By Thomas Keay and Eric Martin
(July 22, 2025)

Sports success is a complex concept with multiple contributing pieces and a lot on the line. Additionally, team sports face challenges that individual sports may not. Poor communication, building culture, and lack of teamwork are just a few challenges in a sports environment that could potentially be exacerbated in a team environment (Burns et al., 2024). So, how are some teams so successful while others are not? How were the early 1990s Chicago Bulls so dominant? How did Manchester City FC win four Premier League titles in a row? How did the All-Blacks New Zealand Rugby team cement their legacy as one of the most dominant teams over the past century? These teams likely were successful because of their incredible physical talent, skills, and tactics. However, many teams have the physical talent and skill, but do not have similar levels of success. I believe a large piece of these teams’ success was due to their impeccable team dynamic. So, if team dynamics are the key to this success, what makes a successful team dynamic, and how can you, as a coach, shape your team’s climate and culture?

Team dynamics is often described as the way individuals or groups of people interact and behave with each other (Kaushik, 2025). An important additional piece of team dynamics is the psychological aspect behind each individual or group. How we act, communicate, and most importantly, work together are all influenced by the sociological make-up (e.g., different, diverse backgrounds such as socio-economics, race, education, societal norms) of individuals as well as the psychological make-up of a person. The psychological make-up of individuals ultimately creates a group with a new structure. This includes (among other things) the verbal or non-verbal communication used with one another, showing gratitude/appreciation for teammates and coaches when unprompted, and creating an open, non-judgmental atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas. These small details can largely influence how we operate as a team and ultimately, how successful we are in the sports environment. This article will share just some of the ideas and methods behind what creates a successful team dynamic that includes creating a shared vision and unity of purpose, ensuring accountability for all members, prioritizing communication, and managing conflict.

Shared Vision and Unity of Purpose

Amy Masters, a field hockey coach in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area, discussed the initial components to a successful team dynamic. These are a shared vision and unity of purpose (Masters, 2023). Athletes, coaches, and anyone involved in the organization needs to be on the same page in terms of the team’s vision (i.e., long-term aspirational goals of a team, for example, be the most successful team in the league) and goals (i.e., specific, measurable, and achievable objectives, winning the conference tournament). If there is a disconnect to this vision, the team will see a constant pulling and pushing in different directions, and the team will not reach the highest goals they have set. For example, Liverpool FC entered the 2024-25 season during uncertain times after arguably the most influential manager in modern-day soccer, Jürgen Klopp, retired at the end of last season. This meant Liverpool FC faced turbulent times and an unknown future, yet new head coach Arne Slot implemented a new stylistic approach to soccer and allowed everyone to be bought into this vision. Several key players were approaching the end of the contracts and media speculation did not help the turmoil surrounding the club, however, this shared vision and unity of purpose allowed players to believe in the new coaches’ philosophy and understood their purpose on that specific team and in that specific moment, ultimately resulting in a record-equaling 20th top-flight title (Robson, 2025).

Mutual Accountability

In addition to a shared unity and vision, a team must have mutual accountability, streamlined towards whatever goal(s) they want to achieve. Similar to a shared vision and unity of purpose, mutual accountability needs to be understood by all members of the organization (Isaminger, 2024). Mutual accountability can take different forms in different organizations. One example of mutual accountability can be ‘significant others’ that are formed within a team. In this role, athletes are partnered with a teammate and each person is responsible for their actions and that of their partner (e.g., being on time to practices, partaking in activities like recovery, or making sure they have their paperwork filled in on time). Mutual accountability can also be achieved through the pursuit of team goals. With team goals, everybody on a team understands that they are trying to reach the same goals and teams can set consequences to discourage behavior that is not helping the team achieve their collective goals. By holding people to the same standards and keeping them accountable to those standards, not only will goals be more achievable, but there will also be a shared understanding that everyone holds equal value and importance to the team, preventing awkward conversations and disagreements between teammates.

Communication

Throughout the trials and tribulations of team sports, there is ultimately going to be a time where things don’t go well. A great team recognizes that there is never one single issue when challenges occur and can overcome these obstacles through collaboration and synergistic teamwork. One of our key distinguishing features as the human race is our ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally. When communicating, we need to ensure that our communication is open and honest with each other, especially when we are in a team sporting environment. Open and honest communication fosters trust, and increases team cohesion and positive team culture (Duncan, 2024). It also reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and low morale and increases individual and team accountability. Developing a positive communication framework within a team environment can be difficult to foster. One way to do this as a coach is to encourage your team to use active listening with teammates and coaches (Sardin, 2024). For example, teammates can show active listening by refraining from judgment and interruptions and summarizing back what’s been said to show a full understanding of the issue. When players and coaches are receiving feedback, active listening shows empathy and feelings of genuinely being heard, which is likely to encourage even more open and honest communication in the future.

