Ages 6-18 · Book 5, Empathy · 4,299 places
Team Culture
Set by how the group handles the player who cost them something, whether or not anybody decided that on purpose.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Helping Hand — “What matters more than earning a Gold Star?” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Read the story and stop at the moment Maya's work is ruined
- Session 2
Ask what Ellis Abel stood to lose by helping
- Session 3
Name the harder thing: telling the truth about a mistake
- Session 4
Each child names one person they will notice this week
- Session 5
Follow up by name and ask what they noticed
Questions leaders ask
Is team culture in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is empathy — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 6-18. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
When in a your area season does this fit?
Preseason for the first three sessions, then one mid-season and one at the end. Ten minutes before practice, sitting on the floor, is the whole footprint.
Our coaches are volunteers with no time. Is that a problem?
No. The script is one page per session and assumes the coach read it in the car park. The point is the athletes talking, not the coach presenting.
The rules that make it work
Helping has to cost something
Kindness that is free teaches nothing, and children over about eight already know it. The cost is named out loud in every session.
Notice first — it is an attention skill
Empathy gets taught as a feeling children are supposed to summon. It starts as noticing one specific person, which is trainable and testable.
Owning a mistake is the harder lesson
Helping a friend is easier than admitting you were the one who caused the problem. The book teaches both, and this is the one adults skip.
Do not announce it
The moment helping becomes a thing you are seen doing, it becomes a performance. The follow-up asks what changed for the other person, never how the helper felt.
Success is bigger than the award
The gold star is in the title for a reason. A room that only celebrates outcomes has already taught the lesson this book is arguing with.
Adults go first, with a real mistake
An adult naming something they got wrong, at a cost, changes a room faster than any activity in it.
Team Culture by metro area
Northeast
- Team Culture — New York, NY
- Team Culture — Philadelphia, PA
- Team Culture — Boston, MA
- Team Culture — Pittsburgh, PA
- Team Culture — Providence, RI
- Team Culture — Hartford, CT
- Team Culture — Buffalo, NY
- Team Culture — Rochester, NY
- Team Culture — Bridgeport, CT
- Team Culture — Albany, NY
- Team Culture — Worcester, MA
- Team Culture — Allentown, PA
- Team Culture — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Team Culture — Syracuse, NY
- Team Culture — Harrisburg, PA
- Team Culture — New Haven, CT
- Team Culture — Portland, ME
- Team Culture — Scranton, PA
- Team Culture — Lancaster, PA
- Team Culture — York, PA
- Team Culture — Springfield, MA
- Team Culture — Waterbury, CT
- Team Culture — Reading, PA
- Team Culture — Manchester, NH
- Team Culture — Trenton, NJ
- Team Culture — Atlantic City, NJ
- Team Culture — Utica, NY
- Team Culture — Norwich, CT
- Team Culture — Erie, PA
- Team Culture — Binghamton, NY
- Team Culture — Barnstable, MA
- Team Culture — Burlington, VT
- Team Culture — Kingston, NY
- Team Culture — Amherst, MA
- Team Culture — Chambersburg, PA
- Team Culture — Bangor, ME
- Team Culture — State College, PA
- Team Culture — Vineland, NJ
- Team Culture — Lebanon, PA
- Team Culture — Johnstown, PA
- Team Culture — Pittsfield, MA
- Team Culture — Glens Falls, NY
- Team Culture — Altoona, PA
- Team Culture — Lewiston, ME
