What can you do when your team is falling apart?
Especially at the adolescent level, the connections that athletes form with their teammates are an essential aspect of sports. Spending an hour every day practicing and improving one's craft within a group of like-minded athletes can be very fulfilling, and the sense of belonging that a shared sport can provide is often unmatched. Through the world of athletics, many youths can build strong friendships and create lifelong memories. For this reason, it can be devastating to witness the decline of what used to be a tight-knit team. What can athletes do when they feel like their team is falling apart?
Young athletes huddling
Quitting a sport:
It is a phenomenon taking the world of organized youth sports by storm. More and more adolescent athletes are leaving their sport behind, and there are several reasons why they are choosing to do so.
Burnout. When adolescents join high school, they are more likely to devote themselves to a single sport as opposed to the multiple sports most children play in elementary or middle school. This specialization can create a sense of burnout for young athletes, especially in places with good weather, such as Southern California, because sports can continue year-round. The repetitive nature of sports practice as well as the cyclical nature of the sports season can make youths lose interest in their sport. Additionally, the constant expectation to always improve and win can quickly wear out young athletes, driving them to retire from their sport.
Injury. High school sports are much more competitive and fierce than their middle school counterparts. The stakes are much higher, so young athletes are typically forced to practice more and give their very best at every single game– often leading to injury. Though these injuries are usually minor and heal within a matter of weeks, some injuries, like the dreaded ACL tear, need surgery and months of therapy for a full recovery. For many, the experience and risk of serious injury can severely demotivate young athletes from continuing their sport.
Cost. Participating in a sport is costly in many ways. The parents of high school athletes often have to cover expenses such as uniforms, gear, shoes, summer camps, and the transportation their kids will take to every away game. All of these payments will easily add up to a couple hundred dollars a year, which some families simply don't have the resources to pay. This reason, too, drives young athletes away from their sport.
Poor coaching. The relationship between athlete and coach is a critical factor that will determine the passion athletes feel for their sport, as well as the effort they will put into it. Unfortunately, most youth sports coaches are either volunteers or severely underpaid, which causes some to lack the time or the passion to effectively train their athletes. Moreover, some coaches can simply be mean, obsessed with winning, or tend to favor the best and ignore the rest. If the athletes on a team feel hindered, invisible, or even disrespected because of their coach, their first course of action will almost definitely be to quit.
Student life. In the end, though, arguably the biggest stressor for youth athletes is that they have to manage their extracurricular sport with all of the responsibilities of scholarly life. Athleticism will eat up at least an hour every day— likely even longer at the high school level— and most high schoolers will have to juggle that alongside homework, clubs, volunteering, and even college applications! Thus, when it comes down to it, most athletes will choose to prioritize their schoolwork over sports.
A race at the 2023 Arcadia Invitational
A personal example:
Young athletes are quitting their craft on a nationwide level, and the boys' cross-country team of Arcadia High School is no exception. Throughout the course of the past year, many runners on this team have expressed feelings of motivation and frustration. A few have even switched sports or quit competitive athleticism altogether. The replacement of a beloved coach and a season of underperformance and injury have caused many to question their passion for the sport. Not only that, when an athlete decides to quit, they leave the rest of the team feeling emptier, perpetuating a feedback loop of apathy and hopelessness. It has definitely been hard for these boys to find the strength to come back from such a slump, and though the team hasn't fully recovered yet, many are optimistic for the return of the fall season.
This example goes to show that though it can seem like only a trivial statistic, the increasing number of young athletes leaving their sport has a real and considerable effect across local communities. And truthfully, after putting all of these factors together, it can be easy to see why young and developing athletes are feeling an increasing indifference for their respective sports. So what can coaches and athletes do to motivate disillusioned players and instill a sense of unity in their teams?
High school girls celebrating a win
Rekindling the flame:
There are a few simple yet effective steps that coaches and fellow athletes alike can take in order to rebuild unity and foster passion in a team. One of these steps is simply talking more. Good lines of communication between teammates and their coach are crucial because exchanging words of affirmation, validation, and positive feedback helps strengthen interpersonal relationships over time. Additionally, if coaches take the time to communicate with each athlete individually and give feedback tailored specifically to them, every athlete will feel seen and understand that they are a valuable asset to the team, which can refuel their passion for the sport.
Another way coaches and athletes can support each other is by encouraging teamwork. Although certain sports like football and basketball already necessitate teamwork on a fundamental level, incorporating teamwork in individual sports such as tennis or cross-country allows for the team to go through shared experiences and brings everybody closer as a result. Furthermore, when athletes practice and work to improve themselves as a team, they are more likely to follow through with their goals because of shared accountability and a sense of responsibility to benefit the team, not just the individual.
The final way that a sports team can stay united and motivated is as simple as staying positive. By emphasizing individual growth, celebrating personal victories, and putting effort over results, both coaches and athletes can contribute towards the creation of an inclusive and positive environment. When young athletes are free from the pressure of expectations, they are more likely to enjoy their sport more, and it can even result in better performances. Simply coming to every team meeting with a positive attitude makes all the difference.
The US Women's National Team wins the World Cup
Conclusion:
Ultimately, there is no one right way to act when one feels like their team is falling apart. It is often a combination of unfortunate circumstances that lead sports teams to this outcome, so it is important not to place blame or react in frustration. Instead, the best thing that we can do in such a situation as human beings, not as athletes, is to treat each other with kindness, empathy, and respect. By putting our best foot forward and remaining optimistic, we can be the change that we want to see in the world.
Sources:
“Beyond Physical Fitness: Benefits of Playing Team Sports.” Army and Navy Academy www.armyandnavyacademy.org/blog/beyond-physical-fitness-the-benefits-of-playing-team-sports/. Accessed 22 July 2024.
Biya Brook (I) & Luke Fredericks (I). “Do Organized Sports Make Athletes Lose Passion?” The Argo, blsargo.org/5943/sports/do-organized-sports-make-athletes-lose-passion/. Accessed 22 July 2024.
“A Decline in Sports Participation: Why More and More Adolescents Are Quitting.” Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, 12 Mar. 2024, www.chla.org/blog/advice-experts/decline-sports-participation-why-more-and-more-adolescents-are-quitting. Accessed 22 July 2024.
“Motivating Young Athletes.” Motivating Young Athletes | Association for Applied Sport Psychology, appliedsportpsych.org/resources/resources-for-coaches/motivating-young-athletes/. Accessed 22 July 2024.
“Why Athletes Lose Passion for Their Sports.” iPatriotPost, 2022, ipatriotpost.com/why-athletes-lose-passion-for-their-sports/. Accessed 22 July 2024.