Managing Conflict

In the same premise of communication, it is also important to use any potential conflict that may arise as a growth opportunity. In her work with a college basketball team, Vealey (2017) found that by accepting and managing task conflicts, both positive team culture and resolution efficacy (i.e., the belief of oneself that they can resolve a situation and obtain a successful outcome) increased. There are four ways to effectively address conflict:

1. The first step of managing conflict is to identify and address any ongoing conflict as early as possible. As coaches, keep an eye out for signs of tension within your team. Tensions can arise in one-on-one settings between coaches and players, but also within team cliques (in both the coaching staff and amongst players). Early actions to address these tensions can often prevent small issues from growing into something larger that can seriously impact the team later in the season.
2. The next step in managing potential conflicts within a team is to ensure that everyone is aware and has knowledge of the team’s goals and values. By ensuring everyone is on the same page, we can remind ourselves in stressful situations that we are all trying to achieve the same outcome. Additionally, whatever conflict the team is currently in will not move the team closer to their desired goal.
3. A third step you can take to resolve conflict on your team is to employ certain conflict mediation techniques. Neutral discussions between all parties involved (e.g., conversations without interruption to individuals who are not involved), brainstorming possible solutions, and creating a plan of how to overcome the challenge and move forward are all examples of how conflict mediation techniques can be implemented. In these conversations, we should strive for solutions instead of assigning blame. Assigning blame does not allow the process to be productive. This focus on solutions leads to better relationships between the individuals experiencing conflict, and also allows other team members to experience increased clarity in their team’s purpose or unity.
4. A fourth and final step to help assist in the resolution of conflict can be to seek additional assistance. Your role as a coach can put you in a difficult situation where you could be involved or be biased about the situation. By involving a neutral third party (like an assistant coach, sport psychologist, or administrator), bias can be minimized from the conflict situation and can provide that impartial support needed for a healthy discussion and a more effective resolution.

Conclusion

In essence, team dynamics can be a difficult concept to manage as a coach, and there is no particular ‘right’ way to foster this type of environment. However, by employing some of the techniques stated above, sports teams can become more self-managing and successful with developing their teams’ culture and identity, enhancing communication and trust, and, ultimately, positively influencing team and individual performance. The best sports teams in the world recognize that this process is continuous and constantly evolving. Also, if a team is currently experiencing poor team dynamics, the best time to start working on it was yesterday. The next best time to work on it is today.

References

Burns, A., Collins, D., & Nolte, L. (2024). Coaches’ experiences of performance support teams. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(3), 965–977.

Duncan, C. (2024, July 11). Ineffective communication in the workplace: Effects, factors and examples. https://www.alert-software.com/blog/effects-of-ineffective-workplacecommunication  

Isaminger, T. (2024, October 11). Accountability: A fundamental ingredient for sport team chemistry. BSN SPORTS Coaches Corner. https://blog.bsnsports.com/bsn-story/accountability-a-fundamental-ingredient-for-sport-team-chemistry  

Kaushik, A. (2025, February 10). Team Dynamics – importance, examples, types & key elements. RSS. https://www.wecreateproblems.com/blog/team-dynamics   

Masters, A. (2023, August 1). The Power of Unity: The benefits of Team Sports. iSport360. https://isport360.com/benefit-of-team-sports/   

Robson, J. (2025, April 28). Party time at Anfield as Liverpool wins Premier League for record-equaling 20th top-flight title. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/liverpool-premier-league-title-man-united-3c0e9f1bdb8241a0440b4e01e01eee49  

Sardin, J. (2024, November 3). Mastering active listening in sports mentorship: Techniques for Effective Communication – SC mentor hub. Sport Combine. https://mentor-hub.sport-combine.com/en/resources/resources-for-mentors/mastering-active-listening-in-sports-mentorship-techniques-for-effective-communication/  

Vealey, R. S. (2017). Conflict management and cultural reparation: Consulting “below zero” with a college basketball team. Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(1), 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1123/cssep.2017-0008