Cliques Can Destroy Your Team (Part 2)

You have collected the data about your team by using the “Vacation” activity. You need to now analyze the data that is on each individuals sheet. To do this you need to get a blank sheet of paper and take the first Vacation sheet. Let's assume that the first sheet belongs to Molly. Write Molly's name on the sheet near the middle of the page and circle it. Molly chose to bring Kelly and Tina on her vacation. Write Kelly and Tina's name on the sheet and circle their names. You will now draw arrows from Molly to Kelly and Tina to represent the relationship. You will then do the same thing for each player's sheet. When you are done, you should have what looks like a web on your paper. Please see Image 1. 

Image 1

If it looks like a spider web then you are likely to have very few social problems with your team. It shows that everyone is friends with everyone else and you should avoid major conflict with your team.

There are three common issues that are exposed during this activity.

1. Natural Cliques. These cliques are not a big deal. They are generally created by situations that the athletes have no control over. If you have a middle school team, the 7^th and 8th graders will generally spend more time with their classmates because that is who they are friends with. If you have a high school team that draws from two different buildings you will have the same result. In Image 1, you will see that there are two groups of 6 or 7 players that created two separate webs. These are Natural Cliques.

2. Fringe Players. This activity will also expose players that are not generally accepted or possibly even liked by the rest of the team. In Image 1 you see that Megan wasn't listed on anyone's Vacation sheet. On the web, she doesn't have any arrows pointed toward her. It is possible that she is accepted by everyone, but just isn't really tight with anyone. That's ok. This activity will identify players that you need to make sure are included and accepted.

   

   Image 2

   3.  Cluster Cliques. These are the ones that can destroy everything that you have worked for. If you look at Image 2, you will see that there are basically four small cliques that only listed each other on their Vacation sheet. These cliques can be determined by other sports, economic status, type of student that the players are, race, etc. There are many determining factors. Natural Cliques can break Cluster Cliques into even smaller groups. 

The great thing about this activity is that once you draw the web, your social issues are right there in front of you. It will verify problems you knew you had and it will expose others that may be disasters in the waiting. In Part 3 of Cliques Can Destroy Your Team, we will discuss how to break these cliques up and how to start to mold your team in that cohesive unit that you need to be successful.