Team Charter Meeting
First practice — the team writes its own charter on a whiteboard, in their words, and it stays all season.
Ownership beats compliance. A standard they wrote is one you can point back at all season — because they said it, not you.
Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive
- Grab: A whiteboard and a marker.
- Build: Nothing — pick a spot where the whole team can gather.
- Place: Put the whiteboard where every player can see it.
One thing to remember: What this team values, said out loud, owned by the players who said it.
How it runs — the whole game in one sentence
You ask three questions. They answer. You write their words — not yours.
1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Bring everyone in close, sitting, no balls.
Coach says
Everyone in. Leave the balls.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Explain what a charter is in one breath — their list, their words, kept all season.
Coach says
This is our team's list. You're writing it — I'm just holding the marker.
3Play▾
Coach does
Ask the three prompts one at a time and write their answers verbatim. Do not edit their words.
Coach says
What makes a great captain? What makes a great teammate? What are we like when we're at our best?
Look for: Every player getting at least one word onto the board.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Read the finished board back to them. Afterward, laminate copies and keep one in the team bag all season.
Coach says
You wrote this. It comes to every practice, and we hold each other to it.
If it's not working
If the answers stall, make it concrete: "Think of the best teammate you've ever had — what did they actually do?" Write whatever comes.
Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.
Why are we doing this?
What are they learning?
How can I change it?
Easier: One prompt instead of three — "What are we like at our best?" covers the most ground.
Next: Revisit the charter mid-season, especially the week something wobbles.