Are you involved in a team sport and searching for ways to improve your team’s chances of success in masters tournaments? 

Looking towards the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand, Alberta Canoe Polo Association President Jean Leduc talks us through his 10 tips for masters’ success. 
          
1. Select team members who are committed
Working as a cohesive unit, a team should be greater than the sum of its parts. It is important to have members who are committed in training as well as at competition time.


2. Train hard together
Once you have those committed members, make sure you train hard and train smart together.

3. Train harder as an individual
No success comes without hard work. However hard you train as a team, go that extra mile as an individual and you’ll soon see the results.   

4. Have fun as a group
The social side of masters sport is just as important as the competitions. Having fun as a team not only gives members an incentive to turn up, but also helps with performances.

5. Compete against talented and younger teams
What better way to stay sharp and improve than to compete against a talented (and fitter) opposition?  It’s a great way to learn how to play smarter than your opponents to gain victory.

6. Get good coaching
An outside perspective is often needed to help improve your performance. Teams often get stuck in their ways, a fresh pair of eyes and some new methods will make sure that doesn’t happen.

7. Teach and practice basic skills
Never forget the basics! It’s normal to want to focus on specialist skills and alternative training methods, but frequent practice of the basic skills always helps come competition time.

8. Coach the young
Your youth members will eventually be your masters members. Keep them interested, pass on your knowledge and skills, so that they, and your club, always have the best chance of success. And you never know what you may learn from them!  

9. Learn the rules and keep current
The rules of the game never stay the same. Keep up-to-date with your masters sport and governing bodies, and be ready to adapt.

10. Plan ahead with financing
Often the biggest hurdle to achieving success is actually getting to the tournament. Obstacles can be overcome and crises averted by planning your trip in advance. Being a committed member of a masters team is expensive and fundraising is an effective way of easing the financial cost.