- Team Culture — Williamsport, PA
- Team Culture — Watertown, NY
- Team Culture — Gettysburg, PA
- Team Culture — Ithaca, NY
- Team Culture — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Team Culture — Chicago, IL
- Team Culture — Detroit, MI
- Team Culture — Minneapolis, MN
- Team Culture — St. Louis, MO
- Team Culture — Cincinnati, OH
- Team Culture — Kansas City, MO
- Team Culture — Columbus, OH
- Team Culture — Indianapolis, IN
- Team Culture — Cleveland, OH
- Team Culture — Milwaukee, WI
- Team Culture — Grand Rapids, MI
- Team Culture — Omaha, NE
- Team Culture — Dayton, OH
- Team Culture — Des Moines, IA
- Team Culture — Madison, WI
- Team Culture — Akron, OH
- Team Culture — Wichita, KS
- Team Culture — Toledo, OH
- Team Culture — Springfield, MO
- Team Culture — Lansing, MI
- Team Culture — Fort Wayne, IN
- Team Culture — Youngstown, OH
- Team Culture — Flint, MI
- Team Culture — Canton, OH
- Team Culture — Davenport, IA
- Team Culture — Ann Arbor, MI
- Team Culture — Peoria, IL
- Team Culture — Lincoln, NE
- Team Culture — Rockford, IL
- Team Culture — Green Bay, WI
- Team Culture — South Bend, IN
- Team Culture — Sioux Falls, SD
- Team Culture — Duluth, MN
- Team Culture — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Team Culture — Evansville, IN
- Team Culture — Fargo, ND
- Team Culture — Kalamazoo, MI
- Team Culture — Appleton, WI
- Team Culture — Champaign, IL
- Team Culture — Topeka, KS
- Team Culture — Rochester, MN
- Team Culture — Lafayette, IN
- Team Culture — Columbia, MO
- Team Culture — Joplin, MO
- Team Culture — Elkhart, IN
- Team Culture — Springfield, IL
- Team Culture — St. Cloud, MN
- Team Culture — Racine, WI
- Team Culture — Saginaw, MI
- Team Culture — Iowa City, IA
- Team Culture — Muskegon, MI
- Team Culture — Eau Claire, WI
- Team Culture — Oshkosh, WI
- Team Culture — Bloomington, IL
- Team Culture — La Crosse, WI
- Team Culture — Terre Haute, IN
- Team Culture — Waterloo, IA
- Team Culture — Kenosha, WI
- Team Culture — Janesville, WI
- Team Culture — Bloomington, IN
- Team Culture — Jackson, MI
- Team Culture — Traverse City, MI
- Team Culture — Rapid City, SD
- Team Culture — Monroe, MI
- Team Culture — Jefferson City, MO
- Team Culture — Niles, MI
- Team Culture — Sioux City, IA
- Team Culture — Bismarck, ND
- Team Culture — Wausau, WI
- Team Culture — Manhattan, KS
- Team Culture — Springfield, OH
- Team Culture — Battle Creek, MI
- Team Culture — Ames, IA
- Team Culture — Mansfield, OH
- Team Culture — Lawrence, KS
- Team Culture — St. Joseph, MO
- Team Culture — Sheboygan, WI
- Team Culture — Muncie, IN
- Team Culture — Sandusky, OH
- Team Culture — Michigan City, IN
- Team Culture — Kankakee, IL
- Team Culture — Grand Forks, ND
- Team Culture — Mankato, MN
- Team Culture — Fond du Lac, WI
- Team Culture — Bay City, MI
- Team Culture — Lima, OH
- Team Culture — Dubuque, IA
- Team Culture — Decatur, IL
- Team Culture — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Team Culture — Columbus, IN
- Team Culture — Kokomo, IN
- Team Culture — Midland, MI
- Team Culture — Grand Island, NE
- Team Culture — Minot, ND
South
- Team Culture — Dallas, TX
- Team Culture — Houston, TX
- Team Culture — Atlanta, GA
- Team Culture — Washington, DC
- Team Culture — Miami, FL
- Team Culture — Tampa, FL
- Team Culture — Orlando, FL
- Team Culture — Charlotte, NC
- Team Culture — Baltimore, MD
- Team Culture — San Antonio, TX
- Team Culture — Austin, TX
- Team Culture — Nashville, TN
- Team Culture — Virginia Beach, VA
- Team Culture — Jacksonville, FL
- Team Culture — Raleigh, NC
- Team Culture — Oklahoma City, OK
- Team Culture — Louisville, KY
- Team Culture — Richmond, VA
- Team Culture — Memphis, TN
- Team Culture — Birmingham, AL
