WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE TEAM

By Christy Swagerty-Vilas

Being an athlete is so much more than simply playing a sport. Athletics also involve many more people than just the players on the team. I believe there are three key concepts for the three key role players to embrace and practice in order to make “playing a sport” a great and memorable experience.

These three role players include the actual sport players, the parents, and the coaches. The most important concept to realize is that all three of these groups belong to the same team. Once understood, this more inclusive team can move forward toward success without negativity or problems.

KEY #1. Respect – Treat others as you wish to be treated.
The foundational concept of respecting those around you automatically reflects the fact that you respect yourself. When you treat authority figures or peers with respect, you show that you genuinely care about the welfare of the other person, regardless of whatever differences exist between you.
Players – respect the school, your coaches, the officials, your teammates, the opponents, your parents, and yourself.
Parents – respect the school, your child, the coaches, the officials, your child’s teammates, the other parents, and the opponents and their parents.
Coaches – respect the school, your players, the officials, the opponents, the parents, and the other coaches.

KEY #2. Communication – Nobody but you and God can read your mind.
Once respect has been established, communication must come into play. The most delicate subject between players, parents, and coaches is playing time. Players, coaches want to hear from you first that you want to raise your performance to get more time on the floor. You are the ultimate factor in determining your playing time, not your parents. You must learn to adapt to coaches’ styles and expectation by taking on an attitude of positive flexibility and constantly demonstrating effort and passion. Your parents cannot do this for you; you must take responsibility and work to earn your performance time. The other main communication issue in sports is relationships. We cannot allow assumptions and gossip to dictate our attitude toward our teammates, coaches, or parents. Too many times have we seen teams ruined because no one would simply speak to the other party they were having an issue with. This is a sad situation that we should all work to avoid. Address issues immediately, if they do not get fixed, take it to another level. If the problem still exists, permanent changes should be made. This advice acts as guidance for all players, coaches, and parents.

KEY #3. Teamwork – We’re only as strong as our weakest link.
There is always a hierarchy in sports. Teams have players with different positions, skill levels, and contribution totals. But this is what makes it a team; a combination of unique pieces put together to create a cohesive unit. How great this unit can become is what the game season is all about. When everyone is working together to make every player better for the sake of the team, the unit moves collectively to a higher level of play and commitment to each other.
Players – make yourself a better player by making your team a better team.
Parents – maintain positive support for your children and each other.
Coaches – work to bring the team to a higher level as a whole.

The TEAM is what sports are about, not the individual. And the most important thing to understand is that life is a team sport. How are YOU making your team better?