7 Ways to be a Better Teammate

Courtesy of Nikki Flynn, SwimSwam intern. Follow: @NikkiFlynn3

It’s the season for championship swim meets, and the goal of any program is to finish on top. One of the easiest ways to do this is to compete as a cohesive team, with everyone participating as the best teammate they can be. Here are seven ways to be a better teammate:

One – Trust one another

Your entire team has been through the same workouts and training. Put trust in your teammates and they will put their trust in you.

Stewart, Oakland University

Two – Do the work

You must also put in the effort to earn the trust of your teammates. The best team bonding moments come from test-set practices and tiresome training camps.

Oakland Swimming and Diving, 2015

Three – Listen to the coach

Even if you disagree with what he or she says, being a good teammate means showing respect for everyone, including the coach. You may not want to do something your coach asks of you, but it is usually for the benefit of the team.

Pete Hovland (courtesy of Oakland swimming and diving)

Four – Be engaged

Ask how your teammates are doing, and then actually listen to what they have to say. If they are having a bad day, ask why? If you genuinely care about one another, there will be a better team experience.

Stewart, Oakland University

Five – Know each others strengths and weaknesses

Utilize each other to maximize your swimming experience. There are limited coaches on the deck during training, but there are 20-40 people next to you who also know a lot about swimming. If one teammate has a killer open turn, ask him or her to look at yours and figure out together what you can improve on.

Oakland Swimming

 

Six – Keep Positive

You don’t have to be all sunshine and happiness all the time, but being negative will only bring your teammates down with you. It is much easier to have a good attitude when you pretend to have a good attitude in front of your teammates.

Seven – Don’t blame yourself

If your team loses a big meet or championship that you didn’t perform your best at, do not blame yourself. It is somewhat greedy to think that you single-handedly lost a competition for the team. The team wins together and the team loses together.

Oakland Swimming & Diving

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