Baseball Team Intangibles That Win Games

Intangible #2: High Value of Team Over Individuality

The old adage "Team work makes the dream work" couldn't be more true, and this truth doesn't stop with just "working together." Some may say that teamwork is a matter of function: work together to achieve a common goal; but they would be neglecting the real benefits that manifest from a group of people with the same value system of togetherness and selflessness.

Unified teams don't just win games, individuals that play with the team's benefit in mind, succeed in actually performing better for one another (as opposed for playing for themselves). 

To illustrate the point, the All Blacks are the perfect story to highlight. James Kerr's book Legacy: 15 Lessons In Leadership, covers the success story and principles of the New Zealand national men's rugby union team, nicknamed the All Blacks (**we highly recommend this book for coaches). Winning over 76% of their test matches, their win ratio puts them among the most successful teams of any sport in history. Only five nations have defeated New Zealand in test matches since 1903. Not a bad record.

This team's awards are too numerous to account for in this post, so let's just say they've earned the right to speak on successful teamwork.

The following videos inspired us to rethink the emphasis and business of nurturing a high value of playing for the man next to you and playing for your team's success. Enjoy.

Ultimately, the culture of your team dictates the kind of teamwork you produce on the field. For coaches, it becomes their mission to foster an environment where everyone contributes to the overall goal to work together in winning games. Encouraging players to play for one another, in essence encourages a winning attitude and resolve.

Hope you enjoyed a look into the world of rugby and discovered the powerful ideology behind the All Blacks team. Check out last week's first installment of Baseball Team Intangibles That Win Games: The Stockdale Paradox [pt. 1].

Looking for more on coaching and team building? How 'bout some coaching secrets from baseball's best?

Feel free to leave your impressions of the All Blacks philosophy on coaching and teamwork in the comments section. What are some ways you create a spirit of unity among your players? 

Share this post with a coach who could use some team building encouragement!