Team Dynamics and Individual Psychology: Finding Balance in Collective Sports

If you’ve seen Inside Out 2, you know it’s not just a lighthearted kids’ movie. It's a layered reflection on identity, inclusion, and emotional complexity, all set against the backdrop of a team sport. It’s no accident that Pixar chose hockey camp as the setting; team-based environments uniquely highlight the emotional tensions between individuality and group belonging. As Riley tries to connect with her new teammates, the film gently but powerfully explores what it means to belong, not just socially, but psychologically. While framed around adolescence, the emotional terrain it covers - fitting in, being seen, feeling enough - is something we continue to navigate long after our teen years, especially in group settings like sports teams, workplaces, or social communities.

Riley’s unraveling isn’t just about nerves before a big game. It’s about the quiet panic of not knowing whether you’ll be accepted, of wondering whether you need to change who you are just to be included. These are deeply human experiences and they play out every day in sports teams, friend groups, workplaces, and families. Whether you're a 13-year-old at hockey camp or a seasoned adult athlete, the need to feel like you truly belong doesn’t go away, it just evolves.

This blog explores how team dynamics intersect with individual mental health—and why that connection matters. Drawing from current research in psychology, sports medicine, and organizational behavior, we’ll unpack why a sense of belonging isn’t just a perk of being part of a group - it’s a fundamental element of mental wellness and performance.

Belonging Is a Survival Need

Belonging isn’t just a feel-good idea, it’s a psychological necessity. In fact, researchers have found that social exclusion activates the same part of the brain associated with physical pain (Eisenberger & Lieberman, 2004). The desire to feel connected, understood, and supported is hardwired into us. Without that sense of belonging, emotional regulation and stress tolerance suffer.

This concept extends beyond childhood. As a blog entry on the Calm App’s website explains, a lack of belonging is more strongly associated with depression than either loneliness or lack of social support (Calm, 2023). Belonging is not just about being around others, it’s about being accepted for who you are. And that experience directly shapes our ability to manage stress, build resilience, and maintain emotional stability.

Team Sports and the Power of Connection

Athletes of all kinds—whether they train solo or with others— can develop resilience, discipline, and emotional insight through their sport. But when it comes to mental health, the added social framework of team sports can offer unique emotional benefits, especially when the environment is inclusive and well supported.

In a study of over 750 youth athletes, researchers found that athletes in team sports were significantly less likely to report symptoms of anxiety or depression compared to those in individual sports (Pluhar et al., 2019). This isn't to say individual sports are harmful; far from it. They can promote self-discipline, focus, and independence. But team sports often provide a built-in support system: teammates who share your goals, celebrate your progress, and walk with you through setbacks.

That sense of shared identity and mutual accountability, when nurtured with care, becomes a protective layer against emotional burnout. A well-supported team offers connection, encouragement, and a collective strength that benefits not just performance, but mental health.

When Team Dynamics Break Down

Of course, not all teams automatically create belonging. Poor communication, favoritism, or lack of inclusion can erode morale and increase emotional strain. Research from organizational psychology refers to this as "thwarted belongingness" - a state in which individuals feel disconnected and unseen despite being part of a group (Heersink School of Medicine, 2024).

Dr. Megan McMurray Hays notes that the absence of belonging isn’t just unpleasant—it’s associated with reduced job satisfaction, increased turnover, and elevated mental health risks, including suicidal ideation (Heersink School of Medicine, 2024). In sports settings, this can manifest as athletes disengaging, self-isolating, or pushing themselves to unhealthy extremes just to feel “enough.”

The risk here isn’t the team structure itself, but what happens when group dynamics don’t include psychological safety, equity, and mutual respect.

How to Build Belonging—Deliberately

Belonging isn’t a passive outcome—it’s built through consistent, intentional behaviors. Here are five evidence-based ways to foster belonging within sports teams:

1. Foster Authentic Connection

Daily check-ins, team rituals, and unstructured bonding (like meals or walk-and-talks) build trust and normalize vulnerability. These moments create the psychological safety that allows people to show up fully (Heersink School of Medicine, 2024).

2. Celebrate Individual Contributions

Recognizing every team member (not just the standout performers) strengthens group morale and reinforces that value isn’t tied solely to performance. Small affirmations and specific praise go a long way.

3. Use Team-Building Interventions

According to a 2024 meta-analysis, structured team-building programs significantly improve group cohesion, particularly when lasting longer than two weeks (Kwon, 2024). Programs that emphasize shared goals, role clarity, and social bonding are especially effective.

4. Promote Inclusive Communication

Ensure that athletes of all backgrounds and identities have a voice. Team cultures that prioritize inclusive decision-making and active listening support deeper connection and more authentic collaboration (Heersink School of Medicine, 2024).

5. Normalize Emotional Struggle

Athletes often mask stress or anxiety out of fear it’ll make them appear weak or different. Creating space to talk about emotional wellness—through peer discussions, coach modeling, or mental health resources—can shift that narrative from shame to solidarity (Calm, 2023).

6. Ensure the Team Has Access to Mental Health Resources

Even the most connected teams can’t navigate every challenge on their own. Normalize access to support systems such as sports psychotherapists or mental health consultants, especially when athletes are managing stress, burnout, or identity-related concerns. At Supportive Directions, our clinicians specialize in working with adolescents, young adults, and teams to foster emotional resilience, improve communication, and create environments where everyone can thrive.

Final Thoughts

Inside Out 2 isn’t just about teenage mood swings. It’s a meditation on identity, connection, and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re trying to belong. Riley’s journey on the ice mirrors what many athletes face: the pressure to perform, the fear of not fitting in, and the vulnerability of showing up as your full self.

But when teams intentionally build belonging, when they create room for authenticity, affirm each member’s worth, and communicate with care, something powerful happens. Individuals not only thrive within the group, they grow as people. They become more resilient, more engaged, and more connected to something larger than themselves.

Whether you're a coach, teammate, or athlete trying to find your footing, remember this: performance may win games, but belonging builds the kind of strength that lasts far beyond the final whistle.

References

Calm. (2023). Here’s why belonging is so important for your mental health. Calm Blog. https://www.calm.com/blog/belonging-science-mental-health

Disney & Pixar. (2024). Inside Out 2 [Motion picture]. Pixar Animation Studios.

Eisenberger, N. I., & Lieberman, M. D. (2004). Why rejection hurts: A common neural alarm system for physical and social pain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(7), 294–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2004.05.010

Heersink School of Medicine. (2024). Cultivating a culture of belonging. UAB Heersink News. https://www.uab.edu/medicine/news/latest-news/cultivating-a-culture-of-belonging

Kwon, S. H. (2024). Analyzing the impact of team-building interventions on team cohesion in sports teams: A meta-analysis study. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1353944. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1353944

Pluhar, E., McCracken, C., Griffith, K. L., Christino, M. A., Sugimoto, D., & Meehan III, W. P. (2019). Team sport athletes may be less likely to suffer anxiety or depression than individual sport athletes. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 18, 490–496. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683619/

Theisen, A. (2021). Is a sense of belonging important? Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-having-a-sense-of-belonging-important