FUNGOMAN JOURNAL

Trying to nail down the elements of a championship team is as hard as trying to pick out the best ingredient of your grandma's secret apple streusel recipe. There are so many elements to consider, and one ingredient doesn't work without the other, so as we draw to a close on this blog series Baseball Team Intangibles That Win Games, we can consider a vital component of winning teams -- developing a culture where what you say has power. Whether you're giving the motivational speech of your life, or just giving instruction, let's take a look at how to develop your unique language as a coach. Perpetuating that language within your team will reap winning benefits in life and the game.

You've noticed your team is disjointed. Your players are self-focused. All the attention is on one or two guys that are obsessed with their numbers. What do you do? The most successful teams have intangible secrets with combatting this problem, and we're about to share them with you. First thing: You have the power to nurture your team's chemistry. Keep in mind that the winning teams aren't always the most talented. The most unified and selfless teams make up for deficiencies with the sharing of encouragement and bettering each other's skills. Just look at the Toronto Blue Jay's story. Your team chemistry is about to get a whole lot better.

I've seen a lot of baseball games in my day. And that's okay. I like seeing my team win, but when the alternative happens, a sense of powerlessness has a way of creeping in, you feel me? When teams lose, we usually find it rather easy to spot where things fell apart. And we're cavalierly quick to make mention of unsufficiencies and mistakes. But what about when the team wins. Do we make note of how that triumph came together? Do we notice the small things that kept the momentum of success in the palm of the coach and player's hands? I've written the first installment of a 3-part blog series covering Baseball Team Intangibles That Win Games, which usually go unexamined in this game. The idea is that once you get a hold of the intangibles of championship teams, you'll be more empowered to nurture those attributes in your own. Let's walk through the first intangible together ...