How Do We Make It Fun?

A weekly reflection for coaches navigating the human side of performance.

Jan 07, 2026

Principle: Fun Is Functional

Two of my favorite athletes of all time played with obvious joy. Ronaldinho and Alex Ovechkin both played with a child-like energy, with a smile on their face, it was as if they understood they were getting paid millions to play a game. I find it infectious. But they are the exceptions, not the rule. The seriousness exibited by players and coaches in sport nowadays is uninspired and boring.

Why is it that in high-performance environments, fun is often the first thing to go when pressure rises? It’s treated as a luxury, something you earn after results, not something that helps produce them.

The best coaches, parents, teachers and managers know that when people enjoy the work, they engage more fully. They communicate more openly. They recover faster from mistakes. Fun creates energy, and energy fuels learning.

Perspective: Why Fun Improves Performance

Research in psychology shows that positive emotions like enjoyment and play broaden our attention and thinking, making us more creative, adaptable, and open to learning. Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson calls this the broaden-and-build effect: when people feel good, they quite literally think bigger and see more options.

In high-performance environments, that matters. Teams under pressure need flexibility, problem-solving, and fast adaptation, not rigidity or fear.

Fun also reduces threat. When people are anxious about mistakes or judgment, mental energy shifts toward self-protection instead of learning. Cognitive resources narrow. Decision-making suffers. Enjoyment lowers that threat response, freeing up capacity for experimentation and growth.

And there’s a social component too. Studies on play and positive affect show that shared enjoyment strengthens trust, cooperation, and communication all critical components of effective teams. Laughter and lightness don’t distract from performance; they reinforce the relationships that sustain it under stress.

Story: Mike Leach and the “Elf” Helmet

Late in his tenure at Texas Tech, Leach created a moment that became legendary while illustrating just one way that he infused fun into performance culture. Former wide receiver and later assistant coach Eric Morris recently shared a story from that time: after a game where Morris made an unconventional play, Leach gave him a playful nickname, “Elf.” That nickname didn’t just stay a quip, the next Thursday practice Morris found a green uniform with elf ears taped to his helmet waiting for him.

Leach insisted that Morris wear the costume in practice for three straight weeks, or risk not playing. What reads like a joke was actually a moment of cultural connection. Players later recalled that those lighthearted moments, affectionate teasing, and the freedom to be a bit silly helped create a sense of belonging and psychological safety that actually supported performance during what became one of the best seasons in Texas Tech history, culminating in a Cotton Bowl appearance.