come together as a team or had one or two squeaky wheels. So what is it that these teams fail to do? The list is long but here are some of the factors that I have found lead to unsuccessful teams in my work with teams:

• Moaning and Complaining- When teammates moan and complain it brings down the moral of the entire team.
• Blaming Other People- Teams that fail often do so because they blame each other or people outside of the team for their setbacks. Blaming others is often an easy scapegoat. Instead of having to deal with issues as a team and investing the energy on working on what actually resulted in the setback to ensure it won’t happen again these teams spend their energy blaming other people. The other people can range from referees, league officials, schedule makers, media and the other teams.

• Inability Or Reluctance To Deal With Issues- Teams that I have worked with that fail often do not deal with issues regarding the team at all. They are often very reluctant to buy in to what the team is trying to do. This creates a wave throughout the team where little work is being done and the players begin to hate what they are doing. This can often lead to tempers flaring within the dressing room.

• Dominating Negative Thoughts- Teams that are negative very seldom win. It is often hard to tell which one came first the negative thoughts or the negative results but one thing is for certain is that the two feed off each other creating more negative energy and even worse results. It is almost entirely impossible to be negative as a team and still experience success. Yet for many teams they don’t want to be negative however the negative thoughts often silently attack the players.

• Small Cliques Within The Team- Teams that fail often do not come together as a group. Instead they create small cliques within the team. These cliques often create a gang sort of mentality where their group is better. This does not allow the team to play as a group but often creates more negative thoughts and actions within the team’s environment. Teams who spend time together and whose players are willing to get to know each other are the teams which experience success.

• Deferring Tough Decisions- Teams that fail often are unable to make the big decisions. Who to trade, who to bring in, should the athlete receive surgery or not are all examples of tough decisions which are often not made. As a result of the tough decisions not being made the team often sits in lieu without a definite answer. This often can create tension within the dressing room, especially if it involves the future of one or more of the players.

• Over Reliance On Team Captains Or Star Players- Teams that don’t win do so often because they rely too heavily on their leaders or star players to make it all happen. I have seen this time and time again. The coach and players almost seem to hide behind the star player in hopes that they can all jump on his back and he can carry them the way. The problem with this is that hockey is a team sport and as so needs the entire team to be working towards a goal. When the star player can no longer score or becomes injured the team suffers.

·         Lack Of Team Commitment- Team commitment is probably the biggest predictor of if the team is going to win or lose on any given night. Teams who are committed to a team system that they believe could work are often the teams who win. If one or more of the players does not believe in the system or is not committed to doing the work to implement the system the team will fail. Commitment is doing whatever is necessary to win. This could often mean a change in role for one or more of the players to a less attractive role but when the players put the we before the me and accept the less attractive role teams win.

What team will win this year’s Stanley Cup is anyone’s guess but what I do know is that the team that will win the cup will need more than just talent to be successful. Great hockey teams need a shared vision and a commitment to achieve success. This often starts with the leaders including the coaches. This is why some of the smartest coaches I have ever worked with have recognized the need to bring myself in to ensure that the team can grow as a collective whole instead of a group of individuals. Yet many teams still believe that naturally things will come together. Unfortunately this seldom works and this is why teams who are favored to win often lose. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com
Copyright 2009 by Absolute Mental Training, LTD
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