Teamwork ???? Yeah right !!!....

[Robbo]

Teamwork? ...... Hmmmm .....

If you can bottle it, I'll go buy some and start flogging it; if you can film it, I'll go get the production rights ...
If you know how to train it, I'll get you a job ... but if you tell me you can understand it, I'll call you a liar ....

Teamwork is a 'will o' the wisp' idea made worse by its elusive presence.
It also provides a great discussion point for our entire range of players and coaches from the newbs to the old brigadiers ...
No subject can boast better opportunities for debate than this one because everyone in our sport has an opinion on teamwork ... and what's surprising, to me at least, is the sheer intensity of belief some of our guys have and so let's see what happens when we open the floor to everyone who has an interest in the subject of teamwork.

It would be kinda interesting to see a collection of people's ideas concerning teamwork because the subject kinda feels easy to discuss or at least, have an opinion on ..... but don't be fooled here guys, many a pro player has misconceived the meaning of teamwork or indeed what it's capable of actually achieving.

 

[Dr Fingers]

Teamwork

While I agree with some of the points you make there is quite a well established body of evidence regarding methods for improving team cohesion and performance. While none has been published looking at paintball there is quite a bit looking at "team games". The theory of "social loafing" for example was done with rowers and compared their power outputs individually compared with as a team.

During my UG degree we had a lecture from the Sport Psychologist from Brighton Uni who had been involved with the Lions tours when Will Carling was playing. It was interesting to hear some of the techniques used to take players from the opposing home nations sides and create a cohesive unit that could work together. The point I am trying to make is that a lot of the knowledge is out there but it doesn't tend to drawn from within sport generally in the UK or paintball. Rugby in the UK seems to be one of the few sports that employ Sport Psychology below Olympic/Elite levels but even then lower level clubs are suspicious and skeptical.

Happy to direct people toward some of the helpful sports psychology texts if anyone is interested.
Rich

 

[Robbo]

I'm afraid Doc, we have to acknowledge the academic nature of theory especially when the idea of teamwork is applied to paintball.
Of course you can cite practical advantages from exampled other sports but they evaporate when we then try to immerse our sport into your citation .... the trump card of what's practical will always, and should always be played because there is no use whatsoever in talking theory when the required resources or methodologies are nowhere to be seen when we lift the roof off of paintball and peek inside.
We may have got close to it once a few years back but then I'd still have to debate it on the grounds of practicality anyway.

 

[Dr Fingers]

Teamwork

I disagree. The field of sport and exercise psychology is a pragmatic one (unlike many other areas of psychology). While I agree that it is useless to have models, theories and hypotheses that are untested, in Sport Psychology this is not the case! The theories of Sport Psychology have more often than not emerged as explanations for observed phenomena rather than lab based musings.

I also disagree that there is nothing that Sport Psychology can add to paintball. Just as an example, knowledge of the team formation model (forming, storming, norming, performing) and having strategies in place to ensure a team progresses rapidly through the early stages is always going to be beneficial if a team is committed to peak performance. Paintball is not so dissimilar to other sports where these techniques have been successful utilized.

Whether teams are sufficiently motivated and can afford to employ this sort of support is another matter. In the USA even some little league baseball teams will retain Sport Psychologist support!
Rich

 

[Tony Harrison]

If you can remove personal agendas, selfishness and egos from the players, you have the basis of a team.

 

[Robbo]

I disagree. The field of sport and exercise psychology is a pragmatic one (unlike many other areas of psychology). While I agree that it is useless to have models, theories and hypotheses that are untested, in Sport Psychology this is not the case! The theories of Sport Psychology have more often than not emerged as explanations for observed phenomena rather than lab based musings.

I also disagree that there is nothing that Sport Psychology can add to paintball. Just as an example, knowledge of the team formation model (forming, storming, norming, performing) and having strategies in place to ensure a team progresses rapidly through the early stages is always going to be beneficial if a team is committed to peak performance. Paintball is not so dissimilar to other sports where these techniques have been successful utilized.

Whether teams are sufficiently motivated and can afford to employ this sort of support is another matter. In the USA even some little league baseball teams will retain Sport Psychologist support!
Rich

Rich, apologies for delay in response but I’m afraid I been kinda laid up recently and until I can get an operation, I don’t think my ‘laid-up’condition is gonna change that much; anyways, until then, I’m gonna have to do the best I can using two-fingered typing; anyway, if you re-read my post mate,I haven't suggested sports science data is useless at all.

I will say however, the weakest area of sports science datais going to be where it concerns itself with psychology because of the nature of the experimentation that’s possible.

It's not as if you can cut someone's head open investigating links between a positive mental attitude and performance, that type of linkage is just not achievable using the sports sciences; you can however produce behavioural stats but this cannot be classified as true science, it's just not rigorous enough in determining true causality.
As for your second point of disagreement?

This whole thread is about 'teamwork' Rich .. your second point is basically stating the benefits of a positive mental attitude which I haven't got a problem with but what I do have a problem with is believing present-day paintball possesses the required resources to make use of anything sports science has to offer with regard to training teamwork … but maybe it's best I define what my understanding of ‘teamwork is when applied to paintball anyway.
'a co-ordinated play by two or more members of your team acting out a common cause'.
It sounds pretty simple and that's because it is but my whole point is, you cannot train teamwork directly because every game is simply different and therefore requires differing geographic moves, differently timed moves and angles etc ... you can improve teamwork but it’s an artefact of experience and most certainly not directly trainable leastwise in paintball it ain’t.

 

[Memphos]

I used to play Halo 3 at a very good and competitive level. You may not think that as being relevent but the level of teamwork required to excell at that game is astronomical. Many times my team and I had pulled off victories that we shouldn't have due to the great level of teamwork we had. Teamwork, to me at least, is a vital part of any sport. It's what tips the tides of those really close and intense games - it's a deciding factor on whether you get that last kill and get crowned as champions or whether you bottle it and become the team that never quite managed it.

I obviously understand that Paintball and Gaming are two different things but the principles are near enough the same.

I like this thread, I'm definitely going to keep my eye on it. I feel that this topic is such a great one for discussion

 

[obladeo]

I think players need to think about each other instead of thinking about themselves.

e.g.
All players want to stop in the game as long as they can to make themselves look good. How many players have you seen jump out of a bunker to get shot to allow the other players to shoot the other team?

I've not seen it once....

 

[Bambulus]

I think players need to think about each other instead of thinking about themselves.

e.g.
All players want to stop in the game as long as they can to make themselves look good. How many players have you seen jump out of a bunker to get shot to allow the other players to shoot the other team?

I've not seen it once....

Bunkering and runthroughs can have duel purposes - Causing a distraction and taking whoever you can with you.

Tactically trading out happens all the time.

 

[obladeo]

Bunkering and runthroughs can have duel purposes - Causing a distraction and taking whoever you can with you.

Tactically trading out happens all the time.

I see run thoughs as benafit mainly to the individual. If they make it through and also shoot the other players they are seen as amazin.

I see your point tho it can help the team also in some cases.

I also see alot of one for ones at the moment were players are letting anger interfere with there play.