- Team Culture — Tulsa, OK
- Team Culture — Greenville, SC
- Team Culture — New Orleans, LA
- Team Culture — Knoxville, TN
- Team Culture — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Team Culture — McAllen, TX
- Team Culture — Charleston, SC
- Team Culture — Baton Rouge, LA
- Team Culture — El Paso, TX
- Team Culture — Columbia, SC
- Team Culture — Cape Coral, FL
- Team Culture — Lakeland, FL
- Team Culture — Greensboro, NC
- Team Culture — Little Rock, AR
- Team Culture — Deltona, FL
- Team Culture — Winston-Salem, NC
- Team Culture — Palm Bay, FL
- Team Culture — Augusta, GA
- Team Culture — Durham, NC
- Team Culture — Fayetteville, AR
- Team Culture — Jackson, MS
- Team Culture — Chattanooga, TN
- Team Culture — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Team Culture — Huntsville, AL
- Team Culture — Pensacola, FL
- Team Culture — Lexington, KY
- Team Culture — Killeen, TX
- Team Culture — Wilmington, NC
- Team Culture — Corpus Christi, TX
- Team Culture — Ocala, FL
- Team Culture — Savannah, GA
- Team Culture — Brownsville, TX
- Team Culture — Gulfport, MS
- Team Culture — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Team Culture — Lafayette, LA
- Team Culture — Asheville, NC
- Team Culture — Naples, FL
- Team Culture — Mobile, AL
- Team Culture — Spartanburg, SC
- Team Culture — Beaumont, TX
- Team Culture — Tallahassee, FL
- Team Culture — Fayetteville, NC
- Team Culture — Montgomery, AL
- Team Culture — Shreveport, LA
- Team Culture — Hickory, NC
- Team Culture — Lubbock, TX
- Team Culture — Huntington, WV
- Team Culture — Gainesville, FL
- Team Culture — Clarksville, TN
- Team Culture — Columbus, GA
- Team Culture — Roanoke, VA
- Team Culture — Hagerstown, MD
- Team Culture — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Team Culture — Kingsport, TN
- Team Culture — Waco, TX
- Team Culture — Longview, TX
- Team Culture — College Station, TX
- Team Culture — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Team Culture — Laredo, TX
- Team Culture — Slidell, LA
- Team Culture — Amarillo, TX
- Team Culture — Lynchburg, VA
- Team Culture — Daphne, AL
- Team Culture — Tyler, TX
- Team Culture — Lake Charles, LA
- Team Culture — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Team Culture — Macon, GA
- Team Culture — Fort Smith, AR
- Team Culture — Panama City, FL
- Team Culture — Charlottesville, VA
- Team Culture — Gainesville, GA
- Team Culture — Athens, GA
- Team Culture — Monroe, LA
- Team Culture — Punta Gorda, FL
- Team Culture — Jacksonville, NC
- Team Culture — Johnson City, TN
- Team Culture — Lexington Park, MD
- Team Culture — Warner Robins, GA
- Team Culture — Auburn, AL
- Team Culture — Florence, SC
- Team Culture — Charleston, WV
- Team Culture — Houma, LA
- Team Culture — Bowling Green, KY
- Team Culture — Dover, DE
- Team Culture — Midland, TX
- Team Culture — Burlington, NC
- Team Culture — Abilene, TX
- Team Culture — Jackson, TN
- Team Culture — Greenville, NC
- Team Culture — Blacksburg, VA
- Team Culture — Odessa, TX
- Team Culture — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Team Culture — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Team Culture — Decatur, AL
- Team Culture — Hattiesburg, MS
- Team Culture — The Villages metro area, FL
- Team Culture — Florence, AL
- Team Culture — Dothan, AL
- Team Culture — Sherman, TX
- Team Culture — Valdosta, GA
- Team Culture — Winchester, VA
- Team Culture — Wichita Falls, TX
- Team Culture — Rocky Mount, NC
- Team Culture — Alexandria, LA
- Team Culture — Dalton, GA
- Team Culture — Texarkana, TX
- Team Culture — Albany, GA
- Team Culture — Morgantown, WV
- Team Culture — Hammond, LA
- Team Culture — Harrisonburg, VA
- Team Culture — Jonesboro, AR
