From dodgeball to bowling, MSU players build bonds with team outings

Indianapolis — “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.”
An iconic line from the movie “Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story” or simply offseason fun at Michigan State?
Of course, most know it’s a line from a movie, but chances are, it could have been uttered over the past few months as Michigan State’s players have been on a journey to get closer, attempting to form a bond some feel hasn’t been as strong as it has needed to be, namely last season, when the Spartans struggled to a 5-7 season, missing out on a bowl game a year after winning 11 games.
From bringing in an outside firm to help build team chemistry to organizing events — from dodgeball to going to a Lansing Lugnuts game — the Spartans are working hard to build the cohesion they believe is critical to success once they take the field.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker and his players say the team chemistry is better than last season.
“This is the most team-building activities that we’ve done since I’ve been here,” senior wide receiver Tre Mosley said. “As an offense, we’ve done dodgeball, bowling, putt-putt, trivia night, and then as a team, we’ve done kickball and dodgeball.
“We have a random team generator that splits the team up, and luckily for me, my team won two out of the three nights — trivia and bowling. I was trying to go for the triple crown but my boy J.D. Duplain’s team beat us in putt-putt last week. He’s been bragging about that the last couple of days.”
It surely has helped the competitive aspect for the team, even though it has all been in fun. With the game on the line — whatever that game might be — everyone wants to win.
“When you’ve got a lot of athletes out there, guys are going to bring their ‘A’ game and leave it all on the line and try to win,” Mosley said. “You see some athletic stuff from guys you don’t expect. You’ve got O-linemen doing cartwheels, trying not to get hit. Guys you think can catch are getting hit in the face with the ball. Some guys you didn’t think had any hands at all are making plays. It’s fun to get away from football and still have some fun together as a team.”
During Michigan State’s time at Big Ten media days in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Mosley, Duplain and linebacker Cal Haladay all talked about how it has helped a fluctuating roster become tighter.
It’s a bit tougher these days in the era of the transfer portal, as multiple new faces have continued to arrive on campus, while mainstays like quarterback Payton Thorne and wide receiver Keon Coleman have departed.
“It’s kind of more like the NFL, where your roster can be different every year,” Mosley said. “You’ve got to take it for what it is. Guys are going to come in, and guys are going to leave. That’s the day and age we’re in with college sports, in general. Being able to co-exist and still make guys feel like part of a team and a family is important, because, at the end of the day, we are a family still. That is something that I take a lot of pride in, making sure everyone feels like they are part of the team.”
It’s all in an effort to get Michigan State back to where it was in 2021, when it was in the hunt for the Big Ten championship and played in a New Year’s bowl game.
And after 2022 came to an end without a spot in a bowl game, coach Mel Tucker met with every player on the roster and came away emphasizing team bonding.
“We made a conscious effort to schedule events for the players so that they could connect more,” Tucker said. “They have also done things on their own, which is more important.
“When I meet with the players individually over the summer, I ask them about and they all tell me that (chemistry) is better. … We've done more team-building activities and events than we've ever done. It's really brought our team close together, not just the players, but the coaches and the support staff as well.
Mosley said he’s seen the entire roster buying in while Duplain, the fifth-year senior guard, is convinced it will pay off in the fall.
“Oh, it's awesome, and that just helps the team,” Duplain said. “However much time you can spend with guys outside of football, not even doing football stuff or talking football, just getting to know your team. It just makes you so much better. You know the guy you're fighting for next to you a little more personal. So, that's going to help us a lot.”