An extraordinary team
Last Saturday, my daughter's high school soccer team won the Idaho 6A State Championship for the second year in a row. They have been ranked among the top 25 teams nationally on two polls, all from a school with fewer than 1,400 students in three grades. It was a very exciting season, and they have been really fun to watch as a team. I'm incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication.
There is a lot of individual talent on this team, along with a lot of personal drive. But I've seen many teams, both on and off the field, with plenty of talent that crashed and burned. All season, I've been trying to figure out what makes this group a great team and not just a collection of high-performing individuals.
They have strong leadership from their coaches, captains, and managers. They have incredible support from parents and fans, and good facilities. Yet I've also seen average teams with excellent leadership, support, and resources.
So what is the je ne sais quoi of a high-performing team, if it is not talent, leadership, support, or resources? Here is what I've noticed from the stands.
They love and respect each other. They want the best for each other and for the team, which makes them generous in their play. They will pass the ball if a teammate has a better opportunity.
They are resilient. They have been through hard things together and have come back from them. When they come back, playing tastes better, because they know what it was like to not have it. When they have a bad game or make a bad play, they know they will get through the disappointment.
They have different talents and admire them in one another. Everyone on the team has strengths, and they see and appreciate them in each other. They know the sum is better than the collection of its parts.
They have depth. When there is an injury, travel, or a need for rest, someone else is ready to step up. That lets everyone know they can rest when they need to.
They have fun and look forward to being together. They have pre-game rituals that are just for them and post-game celebrations that share the joy. They spend time together outside of soccer, and you can see the joy when they are with one another.
Winning is the least reliable measure of a great team. With two girls who each played this sport for 10 to 12 years, on different coasts, in different clubs and schools, we have been on the not-winning side much more often than the winning side. I'm well aware that hundreds of teams across the country will just miss a state championship every year, and thousands more will finish a close third, fourth, or fifth. Any of them can be just as good as the team that won, because a trophy depends partly on luck.
Thankfully, in life our teams are not about those who win and everyone else. The more extraordinary teams we have, the better off we all are.
Leadership alone doesn't make a great team, but it does build the conditions where these five things can grow. So, what can you apply to your own team from a high school soccer team in Idaho? Each question below comes with one small move for this week.
1. Do your team members respect each other and want each other to succeed? Is one teammate's success just as important as another's, in their own eyes? If not, you risk infighting and unhealthy competition that undermine your collective effort. This week, name one teammate's contribution out loud at your next meeting.
2. Do you turn setbacks into growth? If your after-action reviews are more about blame and "accountability" than learning, people will hide the truth, at best. If you treat them as trial and learning, your people will be better equipped for the next challenge. This week, open your next debrief by asking what the team learned.
3. Do you appreciate the different talents on your team? Complementary strengths elevate the entire team. This week, tell one teammate a specific strength you see in them, and ask how they would like to use it more on the team.
4. Do you have depth, so people don't have to hide when they are not at 100%? A deep bench lets people rest and recover, and no one can perform at their peak all the time. This week, identify one task only one person can do, and cross-train a second person.
5. Do your team members enjoy being together? Amy Edmondson's research on psychological safety found that teams where people feel safe to speak up and admit mistakes learn more and adapt better. Genuinely liking one another is one way that safety grows, and our nervous systems are very sensitive to whether a group feels safe. This week, create one small ritual for your team, such as a shared coffee or a quick win round at the start of a meeting.
There is no formula for a top team on the pitch. Still, these five things will help you lead your team to success in its own way, no competition needed.
Go Wolves! Love you all!
~ Sarah
P.S. I'm missing cheering from the sidelines already. If any fellow Timberline parents want to find a random game to go watch, please let me know!
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