September 2011
TIP OF THE MONTH
For Coaches
Team Bonding Activities
As a coach you want your team to function as a cooperative unit. Ivy League coaches have sought
many ways to enhance team communication and cohesiveness. Please keep the following guidelines in
mind as you plan your next team gathering:
Characteristics of Permissible Team Activities:
-No cost or students pay
-No cost or students pay
-Coach not involved
-Coach involved
Students may engage in
Permissible only if the time spent
activities on their own without counts toward other permissible
a coach.
activities:
-During season – practice
-Out-of-season – conditioning**
-Summer – NOT permissible
**An activity may only count as
conditioning if it actually is
conditioning or cross training (hiking,
biking, running on the beach) Ropes
courses do not count as conditioning.
-Institution pays
-Coach involved
Permissible only if the time spent
counts toward other permissible
activities:
-During season – practice
-Out-of-season – conditioning**
-Summer – NOT permissible
-Must be within 100 miles of
institution
-Entertainment may only be
provided during the season when
classes are not in session.
Other questions that have come up –
1. May a coach attend a team bonding activity just for a short while to hold a meeting? A:
Yes, the coach may hold a meeting while the team is gathered, but may only be present for the
meeting portion of the activity. If it is outside the season the coach would need to depart after
the organizational meeting.
2. May we take the student-athletes apple picking, may they keep the apples? A: yes, Bylaw
16.5.2(h) allows institutions to provide fruit to student-athletes.
3. May a friends group or parents pay for team bonding activities? A. If anyone other than
the students themselves pay, the activity must be considered practice or conditioning and count
within the hour limits. (Or, it may be entertainment during the season when students are
required to be on campus and classes are not in session.)
4. Does team bonding in the non-championship segment of the season have to count as one
of the 12 practices? A: No, unless it involves practice activities. If it only involves
conditioning or even non-conditioning (ropes course) activities, it must count within
conditioning, lifting or other countable athletically activity and be within the allotted hour
limits.