Team Dynamics is often what makes a team happy and successful, or miserable and ready to give up. Your team is your Superpower. Choose them wisely.
Solo vs Team
I have raced as a solo adventure racer and on teams. I started out as a solo racer, because I did not know anyone in the AR community. I did not know how I compared to other racers – always certain I was much slower than them. At these races I would tromp around the woods by myself, running into teams from time to time, worried I was lost, somehow finding checkpoints and then moving on. When I finally made it to the finish, I was relieved I made it there.
Now that I am more seasoned at adventure racing, doing a race as a solo is not as emotionally exhausting, but there are still the doubts that creep in. As a solo adventure racer you are reliant on yourself entirely to find all the checkpoints, transition successfully, carry all your gear, give yourself those needed pep-talks, and move your body through the course even when it is tough.
Once I was asked to be on my first team, there were definitely fears that crept into my mind – what if I am too slow, what if we do not get along? But once I raced with them, I was hooked. Being on a team is by far the best way to adventure race.
That first team I was on, and many other teams I have joined, showed me the joys of making your way through a race with like-minded people. Of course we had our low times, but we had so many highs as well. When you are on a team, your team provides you support in so many ways beyond what you realize. There is the emotional support, the physical support, the camaraderie, challenging each other, moving fast when everyone feels good, and slowing down when someone is not feeling well. There is the feeling of “well, we might be lost, but at least we are lost together.”
And then there are the highs of finding the checkpoints, moving quickly through a leg, and finishing, knowing what your team endured to make it to the finish. I would argue that adventure racing is not a solo sport. Being part of a team and getting through the course together is yet another important element of the overall adventure racing challenge.
Here’s a great feature-length documentary to get you stoked about teamwork and AR in general. “For The Team” – a cinematic journey that reveals the underlying mechanics of the 6x World Adventuring Racing Champions from New Zealand.
Team Cohesion
Once I started adventure racing with teams, I began to formulate what “type” of team I wanted to race with. I found that I wanted a team that treated each other well. I discovered that my criteria included individuals who were thoughtful and considerate to others. I cannot race with drama, anger, or egos.
As an adventure racer, I am very picky who I race with. Through the years I have raced with many people, and pulled from those experiences what I want, and what I do not want.
I require the team character to entail a few key features:
- consideration of your teammates’ and how they are feeling
- a sense of support for each other with the intention that we all get through the race feeling our best
- a similar determination to keep going even when you are at your low
- team harmony where we do not argue or undermine each other
- team trust and respect where each person is valued for what they contribute
- a team mentality of equality (there is not someone trying to be better than or outshine the rest of the team)
You become the team. The individual decisions you make are for the team. Certainly a consideration of what you need is important, but that must be dovetailed with what is best for the team. If you decide you need X, gather your team and have a discussion. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and then a team decision needs to be made. I understand that team harmony may not be possible at all times, but ‘be there’ for your teammates, and they will ‘be there’ for you.
Good Habits
There are always the basics that you need for a team. Set your team roles. Each person on the team can have a specific role to help the team be successful. Once the team roles are determined, each person needs to take that role seriously, knowing that the role you are given is one factor in making the team a positive, strong force in the race.
When you are on a team, your team provides you support in so many ways beyond what you realize.
There are several good habits teammates can adopt to support the team. Be efficient with yourself and your equipment. Ask your teammates what they need or what you can do for them. Give everyone reminders of drinking and eating. Additionally, remind your teammates to identify where there are physical pain points or discomforts to get those taken care of as soon as possible. When there is a low moment, learn what helps your teammates to get through those moments. Look after each other, knowing when it is time to push and when it is time to pull back to allow for recovery.
Bad Habits
Through the years of racing on teams, I’ve also seen the bad habits that teams can fall into. Leaving slower teammates behind before reaching the checkpoint, not listening to each other’s needs, and arguing are just a few examples. A team that belittles each other, tries to out-do or dominate each other, and pushes others harshly without consideration of the mental and physical state each person is in, is not a team that I would want to stay on. I had a teammate say to me, “You are here to help us win!” in an angry tone after I had said that it was early in the race and we should not be worried about our place in the field. I almost dropped off the team at that moment. As a person with self-respect, if I experience verbal or emotional abuse from any teammate, I should drop off the team and never race with that person again.
Gary Larson – The Far Side
I also consider how my teammates treat other people who are a part of the race. If I am on a team where individuals are unkind to race staff and volunteers or other racers, I will not continue a racing relationship with those teammates.
Over to you
Clearly, I have a strong opinion on team dynamics and why it is important to have a good team for adventure racing. There may be adventure racers who disagree, but for me, the dynamics of a team are a very important part of adventure racing and it contributes to what the sport is as a whole. Racing is supposed to be fun and challenging, and having a good team keeps it that way.
Written by
Jess Evans
