If you ever see a college athletic team on campus, you can tell they are close to one another. In fact, you would almost think they were friends since elementary school. If you are not on an athletic team you might wonder how important team bonding actually is. It turns out that it is essential for the players individually, but also for the team as a whole, according to the athletes and coaches.  

Different athletic teams, across Ashland University, have participated in several team bonding exercises, such as the women’s lacrosse team.  

The team has been playing a game called “Assassins”. The objective of this game is two teams are trying to eliminate one another by spraying the opposing team with water guns.  

The team has gotten highly involved with the game and appear to have so much fun with it. 

They have even advertised the competition on their Instagram page, and there are nothing but smiles with each post. They kept track of who was out and who got them out. 

“One of the best feelings as a coach is to see the girls bonding and working together while having fun. It creates a way to bond different class groups together and getting to know each other,” said AIsabelle Pisani, assistant coach of the women’s lacrosse team. 

Women’s lacrosse is not the only athletic team on Ashland University’s campus that is partaking in team bonding.  

Head Coach of the women’s soccer, Cayleb Paulino mentions how team bonding is an critical factor.  

“You have someone to go every day, they can help you through training, and through the games,” said Paulino 

Paulino also discussed how bonding is just as important as the strategies they come up with and the game plans. As they have partners off the field or “accountability partners” as Paulino called them.  

Accountability partners are arranged to check in with each other almost every day. Paulino said that the partners are typically not in the same major or grade. This allows people on the team who may not be in the same friend groups to bond with each other. 

“When you know someone has your back, when someone is there to support you. That’s something special,”  Paulino explained. 

Sarah Watson, a sophomore on the women’s soccer team stated the significance of team bonding as being important for the athletes’ mental health.  

Watson, who is a major advocate for the importance of mental health mentioned how she is not only there for her fellow teammates, but also athletes on other teams, and nonathletes can talk to her about the importance of mental health. Watson’s email is open to everyone [email protected] as well as her social medias @itssarahw and @you.r.notalone. 

“Having a person you can come to on the team when things are getting hard mentally, I believe is so important. When not having this person, it can allow for teammates to bottle up what is going on mentally, and then it affects not only the individual but also the team in a negative manner,” said Watson. 

Watson elaborated on how team bonding is a stress-free environment and safe space for athletes. 

“Team bonding can help with a person’s mental health as it can reduce stress and allow for your team’s environment to become a safe space. Making a safe space within a team setting allows for teammates to speak up when things are getting hard mentally or they are having a hard day,” said Watson. 

Team bonding on and off the field in athletics is crucial to the team and the individuals. The teams create a bond that brings them closer than friends. 

 “I can proudly say that the girls on my team are like my sisters because of this,” Watson explained.  

With close team bonding the team as a whole becomes better together and allows student-athletes to become the best version of themselves and to create lifelong friendships.