As a team leader, I need to improve the work ethic during practices

[cstahlfeld]

Hello everyone! I'm a level 10 gymnast, and considered training elite, but did not. Currently, my coach has named me the team leader (although we don't tell anybody, it's just an honorable spot that I have to take responsibility for), and I've really been noticing the work ethic that goes on in the gym.
It's quite disappointing.
I'm going to have a 15-20 minute team meeting with just the girls about this next week, and I just need some ideas of how to improve our practices from the inside out.
I know that coming in with a goal is a good idea, but the girls have heard that SO SO SO much, that it's irrelevant any more.
Ideas?
Thanks so much!

 

[sportyspice]

Welcome to Chalkbucket! I'm assuming most of the girls on the team are teenagers and not too much younger than yourself? In that case, I would try to relate to them on a peer level and not as an "authority figure" if you know what I mean?

My DH teaches adults on a regular basis and things that he finds useful are; try to lead the group to come up with ideas for themselves that will help their training, along the lines of sharing ideas that each person uses to motivate themselves - you may start the conversation with an example of a motivator that you use personally.

Goal setting is vital in gymnastics and ensuring the goal is SMART (acronym) is important - S for specific, M for measurable, A for achievable, R for relevant and T for timebound. If your team is able to meet on a regular basis to discuss their goals and challenges they face in achieving them with you, then you can have a better idea of what motivates them. Everyone's motivations are different and this is really an individual journey - I doubt this will be a quick fix, you will probably need more of an insight into the team 'culture' as well.

Try to lead the group to stick with "intrinsic" motivators (things that they have direct control over - their mood when they come to gym, what foods they eat) as opposed to extrinsic motivators (which are things they can't control like hearing coach praise or having new equipment)

I hope some of this makes sense.... your coach obviously has a lot of faith in you to take on this job, and yes, catchy phrases can work for a short time as a motivator but some of the above will stick for longer