Team Bondings

GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

Being on the girls volleyball team since the beginning of high school, Sona Kashyap, a junior, has loved being part of the team and has made so many memories because of volleyball. One of the bonding activities for the girls’ varsity volleyball team is called the “Compliment Circle”. After each volleyball game and most practices, all the players form a circle and each player takes a turn complementing one another player on something they did during that practice or game. Kashyap says, “This activity has been a game-changer for our team. As an athlete, we often base our self worth and attitude based on personal performance, and getting out of our own heads and getting appreciated and supported by teammates leaves us something more positive to think about, regardless of our own view of our performance.” Regardless of the game resulting in a win or a loss, the team activity helps all players feel good about their individual performance and appreciate other teammates. Something that came as a surprise to Kashyap when participating in this exercise was how her teammates would remember the small details of her performances, showing how the team really cared for one another. This exercise changed the attitudes and the mindsets of many players, as well as increased their motivation, because all the players get to leave practices and matches on a more positive note. Said Kashyap, “Personally, when I feel super tired and upset at myself based off of my performance at the end of a game or practice, and I have a teammate compliment me and acknowledge my efforts and hard work, I internalize those positive things that were said to me and use them as motivation to work harder.”

VARSITY FOOTBALL

Since football is one of the most recognized sports at CHS, there is a lot of pressure on the football team to perform to everyone’s expectations. But without team chemistry, there are no wins, which is why the football team promises to bond and enhance the team atmosphere. Jayden Hall, a junior and quarterback for the CHS varsity football team, says, “Team bonding has changed the team a lot and allowed for us to have better chemistry on the field. It’s also allowed us to have more fun playing football because everyone on the team has a connection with all of the players. The team runs really smoothly because of this and overall is a really good environment.” The team has gone to the beach to practice team plays and play video games, Madden, to add in some fun to their season. These team bondings can help lighten the practice environment because players are comfortable with each other and can collaborate better. Hall has personally been impacted by these bondings and he now feels more comfortable with all his teammates. Hall says, “....giving me friends that I know have my back that I wouldn’t have met without football.” These team bondings have helped lift the pressures off of football and lightened stressful conditions that football brings.

TEAM BONDINGS AT TINO

Team bonding culture and dynamic at CHS

ARUSHI ARORA | PRITHIKA SUNDAR

Sports editor and writer motivates team players to the best of their abilities. Tino’s girls varsity soccer bondings have been unique and definitely exhilarating, according to several of their players. Over the years, they have had several experiences that have elevated the closeness and created a developed team dynamic among each other. Seniors Bhuvana Betini and Misha Bandi both elaborate on a special team bonding experience, a game of Fugitives with their team, from when they were sophomores. Starting off as a sleepover, the game quickly escalated and became the main event of the night as rules were established and roles were given out. Each athlete took on the role of of a driver,cop, or fugitive, and were then blindfolded as the driver randomly dropped off each fugitive at a random location. Given only minutes to escape before the cops came running after them, their only goal was to make it back to Cupertino High School on foot while remaining hidden. Reflecting on the experience, “I thought it was really fun, because it was a night that we’ll never forget because of how crazy

the game was,” said Bandi. Through hours of strategizing and planning Team bonding activities can range from getting dinner with your team, to holding unique among each ‘team’, the players gained a unique experience mixed with excitement and adventure. Said activities for each individual sport. Betini, “The whole experience inCHS sports teams also have different volved a lot of trust … it was trust that bonding activities and experiences, we wouldn’t get left behind. We had to as well as a variety of impacts bond- get to know everyone a lot better, and ing sessions have had on student there was a lot of building off ideas on athletes. like where to hide or where to find [our

These experiences help build trust teammates]”. and encourage further communica- Specifically, this tion within teams, ultimately resulting experience helped in increased team morale and motiva- the players get a tion among the athletes. Additionally, better understandteam bondings help players famil- ing of their team’s iarize with each other better as indi- dynamic, as well viduals can recognize each other’s their own individual strengths and weaknesses, improv- roles and how they ing understanding and awareness contributed to the among teammates. This ultimately team. Said Betini, improves the team dynamic overall, “It helped us understand how we work and encourages individual athletes together, what type of person each and the team to make progress as a person is. I understood where I was: whole. my place in the team … I think it was Most sports teams have team bonding events to help strengthen the “ IT’S ALLOWED US TO HAVE MORE FUN PLAYING FOOTBALL BECAUSE EVERYan easy way to recognize the leaders on the field”. These athletes have seen the impact and importance of team bondings reflected on the field, as their closeness and understanding unity of a team ONE ON THE TEAM HAS A led them through stressful and critical and improve CONNECTION WITH ALL OF circumstances in games. Said Bandi, their collaboration skills. Team bondings help strengthen THE PLAYERS. JAYDEN HALL ” “We were a lot closer because of the things that we experienced together. It made our playing improve, too, because when you’ve bonded with your friendships that team, it’s much better to play soccer are made during sports seasons, as with them.” well as making the atmosphere of the intense sports environment more enjoyable. The presence of team unity “ IT HELPED US REALIZE THAT WE CAN RELY ON EACH OTHER ... AND TRUST THAT WE WOULDN’T GET LEFT BEHIND. BHUVANA BETINI”