Team Tension

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bonkers_1987

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Team Tension

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick question to get everyone's brain working and as I'm bored at work thought I'd do something constructive :)

How do you guys and gals deal with tension between team 'mates' e.g tension between yourself and 1,2,3 other players.

Also to further this question, how does everyone deal with unhappiness towards the club or team community? For example, If your a bowler and you never get a net chance or vice versa?

Regards
 
Re: Team Tension

Team Tension; If you're a proper team, then you should understand each and everyones attitude and should know what they like to do in certain situations. If theres tension in the changing room, i tend to either walk out if its intense, or if its just a bit of tension because of nerves, theres nothing like kicking out the guitar and making people laugh!

Team upset; Theres nothing much you can do if your team is upset with each other, only try to patch things up between you. Thats where your coach should come in with speeches about togetherness etc. and get the team going in the same direction. If you're all pulling seperate ways, you wont succeed.
 
Re: Team Tension

There are several books worth of answers to that. It depends on how long the team has been together, how well defined roles are in the side, how strong the leaders are and so on.

The shorter answer is to sort it out over a beer!
 
Re: Team Tension

bonkers_1987 said:
Hey Everyone,

Just a quick question to get everyone's brain working and as I'm bored at work thought I'd do something constructive :)

How do you guys and gals deal with tension between team 'mates' e.g tension between yourself and 1,2,3 other players.

Also to further this question, how does everyone deal with unhappiness towards the club or team community? For example, If your a bowler and you never get a net chance or vice versa?

Regards
Click to expand...

Every cricket team (and football, work place etc) I've had dealings with have suffered from team tensions, it's pretty much a fact of life that at some point you're going to fall out. It's how you deal with this that is important, of course it depends on what the tension is being caused by as a run of poor performances is (normally) more readily fixed than player A being caught in flagrante with players B wife.

The typical response is to have a beer and clear the air and that works in 90% of cases but occasionally it runs deeper than that and this can be where problems start and cliques develop. Sometimes you just have to accept that you're not going to see eye to eye and just get on with things.

There are no real wrong or right answers except to try to communicate and remember that whatever you feel towards that person off the pitch, on it your a team and you back each 100% no matter what.

As for the second part of your question, well, there are a few ways to deal with it. If you're lucky enough to play for a club that has a players rep then you can take the problem up with them, if not then you may have to bite the bullet and approach the coach or captain yourself and ask why you're not getting a fair go. Failing that be brash and force your way in. The best option is something that you'll have to suss out for yourself as you know the characters involved and situation better than we do.

Ultimately, you have to ask yourself whether or not it's better to cut your losses and move to another club. It may seem like a drastic option but the sad truth is that sometimes its the only option, as no matter what you do you'll never get a fair crack.
 
Re: Team Tension

bonkers_1987 said:
Also to further this question, how does everyone deal with unhappiness towards the club or team community? For example, If your a bowler and you never get a net chance or vice versa?
Click to expand...

The simple answer in my view is go elsewhere, if your services arent in demand at your club either tell the coach your giving it your all and ask what you can do to get a chance and if he tells you you cant do anything then hop on your bike and go to somewhere where you'll get matches.
 
Re: Team Tension

Well, these posts more or less cover it but as you are bored D, I thought I would entertain you a little. :D

Not being a guy, a beer is not my panacea, like it is for most.

As A_A says, it all depends on the cause of the tension but it usually boils down to lack of communication and understanding. If it is just one member of the team who is out of step, I would want to find out why. Just masking the cause will not work; it needs to be resolved. However, if there appears to be tension between a significant number of the team, then they all need to be involved.

'Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the 'me' for the 'we'.' Phil Jackson (Chicago Bulls coach)

I would use team profiling to bring the team together. Find out what each player wants from themselves and their team mates. Ask them to generate the qualities the team believe to be important for team success and to clarify these qualities. I would ask the team, through a series of processes, to order and select these qualities as a whole; allowing the 'team' to take control.

'Playing for yourself wins trophies; playing for your team wins championships'. Tommy Lasorda (LA Dodgers Manager)

During these processes, each individual will have the opportunity to express their frustrations and resolve them on a team basis. It is amazing what a team can achieve when nobody cares about who gets the credit.

