How Toxic Teammates Hurt Performance – and What to Do About It

Every athlete dreams of the perfect team: a group where everyone has each other’s back, communication is excellent, and the result always positive. But the reality of competitive sports is that you aren’t in this alone, and sometimes, the biggest opponent isn’t your opponent but the person standing next to you. Toxic teammates are unfortunately common in youth and collegiate sports, and if left unaddressed, their behavior can sabotage both your mental health and your team’s chances of success.

Whether you are the target of negativity, a teammate watching it happen, or even an athlete who realizes they could become more positive, understanding how to navigate this situation is vital.

Identifying 5 Faces of Toxicity

Toxicity isn’t always a full-on argument; it’s often more subtle subtle.

The In-Game Critic: This teammate lashes out publicly, criticizing others mid-game or throwing their arms up in disbelief after a mistake. They might shout things like, “Dude, what are you thinking!?” after a mistake was made.
The “Just Joking” Saboteur: This athlete uses constant verbal jabs. One example might be saying “you suck”, then claiming they were “just joking” when they hit a nerve.
The Energy Vampire: These teammates bring negativity towards the sport, the team, and even themselves. They constantly complain about practice, criticize the team’s quality, and roll their eyes at the coach’s instructions.
The Body Shamer: A particularly damaging form of toxicity involves explicit negative comments regarding a teammate’s weight, body shape, or diet. This includes messages that an athlete needs to lose weight or gain muscle to meet specific expectations.
The “Me-First” Rebel: This athlete prioritizes “Me before We”. They may argue with coaches, skip commitments, or be verbally (and physically abusive), signaling a total lack of respect for team unity.

The High Cost to Individual Performance

For players who are the target of this behavior, the impact on their performance is immediate and measurable. First, the stress of ill-timed and poorly delivered criticism makes them more tense and hesitant, leading to a fear of further criticism that then causes more mistakes. Second, it chips away at their self-belief. Being judged or told you “suck” causes self-doubt, and players second-guessing their game-time decisions.

Away from the game, toxicity has a negative impact on the mental health of players, including performance anxiety, fear of failure, and even unhealthy eating and compulsive exercise behaviors. Finally, it is emotionally exhausting. Wasting “brainpower” on a negative person drains the energy players should be using to improve their skills and enjoyment of the game.

Why the Whole Team Suffers

Toxicity breaks down team dynamics. It makes teams less united, shifting the focus from collective goals to individual egos. This leads to a communication breakdown; discouraged athletes often stop talking during competition, which leads to poor performance.

Ultimately, toxicity reduces your chances to win. While encouragement makes teammates try harder, for longer, negativity causes motivation and effort to drop off. A toxic culture makes the sport less enjoyable, which is often the main reason athletes choose to quit entirely and walk away from the game.

5 Steps to Cope With Toxic Teammates

If you’re dealing with a toxic teammate, the basic advice to “just ignore them” is unhelpful, as it suggests their behavior is acceptable. Instead, try these strategies:

Control Your Focus: Remember the phrase: “Where your focus goes, your energy flows”. Choose to redirect your energy toward your improvement as a player and supportive teammates rather than the toxic teammate.
Be Unbothered: Use a question to reverse the power dynamic. Instead of getting flustered, calmly ask, “What did you mean by that?” or “Was that meant to be helpful or hurtful?”.
Master Your Delivery: Keep your facial expression neutral and your voice tone low and a little bored. Standing tall and then walking away after your line is a power move that denies the bully the “reward” of an emotional reaction.
Check Your Self-Talk: Reframe negative thoughts into positive ones. Evaluate your game by focusing first on what you did well. Don’t let the toxic teammate’s critical views become your own.
Set Boundaries and Seek Support: If the behavior is constant or you feel unsafe, talk to an adult or your coach privately. Explain how the negativity is impacting your confidence and performance rather than just “snitching”.

If you witness negative comments between teammates, you can immediately offer positive reinforcement to the person being criticized. After a toxic exchange, remind the affected teammate of their strengths. Research shows that when athletes encourage rather than criticize, their teammates become more committed and persist longer through challenges.

If you witness bullying or feel the environment is unsafe, you must immediately involve a coach or trusted adult.

Feel Seen?: How to Do Better

If you’ve realized your comments are dragging the team down, it’s not too late to change. Start by asking if your negativity is a reaction to your own performance or past experiences. Understand the difference between criticism (pointing out mistakes) and coaching (helping a teammate know what to do and how to do it).

Importantly, learn the timing of feedback. During a game is the wrong time for technical advice; it only increases your teammate’s stress. Encouragement is a performance strategy. If you want to win, building your teammates’ confidence is the most effective way to ensure they play their best. Finally, shift to a “We” mindset, focusing on performance and health rather than appearance or personal glory.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with toxic teammates is a test of your concentration, commitment, and resilience. By learning to manage these challenges, you develop life skills that extend far beyond the field. You define who you are—not your negative teammate.

Be the teammate who builds others up. That’s how teams win, and how athletes last.

Resources:

Coach Bre. (2023, July 27). Athlete tip: How to handle negative teammates. Elite Competitor. https://elitecompetitor.com/blog/151-athlete-tip-how-to-handle-negative-teammates/
Goldberg, A. (2021, February 23). Staying focused when teammates are negative. Competitive Advantage: Mental Toughness. https://www.competitivedge.com/staying-focused-when-teammates-are-negative/
Maximize the Mind. (2026). Toxic teammate replies: How athletes can respond with confidence. https://maximizethemind.com/toxic-teammate-replies-how-athletes-can-respond-with-confidence/
Scott, C. L., Haycraft, E., & Plateau, C. R. (2022). The impact of critical comments from teammates on athletes eating and exercise psychopathology. Body Image, 43, 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.08.013
Straw, E. (2025, May 6). How to handle toxic teammates. Success Starts Within. https://www.successstartswithin.com/blog/handle-toxic-teammates
The Excelling Edge. (2017, June 27). 3 reasons teammates should encourage not criticize. https://theexcellingedge.com/3-reasons-teammates-encourage-not-criticize/