- Team Culture — Wheeling, WV
- Team Culture — Cleveland, TN
- Team Culture — Salisbury, MD
- Team Culture — Staunton, VA
- Team Culture — Morristown, TN
- Team Culture — Elizabethtown, KY
- Team Culture — Lawton, OK
- Team Culture — Goldsboro, NC
- Team Culture — San Angelo, TX
- Team Culture — Brunswick, GA
- Team Culture — Anniston, AL
- Team Culture — Owensboro, KY
- Team Culture — Steubenville, WV
- Team Culture — Sebring, FL
- Team Culture — Pinehurst, NC
- Team Culture — Beckley, WV
- Team Culture — Sumter, SC
- Team Culture — Gadsden, AL
- Team Culture — Paducah, KY
- Team Culture — Rome, GA
- Team Culture — Victoria, TX
- Team Culture — Hot Springs, AR
- Team Culture — Hinesville, GA
- Team Culture — Parkersburg, WV
- Team Culture — Enid, OK
- Team Culture — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Team Culture — Los Angeles, CA
- Team Culture — Phoenix, AZ
- Team Culture — Riverside, CA
- Team Culture — San Francisco, CA
- Team Culture — Seattle, WA
- Team Culture — San Diego, CA
- Team Culture — Denver, CO
- Team Culture — Portland, OR
- Team Culture — Sacramento, CA
- Team Culture — Las Vegas, NV
- Team Culture — San Jose, CA
- Team Culture — Salt Lake City, UT
- Team Culture — Fresno, CA
- Team Culture — Tucson, AZ
- Team Culture — Honolulu, HI
- Team Culture — Bakersfield, CA
- Team Culture — Albuquerque, NM
- Team Culture — Boise, ID
- Team Culture — Oxnard, CA
- Team Culture — Stockton, CA
- Team Culture — Colorado Springs, CO
- Team Culture — Provo, UT
- Team Culture — Ogden, UT
- Team Culture — Spokane, WA
- Team Culture — Reno, NV
- Team Culture — Modesto, CA
- Team Culture — Santa Rosa, CA
- Team Culture — Visalia, CA
- Team Culture — Vallejo, CA
- Team Culture — Salem, OR
- Team Culture — Santa Maria, CA
- Team Culture — Salinas, CA
- Team Culture — Anchorage, AK
- Team Culture — Eugene, OR
- Team Culture — Greeley, CO
- Team Culture — Fort Collins, CO
- Team Culture — Boulder, CO
- Team Culture — Kennewick, WA
- Team Culture — Olympia, WA
- Team Culture — Merced, CA
- Team Culture — Bremerton, WA
- Team Culture — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Team Culture — Bend, OR
- Team Culture — Yakima, WA
- Team Culture — Santa Cruz, CA
- Team Culture — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Team Culture — Bellingham, WA
- Team Culture — Las Cruces, NM
- Team Culture — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Team Culture — Yuma, AZ
- Team Culture — Medford, OR
- Team Culture — St. George, UT
- Team Culture — Chico, CA
- Team Culture — Billings, MT
- Team Culture — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Team Culture — Yuba City, CA
- Team Culture — Redding, CA
- Team Culture — El Centro, CA
- Team Culture — Idaho Falls, ID
- Team Culture — Pueblo, CO
- Team Culture — Grand Junction, CO
- Team Culture — Logan, UT
- Team Culture — Maui, HI
- Team Culture — Santa Fe, NM
- Team Culture — Hanford, CA
- Team Culture — Flagstaff, AZ
- Team Culture — Mount Vernon, WA
- Team Culture — Napa, CA
- Team Culture — Albany, OR
- Team Culture — Bozeman, MT
- Team Culture — Missoula, MT
- Team Culture — Wenatchee, WA
- Team Culture — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Team Culture — Twin Falls, ID
- Team Culture — Farmington, NM
- Team Culture — Longview, WA
- Team Culture — Cheyenne, WY
- Team Culture — Corvallis, OR
- Team Culture — Helena, MT
- Team Culture — Fairbanks, AK
- Team Culture — Pocatello, ID
- Team Culture — Grants Pass, OR
- Team Culture — Great Falls, MT
- Team Culture — Casper, WY
- Team Culture — Lewiston, ID
- Team Culture — Walla Walla, WA
- Team Culture — Carson City, NV
Cities and all 3,143 US counties are covered too — every place page is live. The campaign sitemap lists every one.
