{"id":4885,"date":"2018-04-11T19:02:49","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T19:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4885"},"modified":"2025-07-10T07:02:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T11:02:03","slug":"the-importance-of-creating-team-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Creating Team Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Creating_Team_Culture_to_Support_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Creating Team Culture to Support Kids&#8217; Mental Game<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#Creating_Team_Culture_to_Support_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Creating Team Culture to Support Kids&#8217; Mental Game<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#But_what_is_team_culture\" >But what is team culture?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#Coaches_with_the_help_of_parents_need_to_address_these_issues\" >Coaches, with the help of parents, need to address these issues.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#Its_much_easier_to_instill_these_values_at_the_beginning_of_a_season_rather_then_trying_to_create_them_later_Lawton_says\" >It\u2019s much easier to instill these values at the beginning of a season, rather then trying to create them later, Lawton says.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#He_stresses_that_while_its_important_to_create_a_culture_at_the_start_it_is_equally_important_to_be_consistent_about_it\" >He stresses that while it\u2019s important to create a culture at the start, it is equally important to be consistent about it.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#Listen_to_our_interview_with_Lawton_here\" >Listen to our interview with Lawton here:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\" >Related Articles on Youth Sports:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/#Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\" >Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Intentionally or not, all teams have a <strong>culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While <strong>cultures<\/strong> are usually not created intentionally, the impact of the culture is far reaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_what_is_team_culture\"><\/span>But what is team culture?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;The culture is how it feels to be involved with the team,&#8221;<\/em> says Mark Lawton, a longtime teacher and coach who has led numerous teams to the championship level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;How the team feels about and interacts with the coach. Do you want the culture to be one that is serious and goal-oriented or do you want it to be more upbeat and fun?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to creating a team culture, numerous questions can arise about fairness, styles of play and how athletes dress, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Coaches_with_the_help_of_parents_need_to_address_these_issues\"><\/span>Coaches, with the help of parents, need to address these issues.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to create a team culture that actively supports kids\u2019 <strong>mental game,<\/strong> he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, parents and coaches may want to create a culture that appreciates all that can be learned from mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To accomplish this, coaches could actively talk about mistakes and run drills specifically meant to <strong>encourage<\/strong> kids to make mistakes and move through them. They should enlist the parents to help them instill this idea in sports kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_much_easier_to_instill_these_values_at_the_beginning_of_a_season_rather_then_trying_to_create_them_later_Lawton_says\"><\/span>It\u2019s much easier to instill these values at the beginning of a season, rather then trying to create them later, Lawton says.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;These culture choices will just happen naturally if you don\u2019t consciously make those choices from the start, and if they happen naturally there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re going to end up with a culture you didn\u2019t actually want to develop,&#8221;<\/em> says Lawton. <em>&#8220;On the other hand, if you cultivate it, you end up with the culture you actually want. You have to be proactive.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One real-world example of the benefits of team culture is San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He cultivates a <strong>culture<\/strong> of family, telling all of his assistant coaches to &#8220;hug &#8217;em and hold &#8217;em&#8221; (meaning the players) as much as possible. He believes in telling his players that they are part of the group, and he believes that every one of his players can meet the group\u2019s high standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This consistent culture has created consistent play. The San Antonio Spurs have won five championships with a .713 winning percentage and 20 consecutive winning seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;You need to define the culture very early, but then after a week or two I like having a team meeting where we can solidify the team culture, even though I wouldn\u2019t say it in those terms to the kids. Personally, I like a team culture of doing well and having fun,&#8221;<\/em> says Lawton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"He_stresses_that_while_its_important_to_create_a_culture_at_the_start_it_is_equally_important_to_be_consistent_about_it\"><\/span>He stresses that while it\u2019s important to create a culture at the start, it is equally important to be consistent about it.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;You have to be clear with your expectations and then you need to be clear in your implementation of that. A lot of coaches may lay down their expectations but not stick to them, which doesn\u2019t help cultivate culture at all.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Listen_to_our_interview_with_Lawton_here\"><\/span>Listen to our interview with Lawton here:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Related Articles on Youth Sports:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-team-culture-boosts-kids-confidence\/\"><strong>How Team Culture Boosts Kids\u2019 Confidence<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/build-confidence-with-a-positive-team-culture\/\"><strong>Build Confidence With A Positive Team Culture [Podcast]<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-toxic-sports-cultures-hurt-kids-mental-health\/\"><strong>How Toxic Sports Cultures Hurt Kids\u2019 Mental Health<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0on iTunes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\"><\/span>Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultimate Sports Parent\" class=\"wp-image-11157\" style=\"width:167px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can <strong>see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids<\/strong> who struggle with the \u201cinner\u201d game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids <strong>overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts<\/strong> that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can benefit from our 1<strong>5-plus years\u2019 of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research<\/strong>. Now, you can <strong>tap into our secrets to sports success<\/strong> through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top \u201cmental game\u201d challenges that sports parents face\u2014and the top <strong>challenges young athletes face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-fbab03ed\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-fa7bf2e7 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-33bcee1d gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-ultimate-sports-parent-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Creating Team Culture to Support Kids&#8217; Mental Game Intentionally or not, all teams have a culture. While cultures are usually not created intentionally, the impact of the culture is far reaching. But what is team culture? &#8220;The culture is how it feels to be involved with the team,&#8221; says Mark &#8230; <a title=\"The Importance of Creating Team Culture\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-creating-team-culture\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Importance of Creating Team Culture\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,6],"tags":[619,627],"class_list":["post-4885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parent-podcast","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-coaching-youth-sports","tag-team-culture"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4885\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}