One of the things I’ve encountered as a player and as a coach, that’s a huge detriment to maintaining a positive team culture, is what I call a class system. For example, when upperclassmen make freshmen do all the “freshman” tasks (shagging the balls, taking the net down, carrying the equipment, and so on) while seniors just, well, stand there and be seniors. We’ve all been there in one form or another. It may seem innocent and fun, but in the end this just creates division on the team. Upperclassmen are demanding respect instead of conveying leadership that their teammates want to sincerely follow.

There is hope though! This system can be broken with a change of perspective! People want to follow those who care about them. Show your teammates that no one is above any task. Everyone can lend a hand and everyone is in this together. When you create a culture where the upperclassmen are demonstrating to the underclassmen what it’s like to serve others, you create a culture of unity.