How to coach identity, belonging and performance in sport
Most books about team culture tell inspiring stories of legendary squads. This one shows you exactly how to build that same magic in your own team.
“I couldn’t recommend it more… I was really swept away by it.”
— Bruce Daisley, bestselling author
Think about the best team you’ve ever been part of. Not the most talented — the one where you’d have done anything for each other.
Where turning up wasn’t a chore, it was the best part of your week. Where you played harder than you thought you could because you didn’t want to let them down.
That feeling wasn’t luck. It was identity. And this book shows you how to create it — deliberately, repeatably — in any team you coach.
We asked coaches what drives them mad. These are real answers.
“Players not reciprocating the effort coaches put in. Giving half effort or not turning up at all is insulting.”
Rugby coach, adult amateur“Constant disruptions and lack of focus, especially among the most skilled players.”
Coach, U13–U18, 8+ years“Players not believing in themselves and teammates and not putting in the work 100%.”
Rugby coach, U13–U18These aren’t motivation problems. They’re identity problems. And they’re fixable.
The TRIBE approachNot inspiring anecdotes you can’t replicate. A practical playbook with over 60 tools you can use this week.
A step-by-step process for building team identity — the same method used by Olympic programmes and the Royal Marines, adapted for any coaching context.
Tools you can drop into any session — warm-ups, huddles, team talks, travel time. Build connection without adding hours to your schedule.
Turn the everyday rituals — the bus journey, the kit room, the five minutes before kick-off — into the moments your players remember for life.
Written for coaches juggling muddy pitches, mismatched kit, bad weather and players with fragile confidence. Not for perfect facilities — for coaches with heart.
Our research identified five beliefs that explain 88.6% of the variation in team identity strength.
Each belief is a building block of shared identity and a practical area you can strengthen in your team.
The TRIBE protocol was developed through a seven-year research collaboration with the University of Sussex.
TRIBE Pulse is a free survey your players complete on their phones. You get a clear picture of where your team stands — and where to focus.
Use it alongside the book to track progress as you build belonging, commitment and pride. No sport psychology degree required.
Hove Spartans U14 · 8 responses
The book is the starting point. A growing set of tools and experiences to help you go deeper.
A 25-item behavioural checklist you use while watching your team train or play. Score what you see — from communication and effort to resilience and trust — and track how your team’s identity develops over time. A different kind of tool to Pulse: you observe, you score, you learn.
Free online diagnostic. Your players take 90 seconds. You see exactly where your team’s identity is strong and where it needs work.
Structured course through UK Coaching’s premium section. Guided learning based on the book with practical exercises.
A personal TRIBE coach on your phone. Ask it anything about your team challenges and get specific, practical guidance.
Connect with coaches building identity-driven teams. Share what works, get support, learn from each other.
Bring TRIBE to your club, academy or school. Hands-on sessions that give your whole coaching team the tools to build belonging.
Full-day programme for PE departments. Build skills to create groups where every young person feels they belong.
Want early access? Get in touch and we’ll keep you updated.
Jeremy J Holt’s journey into team identity began on a muddy pitch at Hove Rugby Club, coaching his son Dan’s under-5s. Twenty years later, that same grassroots passion – combined with three decades of professional experience – produced the Hove Spartans story: a team that went from finishing last in their league to becoming county champions in a single season. Not through new tactics or better players, but by changing how they saw themselves as a team.
As a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and founder of the Centre for Team Excellence, Jay has spent 35+ years helping teams thrive – not just perform. His work spans elite sport, the military, and corporate leadership across 42 countries.
In sport, he has worked with the GB Women’s Hockey Team (Olympic Gold, Rio 2016), GB Wheelchair Rugby (Paralympic Gold, Tokyo 2021), GB Speedway (World Champions 2021 and 2024), Alpine Formula 1, and professional cricket and football clubs including Warwickshire CCC, Sussex CCC, and Oxford United FC.
In the military, he has delivered high-performance leadership training for senior officers from the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, and intelligence services – including a pivotal three-month project analysing Royal Marines identity and culture during active operations in Afghanistan.
His collaboration with the University of Sussex led to the development of the TRIBE protocol – the research-backed framework at the heart of this book. TRIBE is now being used by TeamNL, the Dutch Olympic association, to prepare teams for the LA 2028 Games. It is also endorsed by UK Coaching, the independent representative body for sports coaches and activity leaders in the UK, and forms part of their coach development curriculum.
Jay holds a first-class honours degree in Social Psychology from the University of Kent and an MSc in Occupational Psychology from Cranfield University.
For The Love of The Game distils everything Jeremy has learned into a practical playbook for grassroots coaches – proving that you don’t need elite resources to build an elite team identity. You just need the right approach.
Jay lives in Brighton, UK, with his wife and has two grown-up children. Learn more at cfte.co.uk.
As heard on
Listen to Jay discuss team identity, belonging, and what grassroots coaches can learn from elite sport.
Harnessing identity to win — how shared identity eliminates social loafing and drives performance.
Season 11 · Ep 14 — For The Love Of The Game: building elite team identity at the grassroots level.
Ep 82 — An organisational psychologist on identity, cohesion, and why belonging outperforms tactics.
Every coach has the power to create a team full of belonging, pride and commitment. This book shows you how — one session at a time.
Get For The Love Of The Game