What Is the New Norm for Your Team?

2020: It’s certainly been a tough year, and, as with other environments, high-performance sport has not been immune to the disruptive effects of COVID-19.

Here in New Zealand, up until recently, we were operating within "Alert Level 1" with relatively minor inconveniences, which followed several months of essentially existing within lockdown conditions. Over the past couple of weeks, we have experienced a small resurgence and New Zealand is back at an elevated alert level, which means only essential businesses are open in Auckland, the country’s largest city, and the rest of the country is (or is supposed to be!) maintaining strict social distancing guidelines.

Also, importantly, our borders remain largely closed, which as a small Pacific country, creates many challenges. For instance, we have a significant economical reliance on international tourism, which is a particular hit as we are now midway through the Winter ski season. Furthermore, our athletes and teams who rely significantly on travelling to overseas destinations to prepare and compete are experiencing a time of great uncertainty.

It is important to note that the decision to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has repercussions that are both more severe and extend far beyond the scope of this writing, however, I would like to draw attention to a particular area for consideration based on some experiences over the last few months.

Firstly, as already highlighted, New Zealand went through a period of lockdown similar to many other countries — other than essential workers, everyone was to stay home other than to exercise (thankfully we were allowed to exercise outside within our own neighborhoods) or when making essential trips (e.g. supermarket, doctor visits, etc.). In speaking with athletes, what I quickly realized was that each athlete had their own unique experience — some barely survived, some operated with a degree of comfort, and others thrived.

Recently, a team that I work closely with has been engaging in discussions (initially via Zoom and more recently in person) around what we learned and how we can use this knowledge to enhance team operations going forward. Essentially, do we rush back to normal, or do we need to create a different normal based on new insights and experiences? For instance, would the benefits of having a regular scheduled day away from the rest of the team (recovery, time with friends and family, scope for relaxation/study) outweigh what would be achieved from having another team practice?

These open discussions can be extremely meaningful for the potential positive outcomes that may manifest, but also in nurturing connection between team members (both athletes and staff). Facilitating such discussions and observing coaches and athletes having honest discussions around issues such as, for instance, a desire to spend more time at home to able to work on things individually whilst also prioritizing being at home with kids or studying more effectively was refreshing.

What becomes difficult, however, is ensuring that in considering any changes, we do not inadvertently introduce changes that are excessive or counterproductive. Whilst some might enjoy more time at home and conducting meetings via Zoom based on their personalities and individual preferences, what also needs to be considered is any potential disadvantages or risks of establishing new norms, including undermining those who desperately want to return to whatever their normal was! A fundamental dimension of high-performance sport is preparing athletes for challenging and stressful times, so it is important that we do not hastily make sweeping changes to make things easier or more efficient, and, in doing so, reduce the amount of positive stress and pressure placed on athletes (e.g. busy days of back-to-back meetings, training sessions, gym work, etc.). High-performance sport is hard and there is always going to be a fine line to navigate between holding space and creating pressure for athletes.

Such dimensions need to be carefully considered as teams look to re-establish their functioning as collective groups. Throughout and following this turbulent time, there is a wonderful opportunity to reassess how our teams operate and having these kinds of discussions with athletes demonstrates care and empathy, which is always important, but perhaps never more so than at this unique time.