BTW, I will offer this service free to your club; just charging travel expenses. x ;)
 
Re: Team Tension

Cheers Liz,

Haha getting money out of my club is like drawing blood from a stone :) I think my club as a whole doesn't have the team bonding thing down pat. It seems to be segregated into 1st, 2nds and 3rds. It just pretty horrible when team mates don't get along. I'll keep an eye out and see if I can notice some serious tension and get back to you all :)

Regards,
D
 
Re:Team Tension

Great words Liz :)
I just wanted to add few of my own.
Be nice and try to get close to the coach:place in the team secured :)
Avoid gossips and arguments:not got for reputation.
Be patient and when the chance comes- prove Ur worth.
Stay relaxed:it will help u all the time.
Be disciplined in Ur fitness.
Most importantly; look for a different club where u feel comfortable playing and when the time comes move out in a good will manner;who knows Ur ex-club will invite u back for matches and if not;who cares :D
You mentioned u work; is the age factor a reason u feel?
 
Re: Team Tension

The age factor does play a pretty big part along with the amount of time spent at the club (which I guess is an age factor). It also doesn't help that we have a player/coach who has been playing for a long time so he knows all the long-time players more. I believe jealousy also plays a part.... example some people wish they were chosen to bowl before others etc..

Also to add to that, another question. Do the teams you guys and gals are involved in look at the all-rounder type player? My team has two type of players. Batters and Bowlers. If your a Bowler you hardly get any batting practice and if your a batter well you usually bowl at the bowlers if they get a chance to bat. So my question is does any have any all-rounders or involved in a team that focuses on all-rounders as well as specialist batters and bowlers (mine doesn't even look at specialist fielders, they just put the most experienced (older) players in slips and gully) which to me is a huge mistake as they are putting there best fielders at mid-on and off whereas I believe they should be fielding in places such as gully and point etc. What does everyone else think about this? Is it just me or shouldn't the best fielders field in these critical positions especially early on?
 
Re: Team Tension

bonkers_1987 said:
Haha getting money out of my club is like drawing blood from a stone :)
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No Christmas on the beach for me again this year then :( :laugh:

All of Virender's advice is very sound and it may be worth looking around for a more open Club that would suit your personality and ability more.

As for 'all-rounders', in my opinion, it is very short sighted to ignore their contribution. You must go out with 11 batsmen. No matter how good the top order are, it is not impossible for them to be dismissed with very little on the scoreboard. Then what do you do? Similarly, the more styles of bowler you can put in the team, the greater your armoury. All cricketers must train in all aspects of the game, which is not about batting or bowling in isolation but all-rounded ability.

Now fielding, you have hit a bit of a raw nerve with me here. A match can be won or lost (and often is) on the standard of fielding. Not enough attention is given to fielding; this is where your standard of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABCs) really comes into play but forget the fitness aspect for now.

I believe it is the Captain's responsibility to know all his players; all their strengths and weaknesses etc. He/she should carry out a SWOT analysis prior to all matches and place the right fielder in the right place. How many times have I seen a fast runner wasted and great catchers misplaced? [Actually, how many times have I seen fielders standing with their hands in their pockets? Sorry, different issue :D]

O Gosh! So many points, so little time!

Unfortunately, there is a bit of an unpleasant, stagnant culture in some Clubs. The old boys feel they have a right to play in the first team every week because they have been doing so for the last forty years. It's almost like stepping into deadmen's spikes! Rather than killing them off, the older players should start to recede down the teams with ability, allowing the younger, fitter, more able players to move up. It is this cycle, (the "player cycle" bit like the "rock cycle"), that keeps the Club alive and leads to success and longevity.

Phew! Lunch time ;)
 
Re: Team Tension

bonkers_1987 said:
The age factor does play a pretty big part along with the amount of time spent at the club (which I guess is an age factor). It also doesn't help that we have a player/coach who has been playing for a long time so he knows all the longtime players more. I believe jealousy also plays a part.... example some people wish they were chosen to bowl before others etc..

