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Lesson plan; The power of teams

Ann S. Michaelsen

Case Study Example: Bodø/Glimt and the global reaction to their achievement.

Just as the Winter Olympics rolled out of town, hosted in Milan-Cortina, Norway celebrated finishing top of the medal table with the most total medals and the most gold medals at the games.

Then along come Bodo with a major Champions League scalp — it seems northern Italy is a happy hunting ground!  The Athletic.

This lesson uses the recent international praise for Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt as a real-world example of how teamwork, identity, systems, and shared purpose can outperform bigger budgets and bigger names. In coverage of the team, pundits (including Thierry Henry, as reported in Norwegian media) emphasized that star power and money matter—but a true team can still be the decisive force.

It also connects well to a broader “team culture” discussion because Bodø/Glimt has been recognized internationally for making history in European competition, including becoming the first Norwegian men’s club to reach the last four of a senior UEFA competition (Europa League) after defeating Lazio on penalties.

Champions League: Bodø/Glimt send Inter crashing out

Norwegian side win 2-1 in Milan to seal giant-killing upset Bodø/Glimt dumped last season’s finalists Inter out of the Champions League with a remarkable 2-1 win at San Siro in their playoff second leg that sent the Norwegian minnows through to the last 16, 5-2 on aggregate. The Guardian

Opening Prompt

Write this on the board:

“Which is more important for success: talented individuals or a strong team? Defend your answer with one example.”

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Explain key characteristics of effective teams (shared goals, trust, roles, communication, resilience).
  2. Analyze a real-world case study (Bodø/Glimt) as evidence of team effectiveness.
  3. Compare “star-driven” success vs. “system/team-driven” success.
  4. Use evidence from media coverage to support claims about teamwork and leadership.
  5. Reflect on how team principles apply in school, sports, and academic group work.

Essential Questions

Click on the picture below to see the video of an example of teamwork.

The Power of Teams: Case Study Notes

Case: Bodø/Glimt (media response and team achievement)

  1. What happened?
  2. Why was this considered impressive?
  3. What evidence shows this was a team achievement (not just individual talent)?
  4. What role did leadership/coaching seem to play?
  5. What team qualities are visible in the story?

Comparison Questions (Higher-Level)

Use these in discussion or as written prompts:

  1. In what ways is Bodø/Glimt’s success similar to Norway’s Olympic success?
  2. How is a football club team different from a national Olympic delegation?
  3. Can an Olympic medal table be used as evidence of “teamwork,” or is it mostly individual performance?
  4. What role do coaching systems and training culture play in both examples?
  5. How do media narratives shape how we interpret success (e.g., “underdog” vs “dominance”)?
  6. Is it possible for a country/team to have stars because of the system rather than despite it?

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