Newsletter Article

"60-Second Summary" is a regular feature of OLYMPIC COACH. The brief summaries of recent research or other articles can be read in approximately 60 seconds. To obtain a copy of the articles summarized here, check the website URL or contact your local library . If they do not own the publication, they may obtain a copy of the article for you through interlibrary loan.

Creating a Sucessful Team Climate
by Ian Rutledge
Sport Coach, Vol 25, No. 3 2002

ABSTRACT
“One of the major challenges of sports coaching is the ability to bring a team together as a collective group and in doing so, enhancing each athlete intrinsically through individual player worth and team success extrinsically through on-field results”.

This article list ten traits of an effective team: appropriate leadership, suitable membership, commitment to the team, concern to achieve, effective work methods, well-organized team procedures, postitive feedback without confrontation, creative strength, positive intergroup relations and a constructive climate.

The author also shows research from DeCotiis and Koys (1980) that define eight factors that affect team climate:

Autonomy- the opportunity for the athlete to function independently of the group leader, and is able to make decisions on his/her own.
Emotional Support- greatest need that an athlete requires from their fellow teammates or coach. Emotional support is most needed when the athlete is performing poorly. If this support is lacking, then the team climate will be affected negatively, as players will feel abandoned and distant from the group.
Pressure- can create a team environment where the athletes are scared of making a mistake or cause athletes to go beyond their means to defeat a superior opponent.
Coach’s recognition- an athletic effort, improvement and performance are directly related to the athletes’ self-confidence, responsibility and team worth. This in turn fosters a supportive and constructive team climate.
Trust- is important for developing a positive team climate. Coaches should explain to athletes that they trust the athletes’ judgement.
Fairness- an effective team climate must be based on the athlete’s perception of “fair.”
Innovation- allows the athlete to feel that the team or play is his or her own. It promotes creativity and allows for the team individual flair to be shown (as long as it is not detrimental to the overall team goal).
Cohesion- a measure of a person’s attraction to, sense of belonging to, and desire to remain a part of the group.

Hydration Controversy?

ABSTRACT

Hydration has been in the news lately since USA Track & Field issued an advisory on the importance of identifying individual fluid needs. Dr. Douglas Casa explains the situation as “a double-edged sword situation: drink enough fluids during activity to prevent dehydration-which could be detrimental to health and performance- but do not consume too much fluid—which could cause the potentially dangerous problem of hyponatremia.”

What is dehydration? The Advisory explains that dehydration occurs from a loss of fluids, from sweat, urine and respiratory losses and a fluid intake that does not match up with these fluid losses. So what is hyponatremia? Basically, it is low blood sodium caused by excessive intake of fluid and the ingestion of low-sodium fluids during or after prolonged exercise.

There are three keys to the potential for exertional hyponatremia (EH):

Sports that last for longer than four hours,
Lower intensity endurance activities,
When athletes drink large volumes of water without adequate sodium intake.

The USA Track & Field website—www.usatf.org has published the following in regards to hydration:

Proper Hydration for Distance Running—Identifying Individual Fluid Needs—A USA Track & Field Advisory
USATF Self-testing Program for Optimum Hydration
Sweat Calculation process along with a Urine Color Chart
IMMDA Advisory Statement on Guidelines for Fluid Replacement during Marathon Running
Fluids on Race Day