Army Crew

Q1:

Why does the Varsity Team lose to the Junior Varsity (JV) Team? (10%)

The Varsity Team (hereinafter, “VT”) lost to the Junior Varsity Team (hereinafter, “JVT”) on a number of different occasions because the VT did not possess four essential characteristics of a successful and effective team – competence, a clear and common goal, an enabling structure and supportive environment.

Competence

Each individuals on the VT has the technical and physical competencies that are superior to the JVT as the VT members were ranked higher in their capabilities during the seat racing. In addition, when competing against the JVT in pairs and grouping of four or six rowers, VT consistently won those races. However, when racing as team of eight, VT lost to JVT because VT was getting slower – not because JVT was faster. VT lost because they lacked the competency to work together as a team. The success of a rowing team crucially hinges on the team’s ability to work together, the ability to synchronize and adapt to each other’s rowing as well as the ability to trust each other. As loss mounted through the season, the distrust amongst VT members continue to grow – each member felt like they were the only one working hard and pushing the team forward. This in turn exacerbated their team dynamics and inability to work together.

Clear & Common Goal

The VT did not have a clear and common goal from the very beginning – they did not agree on the winning margin for their first race against JVT in Atlanta. This resulted in disappointment and criticism among the VT team members. Members of the VT crew were not “attuned to one another with the common goal of crossing the finish line ahead of all other crews.” This commitment to a common goal is a “visceral quality that keeps all team members motivated and motivates them to continue working hard when the going gets tough”. Instead of working towards a common goal of performing and succeeding together as a team, the members...