The Benefits of Journaling With Your Athletes
Written by: Katie Treece
About Katie: Katie is the owner of Prima Dance Studio in Knoxville, TN. She is the coach of Prima’s Senior and Open All-Star dance teams, and is also a high school dance team coach.
“We incorporated journaling into our practices a couple of years ago, and let me tell you — it has absolutely improved the culture of our teams. Journaling with our athletes gives us the opportunity to teach and explain important concepts while providing them with a safe space to express themselves.
How We Do It at Prima:
Our athletes refer to journaling together as “circle time.” Each of our dancers brings a journal to every practice, and we sit in a circle as a team. Over the summer, we discuss a “Word of the Week,” such as communication, perseverance, leadership, etc. This practice allows us, as coaches, to define these words for them and explain their importance in our sport. Coaches ask questions about the word of the week or present certain scenarios, prompting the dancers to write their thoughts and feelings in their journals. At other times, coaches may ask the team to journal about topics like their goals for the season, their “why,” their role models, or three things they’re proud of.
The Benefits:
Improves Coach-Athlete Understanding:
During circle time, coaches can use this opportunity to explain the how’s and why’s behind their decisions, as well as review their expectations and team values. It also helps coaches get to know each dancer’s personality better.
Teaches Life Lessons:
We all know that dance itself teaches valuable life lessons. Incorporating journal time into our practices allows us to discuss the importance of time management, a positive mindset, and accountability. It also provides coaches with the opportunity to address any issues or tension within the team that may arise throughout the season. As coaches, we can guide athletes in resolving problems in healthy ways and encourage them to view situations from different perspectives.
Encourages Self-Expression:
While dance is an incredible form of self-expression, journaling offers another way for dancers to communicate their feelings instead of bottling them up (because we all know how that turns out, right?!). We’ve created an environment where dancers feel safe enough to share their personal struggles and experiences with their teammates, knowing they can be themselves without judgment.
Builds Team Chemistry:
When dancers are able to express their feelings, they become more vulnerable, which in turn allows their teammates to understand them better. Hearing each other’s thoughts and feelings on various topics strengthens their bonds. Circle time at our studio is filled with lots of laughter and sometimes even tears. Ultimately, the team becomes more unified, and the closer they are, the better they work together on stage!
It’s hard to fully express how grateful I am that we’ve incorporated this into our program. It usually takes less than 10 minutes out of our practice time, and it’s incredibly worth it! My recommendation to other programs is to give it a try — you never know how it could impact your studio or gym!