Body Language Influence on Team Dynamics

Importance of Body Language

You are constantly being judged, sized up, and defined.  Every second somebody is trying to decipher your intentions, thoughts and feelings based on your body language.  Are you open or closed off?  Positive or negative?  People want to know who you are, and if you are the type of person they want to surround themselves with.

Poor body language decreases confidence, damages relationships, fractures a team, portrays an outlook of negativity, and allows others to identify and take advantage of weaknesses in your game and life.  Positive body language builds confidence and strength, inspires a team, builds relationships, intimidates opponents, and portrays an outlook of positivity that is contagious, and people want to be around.

We know what good body language looks like, standing tall, chin up, shoulders back.  We know what bad body language looks like, such as head down, shoulders slumped.  We can see who is confident and who is not, who is depressed and who is happy. It’s our instincts as humans to read the physical actions of others as a form of communication when no words are being spoken.  It’s something we have intuitively studied since birth and something that has been ingrained into our gut. 

Body language is a form of communication.  It is you speaking to the world without saying words.  Your body language tells everyone who you are at that moment, what you are thinking about, and what your attitude is. Your body language is your way to communicate with your teammates, coaches, opponents, umpires, scouts, family, friends, and fans.  Everyone.

Body Language has an Impact on the Team

Without words, you are building trust and respect among your teammates.  With every action you display, you tell them how you feel about them, what you think about them, and how much you care for them.  Players are constantly looking at each other for feedback, consciously or sub-consciously, and whether it’s your body language before, during or after a play you made or watched, you are giving that needed feedback back to your teammates who are watching.  Here are some examples of how body language, good and bad, can be translated, affecting team dynamics: 

An infielder boots a ground ball, through body language, his teammates might show him signs of disappointment and disgust or they might show him support, helping him move on to the next play with confidence.

A hitter might come up in a big situation, and through the body language of his coaches and teammates, he might feel like he has a bench full of players believing in him and rooting him on, or a group of people thinking he has no shot. 

A pitcher on the mound, might feel from the players behind him that he has a group of guys focused with him every pitch, and will do whatever it takes to make a play.  He might also feel that he has teammates that don’t believe in him, or simply don’t care.    

A player’s body language tells his teammates what he cares about and how he feels about them.  Players will read into body language and see selfishness or selflessness, and know who are in the battle with each other and who is off fighting alone.  They know who cares about others and who is in it for themselves.  They know who makes them feel special and who doesn’t.

A group of men become a team when they sacrifice their personal ambitions, and rally around a common goal together, but players that consistently display poor body language prevent that and end up killing the team.  There are many players out there that display selfish, team-killing body language.  Here are some examples of that behavior.

• The players who slams his helmet after making an out when the team is up by 5 runs
• The pitcher that pouts on the mound and fails to give 100%, because he is angry that he entered a game when the team is down by 10.
• The player on the bench who shows disgust that he has been asked to replace a teammate for defense late in a blow-out game.
• The players that pout after being pinch hit for, asked to bunt or take a strike.

When players consistently demonstrate this type of body language, they erode trust and slowly become isolated over the course of a year.  Poor body language becomes an attitude of misery, and misery loves company.  The weak start to gravitate to each other and end up in a deep abyss with no one to pull themselves out.  In the end, they end up stuck in isolation or banished from the team. 

It is not easy to keep your chin up and stand tall in the middle of an 0 for 32 slump. It is not easy to keep your composure and focus when a player makes an error on an easy play behind you. It is not easy to get pinch-hit for, and be right there at the top of the bench supporting the guy that is replacing you. There are a lot of times that it is not easy to be a good teammate.

Those who display positive and caring body language, even through failure, are the teammates that others love and want to be around.  It is these teammates, the ones that stay consistent with their actions, care about others and maintain a positive and confident attitude through both good and bad times that others are eager to help during tough times and celebrate with during great times.  These teammates display an attitude of confidence, togetherness, and love.  They are contagious and are the backbone in making a group of men into a team, and eventually a family.

One of the greatest teammates anyone could have, Derek Jeter, In 2004 went through an 0 for 32 slump. What amazed everyone is how he carried himself.

”He’s doing everything that a captain does,” Sheffield said. ”He’s on the top step of the dugout when a guy gets a hit. When a guy’s in a slump and you notice he’s the first guy to pull for his teammates, that’s a special player. A lot of guys go into slumps and they go in a shell. They’re not thinking about anyone else but themselves. His head is still in the game.”

Bullet Points

• Body language is a form of communication, often speaking louder than words.
• Teammates are constantly looking at the body language of their peers for positive or negative feedback.
• Body language has an impact on how others define your character.
• The attitude of a player is portrayed by his body language. Attitudes are contagious.
• Misery loves company. Complainers like complainers, losers like losers, winners like winners. Your body language shows who you are and attracts like-minded people.
• Good or bad body language can build or destroy team chemistry.
• Tough times are where your character really shines.
• Be consistent, even keel through good times and bad. It is not easy.

Source:

Tyler Kepner 2004