How to break up a clique within a team

Cliques: A clique is a group of friends that hang out together, they are usually reluctant to let others into their close-nit group. This can be a serious problem for teams that need to work together as an entire group (such as cheerleading). Cliques can make other team members feel left out and uncomfortable or self-conscious when trying to perform a task. There are many ways to solve the clique problem. In general, it's best if a coach or sponsor deals with this issue.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Take members of the clique aside and point out that they are excluding other team members from their group and they should mingle and associate themselves with other members of the team while at practice or team-related events. Point out that they can hang with anyone they want during their time, but during team time they need to be a team- not a clique. Do not address this in front of the whole team. This can be a very sensitive issue and for best results it is best handled individually

2. Break up cliques when possible. Put them in different groups, with different partners, or assign them different tasks so that they learn to work with other members of the team.

3. Schedule team-oriented outings such as movie nights, ice skating, or dinner at someone's house to encourage the entire team to bond.