The cohesiveness and shared values that help a "group" evolve into a "team" do not just happen. Coaches must facilitate that process. That may be daunting to even the most experienced coach in certain circumstances and can be paralyzing to the first-time volunteer coach.

In this video, Jenny O -- an assistant professor at California State University - East Bay and a former baseball player and coach -- provides tricks of the trade. One great piece of advice here is to give youth athletes as much autonomy as possible to help shape your team culture.

Some days that may mean letting them select which drills the team runs in practice. Other times it may mean asking them for a new chant or cheer. The desired result is buy-in that bonds your team and a shared set of responsibilities that reduced the mental load that sometimes threatens to overwhelm a novice volunteer coach.