Chaos or Control

One of the first conversations I have with an athlete that I am working with one-on-one is the inspiration behind today’s activity.

I begin by showing the two short video clips that are below. One is a scene of CHAOS and one is a scene of CONTROL. I then assign a journal activity to the athlete where I ask them to write about what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like when they are in CHAOS and what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like when they are in control. We then discuss what they wrote about. The CHAOS journal gives us a starting point for developing mental skills to overcome those moments of CHAOS. The CONTROL journal gives us a vision for what we are working to create as their new normal.

I’ve since adapted this activity and used it to engage teams that I work with in a similar conversation.

CHAOS or CONTROL Conversation

STEP 1: Show both of the clips below. They are each less than 1 minute in length. After watching the clips have your team talk about what they noticed in each clip in small groups. Which clip better represents the team that we want to be? Why? After some small group discussion time, have your athletes share thoughts with the whole team.

My favorite aspect of this youth football team clip is when the coach takes his hat off his head and swipes it at the air. I’m sure he was thinking “Guys, we went over this!” I laugh every time I watch it because I’ve been there and I coach high school athletes!

My favorite aspect the F1 pit stop video is that every member of the team has a role to play. Each person focuses on their job and do it to the best of their ability. Each person trusts their teammates to execute their jobs.

STEP 2: Have your athletes complete the following form. If your team is smaller, less than 20 athletes, I would have each member fill this out individually. If your team is larger, 20 athletes or more, I would have them complete this form in small groups of 3-5 athletes.

STEP 3: Time to share out. Pick one the categories, CHAOS or CONTROL, and have the athletes or groups share what they identified. When something is shared, ask how many other athletes/groups wrote something similar. Have each athlete/group share any thoughts they want to communicate with the whole team with regards to that item. Continue until you have everything written on the forms shared out. Now repeat the process with the other category.

FOLLOW-UP: Coach, I would encourage you to pick up each sheet. Was there anything listed that wasn’t shared out. It would be worth having a side conversation with that athlete or group and ask why they didn’t share it with the team as a whole. I would also consider how you can address the items mentioned in the chaos during practice. The more your athletes become aware of when chaos setting in and what they should do when that happens in practice, the more likely it is to carryover to games.

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