From the Locker Room to the Band Room: Game Ball Moments That Matter

Living in the Chicago area for my entire life, I’m a lifelong Chicago Bears fan. This season was incredible! A complete turn-around from years past…much of it due to their head coach creating a winning culture. My favorite moments were in the locker room following a win. Head coach Ben Johnson gathers his players to reflect and celebrate. He highlights what went well: the teamwork, perseverance, or resilience that helped the team win and gives out game balls to individuals that were key difference makers that contributed to the team’s success. Watching these post game locker room sessions was a highlight after each game and made me think: What if band directors brought that same kind of reflection & recognition into the band room?

Building a Culture of Recognition

Like a football team, a band thrives on effort, persistence, and collaboration. Every rehearsal is a new opportunity to notice and celebrate progress - not perfection.

At the start of each rehearsal, I’ve been taking a moment to highlight what’s going well. Some days I forget or there’s an interruption because...well...that’s school. But, it happens more times than not. You might hear phrases like:

• “Flutes, I noticed how you were playing more in tune yesterday.”

• “Trumpets, your focus during warm-ups really set the tone for rehearsal. Nice work!”

• “Low brass, good job listening and locking in with that rhythm at m. 62.”

These moments are short, but they have a positive effect on the students and the energy in the room. When students hear specific, authentic praise about their effort, it reinforces the behaviors and mindset we want to see in every rehearsal.

Why Verbal Recognition Matters

Research in motivation and learning tells us that how we praise students shapes why they work hard. The key is making the recognition specific to the action.

• When recognition focuses on effort and persistence, students develop a growth mindset → they see progress as something they can control. Example “Thank you for the focus in rehearsal yesterday. Did you notice how much we accomplished? Keeping talking to a minimum made a big difference. Let’s do that again today!”

• When we recognize strategies, students learn that progress comes from problem-solving and smart practice. “I heard Jamie in the saxophones section working on m. 13 over and over until that pattern locked in. That’s an excellent practice strategy.”

• And when we highlight teamwork, we strengthen community and shared purpose. “I loved seeing the flutes working together to tune their high D’s and the clarinets sharing fingerings during Exercise #84.”

Game Ball Moments

You don’t need to give out anything tangible to make this idea work. The “game ball” becomes a moment rather than an object.

Consider these quick routines:

• Start each rehearsal by naming one specific success from the previous day.

• End rehearsal with a “team huddle” where students share something they noticed a peer or section doing well.

• Weekly reflection: ask students to identify one area of personal growth and one way they contributed to the ensemble. This can be done as a discussion in class or as a reflection log the students have in their folder.

These consistent, genuine moments of recognition help students internalize and celebrate the joy of progress.

The Bigger Picture

Over time, this practice strengthens something far more important than tone or technique — relationships. When students know you see their effort, they feel valued. When they see you celebrating progress, it builds a positive classroom culture and rehearsal becomes something they look forward to.

Those connections build trust, confidence, and pride — the same ingredients that make great teams and great bands.

At its heart, this is about taking a moment to notice what’s going well, say it out loud, and let those small moments shape the culture of the band room. And whether you’re wearing a whistle or holding a baton, that’s what it means to build a winning culture.