Each of us has been on a team at some point in our lives. Teams can take many forms, be it sports teams, group projects in school, or coworkers on the job. However, not all teams seem to work well together. What is it that makes some teams "click" and others not? Why are some groups able to function as a cohesive unit, while others seem to fall apart? These are the questions I hope to help answer by pointing to examples from the movie "Miracle", that I believe, captures the essence of teamwork perfectly.
Helpful Terms and Movie plot
Before diving into this post, I think it would be useful to have a brief overview of what I will be talking about. Firstly, this whole post revolves around a concept called Group Cohesiveness. Group cohesiveness is defined as "The extent to which forces push group members closer together, such as feelings of intimacy, unity, and commitment to group goals." (Kassin). Secondly, it might be helpful to know the general movie plot. SPOILER ALERT!
This movie is centered around the 1980 winter Olympics, specifically the ice hockey tournament. Coach Herb Brooks selects 26 players from the initial tryouts, knowing that many of them were not actually the most talented, but had quality character traits. Chemistry on the team is quite rocky at first, with old college rivalries causing rifts within the team. However, throughout the movie the players bond into a sort of family, united in shared goals and pain. The movie hits its climax in the semifinal round of the Olympics, when team USA faces the heavily favored Soviet Union team. Team USA goes on to win the game, and eventually, the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics.
(Iceehockey21, 2010)
In this clip we see coach Herb brooks meeting with his assistant coach Craig Patrick as they select players from all over the country to play on the US Olympic team. At the tryouts were players with a wide range of skill sets and talents. Coach Brooks had a full week to observe the players and determine which ones he wanted to select. However, within one day of tryouts he already had his list of 26 players. When questioned why he doesn't have some of the best players, coach Brooks replies that he doesn't want the best players, only the right ones.
(goldmedalstrategies, 2010)
In the 1980 Olympics, the US team still consisted of college hockey players, rather than the team of NHL all-stars we see today. A result of this however, was the potential for college hockey rivalries to clash, as we see in the clip above. This is just a good reminder as to how far apart this "team" was at the point of the first practice. Unable to put college disputes aside, they would not have been able to go anywhere in the Olympics.
(Hays, 2012)
The scene above is one of the major turning points in the movie for this hockey team. After playing a game with little effort, and not coming close to full potential, coach Brooks sends them back out onto the ice for a grueling workout session, that continues even after the rink manager closes down the arena. The players are not given rest until team captain Mike Eruzione declares that he plays for the United States of America. This is a very powerful scene that shows this group finally coming together into a team.
(Iceehockey21, 2010)
This short scene from the movie holds a lot of weight. Coach Brooks has just brought in a new player who has a lot of talent, but has not been through all the rigorous training and all around team experience that the rest of the guys have had. Unsettled by this, four of the team leaders approach coach Brooks, and convey how important the family atmosphere of the team is to them, proving that this group has fully settled into a team ready to face the challenge of the Olympics.
(murphystar1, 2008)
Having made it against the odds to the semifinals of the Olympics, team USA now has to face their biggest rivals, the unbeatable Soviet team. All of the players knew just who they were going against, and seemed to need something of a jump start. Coach Brooks was able to supply that, giving a moving motivational speech that spurred the team on, uniting them against this common opponent, and uniting them in belief that they could indeed beat the Soviet team.
(chamilton, 2008)
At the end of the movie we get to see team USA upset the Soviet Union in a shocking performance. This incredible win is often referred to as one of the biggest upsets in sports history, and rightly so, nobody expected the US to win. Only by coming together into a cohesive unit that functioned as a team and as a family was team USA able to win this game, and eventually the Olympics.
Wrapping it all up
The 1980 US Olympic hockey team is one of the greatest examples of the evolution of group cohesiveness in sports. Starting from a group of individuals still stuck in their old college rivalries, this group became a team held together in a family like unity, able to persevere through the hardest of challenges. Many different factors contributed to this change. One of the biggest factors was coach Herb Brooks' coaching style. By making himself the enemy of the team through his grueling work out sessions, the team united in this shared bond, and no longer saw each other as the enemy. Another factor was the shared goal of beating the Soviet hockey team. This probably seemed like an unreachable goal at first, but as the team came to believe in themselves and each other, it became a reality.
So what do you think? Do you think this movie is as great of an example of group cohesiveness as I am making it out to be or not? These and any other comments are welcome, and thanks for taking the time to read this post!
