Case 11.2: Taming Bacchus

Case Study

Kyle Barrett is a serious ultimate disc player. He became involved in the sportwhich is a bit like soccer only with a flying discin middle school and played competitively in high school. When he went to college at a small liberal arts school in the pacific northwest, he was excited to find the school had an ultimate disc team. His excitement quickly turned to dismay when he found the team members were more interested in partying than playing.

Kyle remembers this about his first year on the team: The team really had this sort of fraternity culture in that there was light hazing, drinking was a priority, and tournaments were about parties, not competition. The team threw a lot of parties and had this reputation for exclusivity. even the teams name, Bacchus (the Roman god of wine and drunkenness), reflected this culture. Kyle found a like-minded soul in his teammate Harrison, and together they sought to turn the club team into a program that operated on a more competitive level. The pair was chosen as team co-captains and began to share their deeper knowledge of the sport with the team. They also communicated their aspirations for success. This flew in the face of some team members who were there for the parties. As one player put it, you were either down with it, or you decided it was too intense and you left the club. The two captains knew that the teams culture wasnt going to change just because they wanted it to. They also knew that they couldnt be captains, coach the team, and be players at the same time. so they began taking a number of steps to help the team change its own culture. First, they brought in Mario oBrien, a well-known ultimate disc coach, to help guide the team and teach the players skills and strategy. The team had had other coaches in the past, but none of those had the knowledge, experience, or reputation that oBrien did. That really took some forethought, says a player, to be able to step back and say, What does this team really need to become a strong program? And then making a move to bring in someone of oBriens stature. After a few weeks of practice with oBrien, the captains and coach organized a team dinner. Before the dinner they asked each player to anonymously submit in writing what he thought of the team and what he wanted to see the team be. There were no rulesjust say what you need to say, says a player. each submission was read aloud and discussed by team members. no one was put in the position of having to publically speak out and be embarrassed in front of the others, says a player. We came out of that meeting more together, more bonded as a team. We hashed out a lot of issues, and came to the realization that we were looking for the same goals. The process helped filter out those who werent as committed to those goals, but not in a confrontational way. The goals agreed to at that dinner meeting were for the team to do well enough at the sectional competition to obtain a berth at the national collegiate competition. But the team was young with a number of inexperienced players, which sometimes caused stress, frustration, and friction. The captains, however, continued to have multiple meetings to talk about concerns, discussed the teams goals before and after each practice, and organized social events (with a minimum of drinking) where team members engaged in activities together other than playing ultimate disc. older, more experienced players began mentoring the younger, newer players to help them improve their skills. even Harrison, who was an exceptional offensive player, put himself on the defensive line to help improve those players skills. While it wasnt optimal for his own enjoyment and playing abilities, he felt it was needed to help improve the team. Bacchus reached its goals two years later; it came in second at sectionals and earned a spot in the national competition. After the team completed its last game at nationals, Kyle and Harrison gathered the team members together in a circle. We accomplished something more than being here today, Kyle said. Weve become a family with goals, and with respect for one another and for our game. And thats a better victory than any other.

(1) Identify the main characters (those who play a major role in the case)

(2) Trace the chronological series of events

(3) Isolate the problem(s) more than one

(4) Propose the solution(s) more than one to the problems based on the facts in the case and your personal and educational experience. Ask what options might be available?

(5) Explore the root problem; one. There is a difference in the possible root problem and symptoms.

(6) Root solution (one). What is the most feasible solution/option from the firms available resources, which will best satisfy the stakeholders? Your assessment of the case study will depend on the facts and your reasoned argument