Team chemistry – it’s the mysterious X factor. When you’ve got it, you know you’ve got it. The pieces of your team just seem to fit together. Players get along, meshing on the court or field. Often, great team chemistry can lead to piles of wins, and even championships.
But what if you don’t have chemistry? What if personalities clash, or players’ talents simply don’t compliment each other, or a team seems more like a bunch of individuals playing a sport than a cohesive unit? Legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski once said, “A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That’s how I want you to play.” Coach K is talking about chemistry.
So what can you do if, instead of a clenched, punch-ready fist, you’ve got a bunch of fingers doing their own things? How can you bring the fingers together? How can you grow chemistry? It can be a daunting task for even the most experienced coach.
This interesting Breakthrough Basketball article posits that chemistry can be built and nurtured by infusing “life lessons” into practices. Check it out, and see if the advice is useful.