PSY FPX 8841 Assessment 4 Team Performance Enhancement Plan

Student Name

Capella University

PSY FPX 8841 Performance Enhancement in Sports

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Date

Team Performance Improvement Plan

This document presents the Team Performance Improvement Plan commissioned by Coach Rebekah Woodson for a Collegiate Level Co-Ed Cheerleading team. With a focus on Track IV, this plan is intended to enhance team dynamics in preparation for the team’s first competition (APA Division 47, 2011). It will explore key factors that facilitate and hinder team performance, as well as provide intervention strategies aimed at minimizing barriers and promoting behaviors and thoughts that enhance performance.

Performance Improvement Plan

Coach Becky has indicated that she is encountering challenges with her athletes’ lack of motivation and cohesion among teammates. This is her first year coaching this team, which differs from the types of teams she has coached in the past. The university is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and Coach Becky is a Caucasian woman from the UK. Her previous experience has been coaching exclusively competitive teams, and she has not yet coached both game day style and competitive seasons. Many of her athletes do not believe she is qualified to coach the team for these reasons. Additionally, Coach Becky notes that many of her athletes lack the necessary motivation to endure a competition season. Bull and Sham (1996) describe motivation as both external stimuli and internal mechanisms that drive and direct behavior. There are two forms of motivation: extrinsic, which is driven by external rewards like money, trophies, or peer praise, and intrinsic, which originates from within the athlete (Seipp, 1991). Coach Becky has also observed a lack of cohesion between veteran team members and rookies, with veterans treating rookies differently, often being harsher when teaching new material and engaging in “initiation” behaviors. Carron, Brawley, and Widmeyer (1998) define cohesion as a dynamic process in which a group tends to stay together and work toward its shared objectives.

To boost team motivation, it is necessary to first address anxiety. Anxiety is an emotional state that can result in imagining negative outcomes. For some athletes, this is their first time on a competitive team, and the fear of losing could be causing anxiety, which, in turn, may diminish motivation due to a fear of trying and failing. This anxiety should be reframed into fear (Beckmann & Elbe, 2014). By having each athlete identify a specific instance of failure they fear, they can be encouraged to enhance their skills to avoid that outcome. This strategy could also help build team cohesion, as multiple athletes may share similar fears. Pairing them together can foster accountability and help them achieve success together. For instance, if a rookie is anxious about not winning due to fear of dropping the flyer during a new stunt, she could work on her upper body strength to ensure the stunt is successfully executed.

PSY FPX 8841 Assessment 4 Team Performance Enhancement Plan

To improve team cohesion, I recommend establishing a mentor/mentee system between veteran and rookie athletes. Athletes could be paired based on their major or geographic location if athletes with similar majors are available. This will give them a shared starting point for connection. Montoya, Horton, and Kirchner (2008) suggest that people are more likely to form relationships when they have similarities. This would provide the rookie with someone to consult about their major, team-related matters, and general challenges related to college life. Cohesion is also influenced by how long teammates have spent together (Eys et al., 2015). Allowing athletes to spend more time with teammates they may not usually interact with could help bring the team closer.

While the mentor/mentee relationship is most effective outside of practice, the anxiety-to-fear intervention should be implemented at the start or end of practice sessions. This enables athletes to directly observe how these interventions impact their collective performance. Repetition is crucial in both situations, as it reinforces the techniques learned and ensures they are stored in long-term memory. Coach Becky should actively participate in both interventions. In the mentor/mentee relationship, athletes interested in coaching post-graduation could discuss challenges and behind-the-scenes factors with Coach Becky. This will help athletes see her not only as a coach but as someone who shares their experiences. Additionally, it could help Coach Becky earn her athletes’ respect by demonstrating that she cares about the team and their collaboration.

Cheerleading is often perceived as a feminine sport, so particular attention must be given to how each athlete is addressed, especially considering this is a co-ed team. The American Psychological Association (2017) addresses this concern in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct under section 3.01, which discusses unfair discrimination. Another important issue to monitor is mental health. College can be a significant transition for many, and not everyone copes in the same way. Some student-athletes might turn to substance abuse or experience depression due to the new environment and changes. If such concerns arise, a referral should be made to an appropriate psychologist or mental health counselor. This is where the consultations and referrals section of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (2011) Ethics Code is applicable.

Feedback and Revisions

Upon reviewing the plan, Coach Becky offered the following feedback: “This looks like a strong plan for our team. I hadn’t thought about the importance of getting to know my athletes better. We’re all new to the team and should be making an effort to get to know one another. However, I’m concerned about how the university will respond to having an external consultant. I hope they will approve since they’ve invested a lot of money in this program and want it to succeed. Could this be done outside of practice time so that we can still focus on learning the material?”

To address Coach Becky’s concerns, I included information on the importance of conducting these interventions close to practice time, either just before or after. This ensures athletes can directly observe how the strategies can be applied during practice and with each other to enhance performance in a sport setting.

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/

APA Division 47. (2011). Graduate training and career possibilities in exercise and sport psychology. https://www.apadivisions.org/division-47/about/resources/training

Association of Applied Sport Psychology. (2011). ETHICS CODE: AASP Ethical Principles and Standards | Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Association for Applied Sport Psychology. https://appliedsportpsych.org/about/ethics/ethics-code/

Beckmann, J., & Elbe, A. (2014). Sport psychological interventions in competitive sports. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Bull, A., & Sham, B. (1996). The Mental Game Plan. Eastbourne, United Kingdom: Sports Dynamics.

Carron, A.V., Brawley, L.R., & Widmeyer, W.N. (1998). The measurement of cohesiveness in sport groups. In J.L. Duda (Ed.), Advances in sport and exercise psychology measurement (pp. 213–226). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.