Open the Vault: Team Bonding Retreat
10/13/2017 2:12:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics, Features
Open the Vault is an inside look at the Michigan women's gymnastics team as told through the voice of its student-athletes. This week junior communication major Olivia Karas teamed up with sophomore Polina Shchennikova to talk about the team's bonding trip to the University of Michigan Adventure Leadership Program.
Michigan fans! I'd like to introduce you all to my new co-writer for Open the Vault, the lovely Popo! A sophomore who found herself throughout her freshman year, Po is a phenomenal teammate, friend and inspiration not only to myself but to many people in the gymnastics community. I am so excited that Po and I will be working together all season, both in the gym and on paper to give you guys the best inside look at Team 42 possible! Without further ado, here is Popo!
We get so caught up in our daily routine that we forget about the little things that have a huge impact on our lives. This past weekend, @umichwgym came together not only for some fun but also to learn about strategic and useful techniques focused on reflection, connection and team bonding.
It was clear from the beginning that most of us were a little hesitant about this year's annual retreat as no one knew what to expect. Yet, we all went in with an open mind, ready for any challenge thrown our way. The activities were simple and goofy, stemming from passing around a rubber chicken to leaping on metaphorical lily pads and leaning on each other, but each activity we did had a bigger picture. Most of this year's retreat focused on looking outside of our normal daily routines. Our attention was mainly centered on brainstorming, forming tighter personal connections, and helping our team think and collaborate more efficiently. Oh, and overall communication of course.
This team retreat wasn't just about learning strategies and collaboration techniques, but it was also a way for us to create fun-filled memories that we will talk and laugh about for the rest of our time at Michigan. Here are some funny things that were said and done during our time at the retreat:
- We kept forgetting the phrase "ambillet, billet is on" and kept saying "fish fillet, fillet is on."
- We were playing a game of "Don't let the ball touch the ground" and Maddy crazily dived for every pass like her life depended on it.
- "Expect the unexpected; unless the unexpected is expected, then expect the expected" -- Popo
Team bonding at the U-M Adventure Leadership Team Program this weekend. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Ys6W4voVXQ
— Michigan Gymnastics (@UMichWGym) October 1, 2017
We asked others on our team about their experience and hear is what they had to say:
"I really liked how each exercise required team cohesiveness. I think as each exercise went on, we learned to respect each other's opinions and listen more, because we realized that when we weren't working together we weren't nearly as effective. It was also nice to get to go do something fun with all the girls outside of the gym. I felt like we all got more comfortable with each other, especially with the older girls for me. I also thought Jay (the instructor of the retreat) did a good job pointing things out to us. My favorite thing was when he talked about the difference between good and great. That really resonated with me, because the difference between club and college gymnastics is going from good to great and so you have to be patient with the process and willing to work hard." -- Lauren Farley
"The retreat was exactly what our team needed and it came at the perfect time. At the retreat, I think one of the major takeaways was the importance of communication. In order for this team to be as successful as it can be, we need to work as a unit and be one. We can't have a weak link, and everyone's voices need to be heard. We need to make sure that everyone is on the same page in order to reach our highest potential. We also learned the importance of being able to lean on each other. Through various activities, the retreat taught us that it is okay to lean on each other and that we need to lean on each other. Our teammates will have our backs when we need them. We learned that together we will go way farther than we possibly could go alone." -- Emma McLean
"I thought the retreat went really well. For me personally, I saw a lot of bonding throughout different team members that I don't think had clicked quite yet, so I thought that was a lot of fun to watch. I also really liked how [the instructor of the retreat] used the team activities and related them to our personal lives because that was the first time that I've actually opened my eyes to 'everything going on.' Like not only are we juggling school and gym, but we have our own lives to worry about and maintain and there's always a little curveball thrown in there, so I thought that was cool. I also think the communication aspect of the entire day was so vital to this team's success. At the beginning it was made clear that our team lacked proper communication skills, and it didn't take long for us to see that our way was not going to work in the long run. However, as we continued to build those skills, while helping each other achieve our goals, I felt like I could see a spark throughout the team. Like where there was a proper line of communication, we found some kind of success and that was really fun to watch, and clearly we all enjoyed the activities more when we were 1.) all on the same page and 2.) successful while doing them." -- Maggie O'Hara
To sum things up, a good team talks to each other, but a great team talks with each other. This was the biggest lesson we learned as a team. The retreat helped our team grow in all areas. Though everything we did seemed random at times, everything had a hidden message and purpose that we uncovered. We even uncovered new things about each other. We were able come closer as a team and learned what the right line of communication can do for us, as well as form closer bonds and fun memories to look back on!
Go Blue!
Players Mentioned
