Why Your Team Needs a Spark Plug

Daniel Freschi
Oct 29
6 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

The Role of Energy and Morale: How Positivity Shifts Momentum

Every team has talent.

Every team has potential.

But not every team has energy.

That’s why your team needs a Spark Plug, that uncommon teammate who consistently brings positivity, effort, and belief to every environment they enter.

They’re the heartbeat that maintains the team’s morale during adversity, the one who shifts momentum with words, body language, or relentless energy.

At Battle Tested by EDGE, we’ve seen this truth over and over again:

Talent may set the stage, but energy sets the tone.

In every locker room, huddle, or dugout, energy is either being built or drained. The Spark Plug knows this. They understand that morale isn’t something that “happens.” It’s created, modeled, and sustained.

This is leadership in its purest form: influence through energy.

Energy Isn’t Just Emotion — It’s Intentional Leadership

In Becoming Uncommon (coming soon), we talk about how uncommon leaders “choose what’s hard for the sake of what’s right.” That includes choosing your attitude, especially when circumstances are outside your control.

Energy isn’t random. It’s a choice.

Morale isn’t luck. It’s leadership.

Being a Spark Plug means you understand that your presence, tone, focus, and body language affect everyone around you. You either lift the team’s standards or you lower the room’s temperature. There’s no neutral.

Uncommon leaders know that energy is contagious. The question is: what are you spreading?

The Science of Momentum

Momentum in sports feels almost mystical, but it’s not magic. It’s emotion, rhythm, and response.

When a team’s morale rises, players move faster, communicate better, and make decisions with confidence. When morale dips, hesitation creeps in. Teams disconnect. Effort drops.

That’s where the Spark Plug steps in, not just to boost morale, but to enhance performance and results.

They don’t wait for the scoreboard to shift. They shift the team's spirit first, ensuring it remains high even in challenging situations.

The Spark Plug’s Impact:

They keep intensity high when the team feels flat.
They inject humor or hope when tension builds.
They celebrate small wins that others overlook.
They refocus the team when negativity spreads.

They bring belief back into the building—and that belief becomes performance.

The Spark Plug in the SALA Framework

In our Student-Athlete Leadership Assessment (SALA), Spark Plug energy runs through several key leadership roles:

🔥 The Comeback Kid

When things go wrong, this leader refuses to quit. They use resilience and optimism to spark a comeback. Their positivity is the antidote to panic.

Uncommon mindset: “Adversity doesn’t make me crumble, it wakes me up.”

🎉 The Socialite

This leader builds bonds and fosters a sense of belonging. Their presence boosts morale by making people feel connected and included.

Uncommon mindset: “Team chemistry doesn’t just happen, I help create it.”

🧠 The Bench Coach

This leader provides encouragement and insight from the sidelines. Even when they’re not playing, they bring purpose and positivity.

Uncommon mindset: “If I’m not in the game, I’m still in the fight.”

🧲 The Pied Piper

This leader’s natural influence draws people in. Their confidence and charisma keep the locker room unified.

Uncommon mindset: “People follow me, so I lead with intention.”

Each of these roles captures a piece of what it means to be the Spark Plug.

You don’t have to be the loudest or the most vocal.

You have to be the one who refuses to let the team’s energy drop.

Energy Leadership: More Than Hype

Let’s be clear: the Spark Plug isn’t just hype and high-fives.

It’s leadership with depth, a combination of character and consistency.

In Becoming Uncommon, we describe Discipline as “staying consistent through commitment.” That’s the Spark Plug’s secret weapon. Their energy doesn’t spike when things go well and disappear when they don’t. It’s steady, sincere, and rooted in something deeper than emotion: purpose.

True Spark Plugs don’t fake positivity. They fuel it. They’re not blind to challenges, they’re just unwilling to surrender to them. Their belief system is built on one phrase:

“We still have a chance, and I’m going to give my best effort until it’s over.”

That attitude shifts everything, from culture to chemistry to confidence.

Why Every Team Needs One

Every coach knows it: energy leaders change everything.

When a team has a Spark Plug, the atmosphere feels different. Communication improves. Workouts get louder. The bench comes alive. The difference isn’t skill. It’s spirit.

Here’s what Spark Plugs bring to the table:

1. They Set the Emotional Temperature

Culture is not what you say, it’s what you tolerate. Spark Plugs raise the standard for how teammates act, speak, and respond. They lead through emotional consistency.

2. They Protect the Locker Room

Negativity is contagious. So is optimism. Spark Plugs guard against gossip, complaining, and excuses. They redirect conversations toward solutions rather than problems.

