As any avid member of the sports community would know, the dynamics of the team - especially its players - have a large impact on the team's performance. Especially certain people who have supported the team previously and are a critical member of the social atmosphere of the team. In any social situation, if the central figure leaves from sight, the rest of the team disappears within a short time. Unfortunately for many professional teams, one integral player joining another growing team could be life or death for success.
The impact of players on their teams is unreal. This is shown clearly by an important figure in football: Tom Brady. Tom Brady had left the New England Patriots after 20 seasons to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The sudden loss of, at one point called the "Greatest of All Time," caused the New England Patriots to lose traction as Sports Illustrated mentions "the Patriots never really recovered after Brady's departure."
In an article about the factors that influence team performance, countless variables take in place for the success of a team. The major ones are listed below:
Major Factors that Result in High Performance in Sports (
source)
The majority are made by one vital factor: the emotional stability of the players and their coach. When a player feels dejected after losing an important match such as the San Francisco 49ers losing in Super Bowl LVII, it is important for the coach - currently Kyle Shanahan - to step up and keep the team spirit going. As life suggests, the worst of worst possibilities always exist; some players may leave causing a sudden loss of productivity through disappointment by the end.
As this problem continues to plague professional teams across the world, there are ways to fix this problem. One way is to keep the players delighted; show a scene where they felt successful or reached a goal. Every team had at one point had a source of achievement and fueling in from that is integral. Another method is by the player's talking to loved ones as a source of inspiration and knowledge. But by the end, the decision is made based on the player's true intent.
The heart of the issue comes from the meaning of teamwork. Each player has a duty: to benefit the team and make an impact in their careers. So the next time such a hassle exists by sports players, remember to evaluate what Hellen Keller wrote elegantly, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
Hi Siddarth! Thank you for this detailed analysis of how the power dynamics of a sports team can affect their performance. As someone who competes in a sport that is individually focused (Track and Field) rather than being team-based, I never realized the importance of team leadership and morale—by keeping this in mind, I could try contributing more to our school’s team spirit and potentially make this season more successful for us. On a different topic, just like you mentioned, the events during and before Super Bowl LVIII were likely damaging to the 49er’s team morale, which may have detrimental impacts on their performance in the future. This analysis reminded me to maintain a positive outlook on the season if I do not perform as well as I intended in a race. Beyond their application to my sports career, the messages you conveyed in this blog can be applied to other aspects of my life, like academics. Many of my classes depend on group work and collaborative learning; as such, the dynamics of my “team” of peers could have a massive impact on my academic success—when I do a project with a team I enjoy working with and I can effectively communicate with, my completed project is often of a much higher quality than if my team is unreliable. As such, I appreciate how this blog post has been crucial to helping me develop a greater understanding of how team dynamics affect my everyday life as well as the sports I enjoy watching.
ReplyDeleteHey Siddarth! Your blog made me reflect on my own experiences with being on a team, specifically when I used to be a soccer player. I completely agree with your statement stressing the importance of teamwork in the sports realm, especially coming down to both the players and the coach. In terms of my own experiences playing on defense, I was able to gain valuable insights in realizing the significance behind each and every person’s role that encompasses a team as a whole, because only they have the power to control the chances of whether to win or lose a game. A few years ago, I had a coach who would constantly yell at me and my teammates and greet us with an adverse attitude during every single one of our practices. In turn, we unfortunately maintained a losing streak for over half of the season. How a coach treats their players largely reflects the team's ability to perform in a game. Nevertheless, a player’s own mindset is just as important. The best example I can think of is during the first half of Super Bowl LVIII, when the Niners took the early lead. Travis Kelce aggressively approached his head coach on the sidelines, then proceeded to yell into his face for him to be kept in. As much as the results of the Super Bowl go against my point (since the Niners sadly lost to a team with a tight end full of anger issues), in most situations, the mutual respect between a player and their coach should not be blindsided by a moment of frustration. Therefore, the way the Chief’s head coach reacted to Kelce’s outburst can be seen as a useful tactic. Instead of yelling back or taking any measures, the coach followed Kelce’s request and put him in, leading to the Chiefs eventually winning the Super Bowl. This shows the importance of the relationship between a player and their coach when it comes to succeeding in sports.
ReplyDelete