ABSTRACT
Many teams identify team goals and a team mission statement. However, an important prerequisite to strategic goal setting is clearly establishing team values. Values are underlying, guiding principles. Values provide guidance to athletes and coaches for how they should respond to any situation, on or off the playing field. Values commonly found in teams are achievement, challenge, communication, competition, cooperation, determination, fairness, family, fitness, fun, growth, honesty and integrity, individualism, learning, morality, high-level performance, pride, relationships, respect, responsibility, risk, security, timeliness, teamwork, uniqueness, and winning. Shared values increase perceived similarity among teammates and increase identification with the team; increased identification, in turn, makes team goals and values more salient than personal goals. As each person reveals a value, ask him/her to explain how that value will help the team accomplish the shared team goals. The relative importance of any value is determined by the objectives/goals, strategy, and philosophy of the team.
