Should you have been a fly on the wall of my home over the past two weeks, you would have been met with a rather consistent scene: Me, on the couch, under a blanket, AC on blast, burning an Apple Pumpkin Yankee Candle. Depending on the evening, a puzzle or an episode of Gilmore Girls may or may not have been involved. I paint this picture so you know I am bringing the maximum level of enthusiasm when I say: Happy Fall Soccer Season!!! Setting aside my own rather strong partiality for the upcoming season, I hope you and yours have all found joy in getting back on the field over the past couple of weeks.Whether sources of excitement or challenge, a new sport season brings its fair share of changes: Teams, coaches, positions, oh my! One word that I have found to be particularly pervasive at the start of a new season (of any sport or level) is culture. Every group wants to make sure to have a good culture in order to set the stage for the best possible season. This focus makes sense; it is widely accepted that individuals operating within quality cultures are more motivated, engaged, productive, and happier. They report higher levels of trust, effort, belonging, support, growth, and commitment. Teams with healthy cultures benefit from higher retention, better communication and collaboration, and improved surfacing of problems. All good stuff, right? But..what exactly are the mechanics of building this mysterious “good culture?” How, specifically, does a team create this key ingredient to a high caliber season? That fundamental question is what we’re tackling in today’s blog. And, spoiler alert: The formula is more straightforward than you might think.
