Monday, September 15, 2008

An idea for building camaraderie

For coaches interested in ways to help their players get to know each other a little better, an article in SI this week may provide at least one simple idea: Have a team meal following the game.

"Even at the highest level European basketball teams eat together after the game," says Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Terry Stotts, who played in France, Spain and Italy for six years before beginning his NBA coaching career in 1992. "Hanging together off the court builds camaraderie, which relieves mental pressure. It's definitely a cultural thing. For Europeans, the big picture comes before the small."