When It’s No Longer Fun, It’s Already Too Late
Why serious teams need more laughter — not less.
Hey coach,
I had a call with a client last week.
He’s a good man. Smart. Humble and a brilliant coach.
He’d led his team to one of their most successful seasons in years — except for one thing…
They lost the championship game.
Not because of talent. Not because of tactics.
But because, as he said, "We weren’t there for each other when it mattered."
As we talked, he reflected deeply. He realised something powerful — something I think more coaches need to hear:
"I used to organise fun stuff — random nights out, team challenges, little competitions. But this season, I got so locked into performance that I disconnected from that part of me. We got too serious."
And there it was. That’s the trap.
We start winning… and we stop laughing.
We start climbing… and forget to play.
We get so focused on outcomes that we squeeze out the very thing that bonds a team under pressure: shared joy.
Culture isn’t built in meetings — it’s built in memories.
I’ve seen it over and over. Teams that laugh together last together.
That eye-rolling team building activity you think your players will hate?
The goofy quiz night or ridiculous talent show?
The spontaneous night at the pub where no one talks about hockey?
That’s the glue.
Those are the moments that create stories.
And those stories become words.
And those words become anchors — the ones your players hold onto when the walls are closing in during a 3rd period, Game 7 moment.
When your team is rolling, it’s easy to skip it.
When your team is struggling, it feels too late.
But the truth?
The moment you feel like you don’t need to do these things… is probably the exact moment you need them the most.
Fun isn’t fluffy.
It’s not a distraction from performance — it’s a driver of it.
Because when pressure hits, your systems won’t hold the group together.
Relationships will.
And relationships don’t form in video review.
They form over belly laughs, dodgy dance moves, and inside jokes that no one outside the team will ever understand.
Put something fun on the calendar during your preseason prep.
Not as a reward — but as a foundation.
Because they need connection long before they need correction.
And so do you.
This is when culture is built.
Before the pressure.
Before the wins and losses.
Before the noise.
Build the glue now — you’ll need it later.
Because when the season tests you, it won’t be the tactics that hold the team together.
It’ll be the trust.
— Andrew