Coaches strive to build "team"
Written by: | 6 Feb 2009
There is more to a great team than meets the eye. While watching the performance of a powerful team one might suppose that each member works hard on his or her particular contributing skill and making the next play, while paying little attention to anything else.
Teams, from sports to business, often use innovative methods to become winning groups. One example can be found right here at Yavapai College.
Brad Clifford, Head Coach of YC’s women’s basketball team says, “I don’t see any dissimilarities between doing it [team building] businesswise and teamwise. Especially with groups, the more you do together, the more you preach team, team, team, the better.”
Taking it to the edge
On Jan. 19, Clifford took his team literally to the edge. With the help of a search and rescue expert, the YC women’s basketball team went rappelling at Watson Lake. According to Clifford, the exercise was not so much to build strength or endurance. “This one was more team building and trusting others and trusting the team,” he says.
“When we got there I think there was a little trepidation,” Clifford says.
“We had a couple of girls who absolutely weren’t going to do it but everybody did it. I think they were proud of their accomplishment.”
Along with good teamwork a successful team requires talented players and a lot of training and practice.
“We had a couple of girls who absolutely weren’t going to do it but everybody did it.”
Isokinetic resistance vs. weight training
According to Biomechanics Specialist Gavin MacMillan of the Sport Science Lab in San Juan Capistrano, CA, the key to successful training involves the use of isokinetic resistance machines as well as exercises that focus on “balance, body awareness, coordination, rhythm and timing.”
According to MacMillan, the Sports Science Lab works with athletes from all areas. “We work with athletes from every sport you can think of, from pro football to golf to high school tennis to gymnastics,” he says.
MacMillan believes that conventional athletic training, which relies on weight-training to build strength, is not serving young athletes. “I think the real underlying story is that none of our kids are given the skills they need,” he says. “They are not taught how to use their body, they are not taught body awareness.”
“When you put a large amount of weight on somebody’s spine you are starting to compress the spine,” MacMillan says. “If you exceed the body’s capacity with weights, the only thing holding up the body is connective tissues; ligaments, tendons and the spine.”
MacMillan says, “In defense of those who use weights, they haven’t had an alternative to turn to.”
Coach Clifford’s formula
Clifford combines conventional weight training with team building and time on the court. “All in all we’re spending two and a half to three hours a day doing physical training,” he says.
According to Clifford during the pre- and post-season the women train with heavier weights using low repetitions. “We do weights twice a week during the season,” he says.
Clifford tells his team members, “I’m not trying to build you but there’s an element of strength needed.”
“Once the season starts we’re doing maintenance, low weight, high reps,” Clifford says.
In a further effort to build cohesion on his team, Clifford had his racially diverse women attend YC’s commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. immediately following their rappelling adventure. “He was one of the greatest men in the world, ever,” Clifford says.
He also arranged for the team to watch the inauguration of Barrack Obama together. “I wanted them to all watch the inauguration. All but two came into the team room to watch,” he says.
Coach Clifford might agree with Sport Science Lab’s MacMillan who says, “If you want to be successful, don’t do what everybody else is doing.”
Leave your response!