I admit it, I’m Norwegian and proud of it.  Almost as proud as I am of being an American.  When the Norwegians won the most Olympic medals I cheered and wondered what their secret was.  This insightful Sports Illustrated (SI) article details how the Norwegian coaches work with their athletes.  

Tore Ovrebo, director of elite sport for the Olympiatoppen, an organization of scientists, trainers and nutritionists who work with Olympic athletes shared this:

In Norway, organized youth sports teams cannot keep score until they are 13.  “We want to leave the kids alone,” says Ovrebo.  “We want them to play.  We want them to develop and be focused on social skills.  They learn a lot from sports.  They learn a lot from playing.  They learn a lot from not being anxious.  They learn a lot from not being counted.  They learn a lot from not being judged.  And they feel better.  And they tend to stay on for longer.”

The second reason is all about the team having fun together.

The Norwegian Olympians play cards and charades before their competitions.  “We think it’s a good way building the team up, if you have fun with each other.”

Please take a minute to read in the Sports Illustrated article some of the other reasons Norway came out on top.

How might you apply these same ideas to your team?

The road is easier together,

Linda