‘Go Eagles!’ The Power of Team Spirit

In the last eight hours, what may have been two million people invited themselves to a party to end all parties. The Eagles Super Bowl victory over the Patriots Feb. 4 unleashed a mass celebration unlike any I have seen in my half century of life around Rittenhouse Square. The streets around my office at 1420 Locust Street were packed with people of all ages laughing, singing, chanting, drinking, and talking to each other.   
By 6:30 a.m., many fans had taken their places to wait the five hours until parade time. Some slept in their cars in temperatures ranging in the 20s and the 30s.
Mayor Kenney begged citizens to be on good behavior to prevent further property destruction after a jubilant, if a bit raucous, celebration the night of the big win.
The crowd I saw Feb. 8 was literally yelling with pleasure and pride. Many reported more than one generation of Eagles fans, finally rewarded for the first time with a World Championship win.
One woman brought the ashes of a dearly departed so that the dead relative might enjoy the celebratory atmosphere. Many are certain they will never forget this day of opening their arms and their voices to sing, chant and hug others. 
To manage crowds, the city shut down official offices to prepare for the crowd.
John and I joined most of Philadelphia Feb. 4 and curled up on a soft, black, leather couch in front of a gigantic TV screen with two fuzzy, black dogs to watch what was epic team play. With help from John, I remembered the general game policies. 
The game was faster than any I have seen and I quickly felt deep admiration for Eagles genius coach Doug Pederson. His carefully calculated decisions, communicated to quarterback Nick Foles,  carried the day. 
In their 87 years of existence and effort, this is the first Super Bowl victory in its 52-year history.
How did they do it?    
The spirit of this team is indomitable. Like a family that sticks together during hardship, they played with deep solidarity and good humor. In the after-game jubilation, deep religious faith and family values were often mentioned as the foundation for the team members. 
Since I create teamwork in family therapy to help them get through rough challenges, I became interested in how team spirit actually bonds team members in the deep challenge of winning over a predictably competent opponent like the Patriots. One of the biggest plays in Philadelphia sports history, the “Philly Special,” was dialed up by Foles.
A clip from Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” shows Foles going up to Pederson on the sideline before the play, saying “Philly Philly?” and suggesting the “Philly Special.” Pederson stared back at him before finally replying, “Yeah, let’s do it.” This tricky play surprised their opponents but had been rehearsed in the final weeks of practice.
One fundamental human value binding some of the players is their religious faith. Many of the players credit their brilliant careers to their abiding faith in God. 
This binding faith connects them to other team members, and Pederson, who credits his success as stemming from God. Banding together as a team dedicated to doing God’s will creates deeply powerful emotional bonds between members.
The universality of this powerful team building stems from feeling connected to each other. We all experience the benefits of “Social connectedness.”
Dr. Wann and co-authors researched the correlation between a sense of interpersonal well-being for fans and their internal sense of social connection at sporting events. The relationships we develop with family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and colleagues positively impact our physical and mental health.
Research indicates that passionate team supporters experience greater social connectedness than less dedicated fans. For the Eagles, some of this connectedness has to do with deep religious faith shared with their teammates.
Pederson suggests the team celebrate with ice cream after practice. Now, what could be more wholesome?
Pederson has played football since high school and gets the fatigue and the discouragement of this game from the inside out. The levels of wholesome connectedness run wide and deep.
To consider: How much more power could you and your family collect if you built greater social connectedness into your family and your life? Might life be better if you did?
To read: Wann et al.: Attendance and its positive relationship with state social psychological well-being. North American Journal of Psychology 10: 229–238.
Find Dr. Judith Coche helping families build team spirit at Rittenhouse Square and in Stone Harbor. Reach her through www.cochecenter.com.