PART 1: Team Building

One facet of the power of adventure is team building and creating a culture that promotes individual growth.

Team building is something many coaches are already familiar with and doing with their teams. This aspect of coaching a team is important to keeping student-athletes interested, but it also directly relates to trust. When a student-athlete trusts their coaches and teammates, they will feel comfortable to take on challenges that will promote personal growth. Putting emphasis on these activities early AND throughout the season will help build an intentional culture of positivity and trust. 

Team building is not only about athletes learning to trust each other but it is also about athletes learning to trust their coaches. Coaches can use these strategies to build trust with their athletes.

• Make time at the right time – Show up and make time for all of your student-athletes. Be available during informal times at practice: water breaks, activity transitions, before and after practice, etc. Talk to your athletes, square your shoulders to them and give them your full attention. 
• Get to know their story – One of the foundations of building relationships is getting to know your athletes’ stories. Show genuine interest in the young people you coach. Ask about their day. Phrasing the question as “tell me about your day” will get a better response than “how was your day?”
• Goal setting – Early season goal setting with athletes gives you some insight into what the athlete needs from you as a coach, and can be used as the launching point for an athlete-coach relationship. Both team and individual goal setting are more effective when followed up with regular check-ins.

Here are some resources to help coaches build intentional positive team cultures and relationships and maintain them throughout the season.

• Building team culture during the start of your season
• Adventure and Games and NICA Games

This content was authored by NICA’s coach education team. NICA’s comprehensive coach education program provides new and existing coaches with the high-quality training and resources they need to be confident, competent, and empowered leaders on their youth mountain bike teams. NICA coaches not only create amazing experiences for student-athletes, they create a foundation for building healthy mountain bike communities. NICA coaches change lives! 

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