Connection Building in Elite Sports Part 1

May 17, 2024

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5 minute read

Connection Building in Elite Sports Part 1

Getting an edge over competitors in elite sport has become increasingly difficult. Sports psychologists and performance coaches are aplenty, and the physical, tactical, and technical pillars are bustling spaces. Over the past few years I've worked with some high performing teams, in a domain that seems somewhat unexplored. It's no shiny new theory or technology. It's as ancient as we are. When harnessed, it can create real alchemy, offering teams a rare and potent performance enhancer. Connection.

‍Danes Rising

Many will remember when Christian Eriksen fell ill mid-way through Denmark’s opening game in Euro 2020. In his own words, he 'died for 5 minutes'. Thankfully he recovered fully. What struck me was how his team responded. They reached the semi-finals without their star man. There was a palpable life force energy in their performances. Clearly, they were propelled by something bigger. As one journalist described, Denmark "suddenly coalesced and crystallized into something formidable". But why the shift?

'Suddenly coalesced and crystallized into something formidable'

As relational beings, humans instinctively bind closer following adversity like illness, loss, natural disaster, or a pandemic. A useful evolutionary survival mechanism. However, some Danish players offered clues to what further sparked their fire. After the game, Delaney said the team gathered in the hotel "to be together to talk about it together". Poulsen said they got to "show a lot of love", and how “everyone felt like they were part of this big family." The day's events catalyzed a deep sense of unity. ”Experiencing something like that together makes you even stronger”, he said.

'Connected states like this can be achieved deliberately and safely'

All teams will face adversity, and how they respond will differ. Teams however, don't need to wait for unwelcome challenges to ‘coalesce’ or ‘crystallize’ or start playing for something bigger. Connected states like this can be achieved deliberately and safely. Top coaches carve out time to work on it at specific stages of the season. These spaces are like a gym with a difference. Rather than building their physical muscle, they strengthen the connection with teammates, their mission, the club, their higher purpose.

The Last Dance

In the lead-up to the 1998 NBA final, Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson gathered his team. Knowing it was their 'last dance', he wanted to ground them in the opportunity ahead. He invited Jordan, Rodman, Pippen, and co, to write about what their Bulls team meant to them, before each player read aloud to the group. “Every guy had emotional words to say”, recounted Steve Kerr.

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Veteran Michael Jordan took the chance to share some wisdom. “I’m not a poet. I just spoke what I felt at the time...you say thanks for the past, enjoy the moment, let’s make sure we end it right." Jordan's words gave his teammates a rare peek underneath his usual tough exterior. "We saw him as this bully sometimes", Kerr said. "But that day, he showed his compassion, his empathy for all of us." Once everybody had taken their go, they all put their paper in a tin can. Jackson turned out the lights, lit a match, and set fire to the paper. The Bulls sat and watched. "One of the most powerful things I've ever seen", Kerr said. The rest is history.

'One of the most powerful things I've ever seen'

‍Team Europe

Golf being an individual sport, athletes typically lock horns in Majors and tour events. The Ryder Cup is different. Selected golfers must set their rivalries aside to form one cohesive unit. In 2023, Europe won emphatically. In a post-victory press conference, Rory McIlroy revealed when his team started to “take shape”. On a practice trip in the lead-up to the tournament, putting greens and tactics boards were swapped for an "amazing experience" around a fire pit.

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'I got to know something different about them, and I think that really galvanized us as a team'

The group reflected on “why they love the Ryder Cup so much", and “having parents that sacrificed a lot” for them. No doubt they had heard snippets of one another's stories over the years, in passing or in the media. But when there's time and space to peel back the layers and be fully present in the conversation, real transformation can happen. "I thought I knew them for a long time, but I got to know something different about them and I think that really galvanized us as a team." Even the most elite, rich, famous athletes are people, whom like us all, are hungry to feel safe in our environment. "We feel like we can be ourselves”, McIlroy said of the environment created.

'We speak about big games, but big games start in moments like this'

The Klopp Effect

Jurgen Klopp is known for his '30 per cent tactics, 70 per cent teambuilding' approach. After leading Mainz to the Bundesliga in 2004, he said he wanted his squad to "feel like they can survive anywhere." So he brought his team off grid to remote Swedish lake for 5 days. It comprised of no electricity, fishing for their food, mosquitoes, campfires, boiling their own water, and 4.5 days of heavy downpours. "You can talk about team spirit, or you can live with it", Klopp stated.

'You can talk about team spirit, or you can live with it'

The shared adversity forged a sense of team resilience. "We were like Braveheart, and the world did not believe how strong we were after this experience", he said. Reflecting on a team-building session in 2021, Klopp emphasized the significance of having shared experiences. "You have to do these things so that you have a story to tell..."we speak about big games, but big games start in moments like this."

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