Is Your Locker Room Anyone's Favorite Place?
I’m not going to lie, I’m writing today’s blog with no clear cut landing spot in mind. What do you I mean by that? Typically, when I start these, I’m struck by a post or news item and I know in my mind the scaffoldings I’m going to build in my writing to both correctly frame the incident for a coach of male athletes AND what piece of TeamsOfMen philosophy it ties to.
Today is different.
The quote above (originally posted on IG by @wallofpurelove) stopped my scrolling. I nodded my head along with the sentiment, and thought “there’s blog here” but honestly, I wasn’t exactly sure what angle or frame I wanted to put on it. There were many candidates in my mind, including :
Men need a 3rd space (that isn’t HOME and JOB)
Can teams really offer valuable 3rd spaces if the space is filled with people they don’t trust?
Does favorite people always include teammates?
Power in your favorite place being fluid and nimble rather than static (and more susceptible to being taken away from you)
Do favorite places have to be free of strife
But then I thought “That's exactly what makes this quote useful.” and that means open to discussion and framing from your guys, not necessarily from you. This is one of those ToM sessions you can run by simply putting the quote/graphic up on your wall (or say out loud) and let them lead the room. Let them discuss it in pairs, small groups, or as an entire team, what defines favorite space, how they would label their own, and what qualities they think your space should have to even be considered a favorite space.
One final qualifier I would add for you and your staff: If one of your athletes honestly said, "I love this sport, but this locker room, weight room, or practice field isn't one of my favorite places to be," what would that tell you about your program?
Coach Prompts
What qualities would your athletes say make a space feel safe, welcoming, and worth returning to?
If your locker room disappeared tomorrow, what relationships would your players miss most?
How much of your program's environment is intentionally designed versus simply inherited?
Player Prompts
Who are the people that make a place feel like your favorite place?
Can a place still be one of your favorites even when it's difficult or challenging? Why?
If someone visited your team's locker room for the first time, what would they experience that might make them want to come back?