References
chamilton268, (2008, Feb 17) Miracle movie win. (Video) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU4bufn-U00
goldmedalstrategies, (2010, Jan 4). Members of great teams manage through ego and conflict. (Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA03y3SpJ6Q
Hays Christian Church, (2012, Feb 23). Miracle- The name on the front more important than the name on the back. (Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nR3reKPE5Y
Iceehockey21, (2010, May 25). Players confer with coach. (Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMd5qHIN4x0
Iceehockey21, (2010, May 25). Tryouts for USA team. (Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0nZh9o65nE
Kassin, S. Social Psychology. (Cengage). Retrieved from https://cengage.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781305888340/
murphystar1, (2008, Jan 11). Miracle- Coach Brooks addresses team pre game. (Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c&t=2s
This was a perfect movie to show group cohesiveness! I watched this movie when I was younger and then watched it again this past summer, and I realized just how amazing of a movie it really is. When I was younger I didn't look at the big picture of the team coming together as one and working towards the same goal. I think after watching this movie this past summer, I realized how much the concepts in this film relate to myself and the teams I have been on and that I am currently playing on. For me personally, I think bringing a team together and having all the same goals and mindsets is really what helps build the team chemistry. Like the movie shows, even though the players had their differences in the beginning, as they started to work towards a group goal, they started to play for one another. I see this all the time on the soccer team. We sometimes have those days where we just aren't working well together or the chemistry is just off, and right when our leaders and coach realize that, they bring us all together and remind us that we are playing this sport for all the same reasons. In the beginning of the season, we have a meeting to go over goals we want to work towards for the season. Some may think that a few are far fetched, but when we all have the mindset and all want the same things, that is when our group cohesiveness is maximized. I also think communication plays a big role in group cohesiveness just from experience. If players are communicating to one another about how they feel about a certain thing or if they have a problem with something, it is good to bring that to attention instead of just keeping it all bottled in. Talking with one another will make everyone have an open-mind, which I believe is something every team needs to have. If players are all on the same page of what they are working towards and they all have the right mindset, then your group cohesiveness will be optimized. What are your thoughts on communication playing a role in group cohesiveness?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! I hadn't thought about communication, but you are totally right. Every sport iv'e played has had varying levels of communication, and the teams with the best chemistry definitly had the best communication. On the swim team in high school for example, we had a very open team, and our overall goals of winning regional's were clear. On top of that however, we all knew each others individual goals as well. This type of openness allowed everyone on the team to rally behind the team and individuals, supporting, encouraging, and advising in any way possible, and by making each individual swimmer better, we made the whole team better.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was a great example of group cohesiveness as well! I think you did a very good job of explaining the different aspects of group cohesiveness through the movie. "Miracle" is a classic example, as is any good sports team/story. I have coached middle school girls basketball for the last three years, and I have definitely emphasized having a strong team in the bonding/teamwork category over a strong skill set, even at that age. I think it is so important for kids in that age group to be able to identify their own goals, but at the same time think as a team and be able to lift each other up when things don't go the way they want them to. Nice post, Jake!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Abby! That's awesome that you have already been able to instill the importance of team chemistry in a young team like that! Just wondering, what have been some strategies you've used yourself as a coach?
DeleteI love hearing stories about someone thinking outside of the box and then actually following through. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!
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DeleteI can definitely relate to the idea of group cohesiveness when applied to sports. I played softball for many years which allowed me a lot of time to identify what may or may not be working for the team. One way we would form a group bond was to have dinners or sleepovers. It allowed us to create a bond in hopes that we would be able to cooperate better on the field. I personally felt like with bonding off the field allowed us to help each other more while playing. If I had some sort of a friendship with another teammate I felt less weird about helping them correct a form or something. Even while being captain there were things that I needed to work on and if one of the other girl's was better at that thing, they would feel more comfortable helping me out. This inevitably helped us play better on the field because we could talk and communicate easier with each other.
ReplyDeleteI like your point on the need for good communication! I know I experienced a lot of the same things you pointed out when I was on the swim team in high school. We would have some sort of bonding event every now and then, and those events definetly helped shape us as a team.
DeleteI think this is a great example of group cohesiveness! I have grown up hearing about this story all the time as my dad was an extremely involved hockey player and dedicated fan. I also grew up in sports and I can say for the fact that many times you become a family with your teammates, all pushing for a specific goal. I loved how you broke down the movie, it was very well organized and easy to understand. I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI think the takeaway from the movie, and this article is important--it's not always about having the "dream team" or the "best of the best". There are a lot more factors at play in any group, and how a team works together and sees each other can be a huge factor--something the coach exploited heavily, to his team's advantage.
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