Team performance has historically been depicted as either a static realization of a goal or a stage to achieve following relatively brief development process, without much understanding of how performance can be sustained beyond a short-term objective. However, many organizational teams exist over long periods in pursuit of complex, progressive goal structures which utilize distinct environmental influences to sustain their performance. This study extends our understanding of team performance modulation over time, illustrating how long-term teams use performance shocks to create and maintain progression toward their goals. We provide descriptors of the team performance shock construct, and let the members of high-performing teams tell how shocks perturb their team experience in pursuit of an international sailing trophy.