Conflict Resolution: Protecting Team Chemistry

When—not if, but when—conflict arises between players on your team, you must address it quickly and effectively. Otherwise, it can derail even the most talented group. Every team will face player conflict at some point. It might be a scuffle for a loose ball that flares tempers in practice, a slow-burning frustration over several games, or your post player dating the ex of your shooting guard—and now, chaos is knocking on the locker room door.

Whatever the cause, my best advice is to face it head-on and deal with it immediately. Conflict, in itself, isn’t bad. In fact, it’s necessary for growth. But unaddressed conflict? That’s a cancer. It spreads quietly and eventually kills the TEAM from the inside out. Don’t let conflict elephants hang out in your room. Be the safari guide and show them the door.

Truthfully, while conflict can bring positive growth, nobody really likes it. We don’t wake up hoping for drama. But a smart coach wakes up every day tuned in to the pulse and tone of the team—watching closely for the small fires that could steal joy, success, relationships, and fun.

So how does a coach deal with player conflict?

Every athlete is different. Personalities vary. But in the end, all conflict boils down to one thing: Honest Communication.

After 30+ years of coaching, I’ve learned that conflict rarely goes away on its own. It might go underground for a while, but trust me—it’s still there, ready to explode when you can least afford it. You have to talk about it.

Honest communication means talking openly with the players involved. Sometimes that’s one-on-one. Sometimes it’s face-to-face with both. But ultimately, resolution must happen together. Identify the issue. Find a starting point—some common ground.

As a coach, you may need to make a value judgment. If team rules were broken, you enforce them. But if it’s just a personality clash? Do NOT take sides. Let me repeat that: Do. Not. Take. Sides.

That’s a fast track to a fractured locker room.

Your job is to mediate—to guide players toward a resolution that puts the TEAM first. Sometimes the conflict isn’t even about the team, but it affects it. And that’s your domain.

Here’s a simple conflict-resolution framework:

1. Identify the issue. Be specific.

2. Encourage honest conversation. Let both players speak.

3. Ask what can be done to resolve the conflict.

4. Remind them the TEAM is bigger than any one player. They don’t have to be best friends, but they can’t undermine the group.

5. Make it clear: undermining the TEAM means losing the right to be part of it.

Team chemistry is the heartbeat of a successful—and fun—season. Not addressing conflict is selfish and unacceptable.

One strategy I’ve used is partnering up the players involved. Put them together in practice. Force them to work as a unit. They’ll hate it at first—but if they’re truly committed to the TEAM, they’ll figure it out. Compete together. Struggle together. Succeed together.

When they do succeed, celebrate that choice. Show the team what it looks like to put aside personal issues for a greater goal.

Final Thought:

Conflicts are inevitable. Wise coaches address them with clarity and courage.

Conflict resolution is a life skill. Help your athletes master it. Talk it out. It’s just another problem—like a mismatch in your zone defense. Figure it out, fix it, and win together as a TEAM.