Team culture is the shared values, beliefs, behaviors, habits, connection, and sense of belonging that define a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. It's the fuel that powers teams to drive forward and achieve success together. Team culture is about building a resilient group of people who support each other, understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, and can easily pivot and adjust in a changing environment.
RESPECT EVERYONE
Be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity; give fallen opponents help, compliment extraordinary performance, show sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals. Don't engage in disrespectful conduct of any sort including profanity, obscene gestures, offensive remarks of a sexual or racial nature, trash talking, taunting, or other actions that demean individuals. Treat umpires with respect; don't complain about or argue with official calls or decisions during an athletic event.
COMPETE EVERY DAY
We don’t take days off. We compete at everything. By having this mindset, this helps your team stay sharp. Complacency is not allowed to creep into our culture. Compete every day and push your teammates to become better and, in the process, take our team to the next level. Positions are not guaranteed, they are earned!
Show up... Work Hard... No Excuses!
HAVE CHARACTER
True athletes don't let their talent interfere with their character. Having talent doesn’t give a player permission to coast. Don’t let off the field behavior become an issue. Show up in the classroom the same way you do on the field. Keep high standards and lead by example. Live up to high ideals of ethics and sportsmanship and do what's right; even when it's the "unpopular" decision.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Players must communicate with their teammates and coaches. Complaining to teammates or expressing frustrations behind the coaches back only creates a division in the team and ruins team culture. Communication is expected. A silent voice is a wasted voice. Communication is expected in every drill and play on and off of the field.
BE DRAMA FREE
If someone is talking about someone else to you, don’t endorse it or repeat it. Remove yourself from the conversation. While this is inevitable, you must do your part to avoid it. Erase any idea that you are better than any teammate. That is not how Abington Softball operates. Coaches talk and we are always in the know. A player who creates unnecessary drama will be adversely affected by their own actions!
BELIEVE IN YOUR TEAM
When the team is trailing and things aren’t going as planned, inspire your teammates to fight back and give it their all. When the team is winning and things are not going well, remind your teammates the game’s not over, and to never let down. Believe in the team’s mission and want to do whatever is needed to push the team closer to its goals. Remember, We play for the name on the front of the jersey, not ourselves.
EMBRACE YOUR ROLE
Don’t whine, complain, or sulk about playing time. Embrace your role and do it to the best of your ability. Great cultures don’t exist without teammates willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. Teams excel when players acknowledge and accept their roles.
BE SUPPORTIVE
Support everyone on the team; This includes all players, coaches, and managers. Every player has a role, and each player deserves the same respect and support! Every player can make progress. No player is above another.
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Softball is a game of failure. It is impossible to be perfect. If you are doing your best, then you are doing your part. Understand that behind every missed opportunity is another opportunity. Focus on your goals and celebrate your progress.
SHOW CITIZENSHIP
Play by the Rules - maintain a thorough knowledge of and abide by all applicable game and competition rules. Avoid temptations to gain competitive advantage through improper gamesmanship techniques that violate the highest traditions of sportsmanship.
BE UNSELFISH
Bright lights don’t need spotlights. Being unselfish allows one to make the right play. Celebrate your teammates wins and build them up in defeat. Being a lone star won't help your team win.
SET GOALS
Players who concentrate solely on performance tend to lose in the long run. Great players set goals. Goal setting is an important step to success. They provide players with direction, purpose, and focus.