Also to add to that, another question. Do the teams you guys and gals are involved in look at the all-rounder type player?
My team has two type of players. Batters and Bowlers. If your a Bowler you hardly get any batting practice and if your a batter well you usually bowl at the bowlers if they get a chance to bat. So my question is does any have any all-rounders or involved in a team that focuses on all-rounders as well as specialist batters and bowlers (mine doesn't even look at specialist fielders, they just put the most experienced (older) players in slips and gully) which to me is a huge mistake as they are putting there best fielders at mid-on and off whereas I believe they should be fielding in places such as gully and point etc. What does everyone else think about this? Is it just me or shouldn't the best fielders field in these critical positions especially early on?
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Yes;we given importance more to the All rounders.
Every team has its own devils and saints.But the important thing is the way we approach our game(Be Street Smart).
No matter how things turn up during the nets; enjoy Ur game.Have patience and when u get the opportunity;give it Ur best-Just go for it.
When I started Club Cricket;I had experienced similar kind of situtation;but tackling problems is a part of our life in order to survive.Get Ur working experience into play.We do face such situtation in our office,home etc..
If u can mange Ur job,home and cricket.I don't think anything is impossible.
The day u realise Ur potential;there will be no looking back for you.
Just keep pushing yourself to achieve your goal.
If you think u can succeed;you will.No one can stop u.
About the fielding query;our Technical experts will be able to comment on that.
I always picked the right place to field( Cover or Mid Wicket)
:)
 
Re: Team Tension

That's where I think my club is going wrong. We have a leader who has been at the club for years and years so he has got to know certain players over others and even though the abilities of newer players may be better, he will choose the longer-term players because he has formed that friendship with them. Our teams seem to be selected by politics rather than raw talent.
 
Re: Team Tension

Bonkers, I used to play for a club that had a similar situation - a number of players had been there for a long time and had become more than the club itself. It meant that new players rarely got a look in.

The problem came when they all retired at about the same time and ended up with no team.
 
Re: Team Tension

bonkers_1987 said:
That's where I think my club is going wrong. We have a leader who has been at the club for years and years so he has got to know certain players over others and even though the abilities of newer players may be better, he will choose the longterm players because he has formed that friendship with them. Our teams seem to be selected by politics rather than raw talent.
Click to expand...
What u mentioned above is mostly similarly in all clubs irrespective of location/country.
But I was shocked to know that it happens in Ur part as well(I thought it mostly happens in our country only).
In our club players are fine to deal with;but it is the coach who is messed up and mismanages most of the time.He singlehandedly wants to manages everything.Many a times I have discussed and lot of management stuff was explained to him.But to no avail(total time waste).Now I have decided to move on to differenet Club(I have posted the same in "Club Contacts" Thread as well).
 
Re: Team Tension

Virendersingh.berthwal said:
But I was shocked to know that it happens in Ur part as well(I thought it mostly happens in our country only).
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it does happen all too often. However, it is not the case in all Clubs. Some are incredibly forward thinking with progression in mind. I have to say though that these are usually the successful Clubs ;)

Virendersingh.berthwal said:
Many a times I have discussed and lot of management stuff was explained to him.But to no avail(total time waste).Now I have decided to move on to differenet Club(I have posted the same in "Club Contacts" Thread as well).
Click to expand...

This is very sad Virender and all I can say is, it is the Club's loss. You would be a great asset to have in any Club and if your Club cannot see it and you are obviously wasting your talents, energy and enthusiasm, I wish you well with your quest. I am sure you will find the right Club soon.
 
Re: Team Tension

Liz Ward said:
Unfortunately it does happen all too often. However, it is not the case in all Clubs. Some are incredibly forward thinking with progression in mind. I have to say though that these are usually the successful Club's ;)

This is very sad Virender and all I can say is, it is the Club's loss. You would be a great asset to have in any Club and if your Club cannot see it and you are obviously wasting your talents, energy and enthusiasm, I wish you well with your quest. I am sure you will find the right Club soon.
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Thanks Liz for the appreciation :)
I am looking in particular for a club to practice during weekends and got couple of interested clubs as well.
But Coach is a "Sweet toothed" guy and is not ready to leave me the club.
So i guess this year i will continue and check if their is some change or not;otherwise Adieus :)
 
Re: Team Tension

Hi Liz :)
I was approached by couple of good clubs.
Now I am more than happy to offer my services to one of them and will be starting right away.
The new Club's name is mentioned on the left side as Rising Star.C.C.(u will get all sort of fancy club names in Mumbai :D).
I am sure to see good cricketing days in near future :)
 
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