Good Partnerships Build Strong Teams
Guest Author: Clint Laukhuf
Clint Laukhuf is a High Performance and Mental Strength Coach, and the founder of Athlete First. Laukhuf has been coaching full time as a private tennis coach, high school coach, and college coach since leaving the Marine Corps in 2007.
Great teams are easy to recognize because they have fun and are comfortable in tough situations. They support each other and have strong connections. Most importantly, they are working toward the same goal and moving in the same direction. Regardless of the arena or field, all great teams create three feelings for their members.
First, a sense of “we are in this together.” That the duo is working, fighting, and competing for the team; and the team’s success is more important than any individual’s success or failure.
Second, a feeling of safety. All team members are free to take risks, try new ideas, and make mistakes without risking their standing on the team or how others feel about them.
Third, a sense of “what we do matters.” Naturally, everyone wants to win, but there are more important things than winning and losing.
Here are a few actions that good partners take to help cultivate their on-court performance:
Come together after every point, both good and bad. A high five, fist bump, racquet tap, walking toward each other, and walking shoulder to shoulder to spread the excitement and energy of a good point, and lessen the disappointment of a mistake, or opportunity lost.
After mistakes, treat yourself the same way you treat your partner. It’s great to be supportive if your partner makes an error and then build them up for the next point. However, if you beat yourself up after a mistake, your actions tell your partner, “It’s ok for you to miss, but it’s not ok for me to miss.” That adds pressure to both players and destroys the sense that “we are in this together.”
Know how you will show up in big moments. Know what is more important than winning and losing. Have a conversation with your partner about what each of you is working on and what you would like from the other person when the pressure is on. Then stick to whatever you agreed on.
Remember, good partnerships help build good overall teams!
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