| Ok so you have been on a few softball or soccer | | | | of positive. So let's say we have to show some year |
| teams where there is one good kid who plays much | | | | olds how to be a better soccer team. Would it be |
| better then all the rest. Most of the games he/she | | | | better to tell them what they did wrong or to tell them |
| carries the team and it is expected that he/she will | | | | what they did right? Yeah, you got it. Stick with the |
| raise to any occasion if needed. How do you deal with | | | | positive here. So in order to get them on the right track, |
| this as a coach? What is the reason for the team? To | | | | break down the task at hand and feed them a part at |
| win right? That should be simple then. Play the good | | | | a time. In the example we are trying to show them |
| kid all the time. Wrong and here is why.We will take a | | | | how to pass the ball more effectively. What is involved |
| not so big step from youth sports to military training. | | | | in this? Well we have the ability to understand where |
| What do they have in common? Just about | | | | to shoot the ball in the first place. To the open stop or |
| everything. Lets take a look at it more closely. They | | | | right to the player. That would depend on some guide |
| both have individuals of different abilities when they | | | | lines so take the simpler, pass the player. Next we |
| start. They have one goal. Many ways to achieve it. | | | | have the act of kicking the ball straight and hard |
| Rules to play (or fight as it were) within. They have to | | | | enough. Then we have the act of receiving the ball |
| hang together to be effective. And they have to like | | | | without it bouncing off our foot and away from |
| one another.There are two aspects to a team. First its | | | | us.Don't line up the group and ask them to pass one |
| physical aspect. How fast it is. How strong and so on. | | | | another. Why? Because you will have some kids who |
| Then we have the mental aspect. How well it can | | | | will ave played at home and can already do it and |
| think. React. Keep it together. Deal with stress. You | | | | some that cannot. All you do is divide the team into the |
| can train the first all you want but without the second | | | | "can" and "cannot" groups. Fear that state, fear it with |
| you will have no chance at all to succeed. Why is this? | | | | your life. Instead what you do is say, "We are going to |
| Because we are only as good as we think we are. | | | | play a new game". Make up some game that is |
| Allow me to illustrate with a story about children and | | | | allowing the players to perform the action you want to |
| flees. In South America children would put flees into a | | | | practice, but without the negative of "why do I have to, |
| jar and place the lid back on. Once the flee started to | | | | I already know how to shoot". This is not the time for |
| jump it would bump into the lid of the jar. After only a | | | | individuals, this is the time for team. Now have all the |
| few minutes the flee would stop jumping as high and | | | | kids do the game, make it simple enough so that they |
| just jump low enough to avoid the lid. At this point the | | | | all can do it, but at the same time hard enough so that |
| flee was let out of the jar, but would never again jump | | | | it actually helps them. Once you ave mastered this, |
| higher then the lit had allowed. We are no different, we | | | | move on to some other exercise that build upon the |
| too react to limitations. We will not keep running into a | | | | first. Again, keeping a keep eye out for making the |
| locked door or try to walk on water. We learn very | | | | whole team arrive at the goal together. All or none. |
| quickly from observation. it has long been thought that | | | | Must be together.What you will have in the end of this |
| the military will break you down so they can build you | | | | is a team that thinks well of each other. Where gifted |
| up to be a robot that follows orders. That is a load of | | | | player had respect for the not so gifted player |
| stuff for sure. Nobody is broken down ever. A broken | | | | because they both can do what is required. The team |
| soldier is worth nothing. A soldier who stops thinking he | | | | also needs to learn that they only get to the end by |
| is better then the guy next to him, is. When you should | | | | arriving together. If you have any reservations about |
| a group of people they can do something they did not | | | | this, just remember that if it is good enough for the |
| think they could, they bold through the positive | | | | special forces around the world, it is good enough for |
| experience. Don't get me wrong, they bond through | | | | you. They train as a team, they live as a team and |
| negative too, but that is for another article.The power | | | | they win as a team.Now go and build your team. |