An athlete’s comfort zone is one element that a coach must keep a close eye on in the team.
There is a psychological principle, called cognitive dissonance, which can be defined as the uncomfortable psychological state that arises when HOW you see yourself and WHAT is really happening come into conflict.
Many players or athletes who experience this revert to their comfort zone, retreating within themselves and failing to exhibit their normal attitude to the game. There can be many causes of this dissonance, such as receiving direct criticism from a coach, negative press, being dropped from a team, or personal issues.
Team bonding is one strategy used to reduce this discord with the aim of developing a cohesive team and each player learning more about their teammates. It can take many forms from in-house training sessions on team development to external activities like rope courses or high altitude training.