3. They Shift Momentum

When games swing, Spark Plugs swing back. They’re the first to clap, sprint, shout, or fist-pump when the team needs a spark. They remind everyone that energy creates opportunity.

4. They Model Gratitude

Spark Plugs understand the privilege of playing. They practice gratitude out loud because grateful athletes are grounded athletes.

5. They Outwork and Outlove

Their energy is matched by effort. They lift others with encouragement and example. When others get tired, they bring juice.

Energy and the E+R=O Mindset

One of the core principles from Becoming Uncommon is E + R = O:

Event + Response = Outcome.

The Spark Plug lives this out every day.

They know they can’t control the Event: bad calls, mistakes, adversity, but they always control their Response.

That’s how they influence the Outcome.

Where others react emotionally, they respond intentionally. They treat every moment as an opportunity to choose their attitude, effort, and example. That’s what makes them uncommon.

The Spark Plug’s Response looks like this:

Positivity instead of frustration
Encouragement instead of silence
Engagement instead of withdrawal

They remind their team that every challenge is a test of leadership and that energy is always a choice.

The Coach’s Role: Igniting and Protecting the Spark

For coaches, recognizing and empowering your Spark Plugs is crucial.

They’re not always your captains or top performers. Sometimes they’re the bench players, the quiet encouragers, or the ones who bring laughter when the mood tightens.

How Coaches Can Build Spark Plug Culture:

Acknowledge Energy Leaders.
Celebrate effort and attitude as much as performance.
Give Them Purpose.
Tell your Spark Plugs you see their role. Assign them specific moments to lead energy, pregame huddles, bench hype, and post-game reflection.
Protect Their Positivity.
Energy leaders can burn out if surrounded by cynicism. Support them publicly and privately.
Develop Self-Awareness with CoachDISC.
Understanding your own leadership style helps you communicate effectively with Spark Plug personalities, especially high “I” (influential) or “S” (steady) types.
Model the Energy You Want.
Coaches are the emotional thermostat of a program. Athletes will mirror your tone.

AthleteDISC Insight: Energy Through Self-Awareness

Through AthleteDISC, we help athletes understand their behavioral styles and energy tendencies.

Different styles bring different forms of energy to a team:

D (Dominant): Brings intensity and competitiveness.
I (Influential): Brings enthusiasm and optimism.
S (Steady): Brings calm and stability under pressure.
C (Conscientious): Brings focus and composure.

The Spark Plug doesn’t belong to one style. It’s any athlete who chooses to bring their energy with purpose.

A “D” Spark Plug might fire the team up with boldness.

An “I” Spark Plug might keep spirits high through encouragement.

An “S” Spark Plug might ground the team with calm confidence.

A “C” Spark Plug might energize the team through preparation and composure.

The power isn’t in the personality. It’s in the intentional use of it.

Becoming the Spark Plug: 5 Practical Ways to Lead with Energy

Show Up Full.
Leave personal distractions at the door. Your energy is your responsibility.
Be Loud in the Right Moments.
Celebrate effort, not just results. The loudest cheers should follow the hardest work.
Catch People Doing Things Right.
Recognize a teammate’s hustle, focus, or improvement. Feedback fuels motivation.
Stay Positive Under Pressure.
When others slump or complain, choose belief. That choice sets the tone.
Reflect and Recharge.
Energy leadership takes effort. Rest, reflect, and reset so your tank stays full.

Uncommon Energy Creates Uncommon Teams

In Becoming Uncommon, we teach that discipline builds consistency, and consistency builds trust. The Spark Plug’s consistent energy serves as the team's emotional anchor.

They show up when others fade.

They believe when others doubt.

They bring joy to the grind.

And in doing so, they make everyone around them better.

That’s what uncommon leaders do: they elevate others.

Final Whistle: Be the Spark

Every team has skill.

Every team has strategy.

But the ones that win consistently, the ones remembered for more than the record, have heart.

They have leaders who bring energy with intention.

They have Spark Plugs.

If you want to lead the uncommon way, start there. Bring energy that empowers, enthusiasm that endures, and positivity that shifts culture. You don’t need to wait for a title or a huddle. You can start now.

Because the Spark Plug doesn’t ask, “Who’s bringing the energy today?”They decide: “It’s me.”

Take the Next Step

Discover your leadership impact with the Student-Athlete Leadership Assessment (SALA) and learn how your energy influences your team.

Enhance your self-awareness through AthleteDISC and CoachDISC, the tools that help you lead with purpose and positivity.

Student Athlete Leadership Assessment

$35.00

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AthleteDISC

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