Creating Team Values With Your Players

A Guide for Modern Club Coaches

Whether you’re coaching a group of energetic 10-year-olds on a Saturday morning or leading a mixed-ability adult social team, one thing remains the same –  a strong, positive team culture can transform your coaching experience. At the heart of that culture? Team values.

But how do you create them? Who decides what they are? And how do you get players to actually live by them? This guide will walk you through the process in a simple, accessible way – ideal if you’re a time-poor coach who’s all about helping people thrive.

What Are Team Values and Why Do They Matter?

Team values are the guiding principles that shape how your team behaves, works together, and supports one another – on and off the field. They create a shared language and expectations about how you play and interact.  This helps unify the team and build mutual trust.

They’re especially important for:

• Helping young athletes learn life skills like respect and responsibility
• Creating consistency across a team of mixed ages and abilities
• Providing a foundation for behaviour, decision-making, and conflict resolution

How to Create Team Values With Your Players

The key word here is with. If you simply hand players a list of values, they’re less likely to buy into them. But involve them in the creation process? Now you’ve got something powerful.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Start a Conversation: Ask the team what makes a great teammate, what they enjoy about playing, and how they want to feel during sessions.
2. Collect Keywords: Listen for recurring ideas like “supportive,” “hardworking,” or “fun.” Write them down.
3. Group & Prioritise: Group similar words together and ask the players to vote or agree on their top 3–5 values.
4. Define Together: What does “respect” actually look like in action? Let players describe it in their own words so they understand it personally.
5. Make It Visible: Create a team poster, put it on match-day kits, or make a pre-session check-in where players rate how the team is living its values.

This approach aligns with advice on building positive sporting environments – and it’s a fun, collaborative way to bond your group.

Tips for Different Coaching Contexts

For Coach Kerry (Working with Kids & Teens)

• Use drawing or acting games to explore values physically
• Keep language age-appropriate – e.g., swap “integrity” for “doing the right thing”
• Make time to celebrate when values are lived – e.g., a “Team Player of the Week” award

For Coach Dan (Coaching Adult Participation)

• Let players co-lead discussions about what inclusivity or respect looks like in adult sport
• Keep the process light but meaningful – maybe start a session with a “value of the week” theme
• Don’t assume values are obvious just because players are adults – agree on what behaviours are welcome

For The Curious Coach

• Research how other sports define and live their team values – cross-pollination can spark new ideas
• Try using the Sport NZ coaching philosophy blog to reflect on your own coaching values first
• Experiment with digital tools (e.g., Mentimeter or Miro) to capture team input more visually

What if Players Don’t Seem Interested?

Give it time. Not everyone will jump at the chance to discuss values, especially younger players. Try weaving values into your games and reflection questions. For example:

• In a small-sided game, pause and ask “Who showed our value of teamwork just then?”
• Ask reflective questions after matches: “How did we show respect today?”

Keep it consistent, and soon your team will see the payoff – as mutual trust grows and players hold each other to a shared standard.

Final Thoughts

Creating team values isn’t a one-time activity – it’s an ongoing conversation. But when done right, it boosts morale, improves behavior, and helps every player feel like they belong. And best of all, many coaches report it makes coaching more enjoyable and positively impactful.

So whether you’re coaching kids, adults, or anyone in between, give team values a shot. You might just discover they’re the secret ingredient to a thriving team culture.

Looking for more coaching insights?

• How to Get the Best Out of Young Athletes
• Inclusivity in Community Sport (Sport England)
• Reflecting Effectively as a Coach

Got your own way of creating team values? We’d love to hear how you do it!