Building Greatness-Leadership & Softball

       According to my results, I am a considered a team leader in my current position as an assistant coach at Smith College.  I would agree with this assessment because I try to be positive at all times with my players so they can reach their highest potential.  In my ideal role, I would remain a team leader.  I have played for coaches that were very authoritarian and focused more on the negative than on the positive.  Consequently, they achieved failed results.  I admire my other assistant coach and head coach because they also work in this team leader style.  We all successfully collaborate in order to create a positive team culture.

According to Tuckerman’s model, Smith softball is currently in the “forming stage.”  Although we have not yet had our first practice, the atmosphere of our first team meeting was one of excitement and anticipation.  While at the outset some of the players were excited to start the season, the excitement turned to a little anxiety after the expectations of this season were made clear.  Because we have changed some of the expectations of previous years, they are not certain about the amount of work that the “team” will require this year.  Although this forming stage is short, I believe we are there at the moment.  Hopefully, after our first practice on Monday, reality will set in and we can move onto the “storming” stage.