It's About Team

If someone had asked me back in August If I thought that we'd be unbeaten going into October, I probably would have laughed. I say that to my shame. This has been one of the most challenging teams I've coached. But they've also been the most dedicated and hardest working team I've ever seen. It has been incredibly rewarding to see them come together as a team. I pushed them hard during the pre-season but they've responded unbelievably. I've never had a team this determined to improve themselves.

The girls are at a critical juncture right now though. We've had some success so they're beginning to taste the fruits of their hard work. Everyone is beginning to fall into a role on the team. We have some players who are excellent at defense, some are good mid-fielders and some are excelling as strikers. Most of our players can play several positions quite well. The problem comes in when everyone begins to define success as "scoring a goal." I over-hear this all the time after games on Saturday. A friend or parent will innocently ask a player, "How did you do today? Did you get to score a goal?" The problem with this is, it takes the focus off the team. For a team to be successful, you need scorers, defenders, mid-fielders and goal keepers. So how is an excellent defender supposed to answer that question? Should an excellent goal keeper be made to feel less than successful if she doesn't get to score a goal all year? The answer of course is no. Everyone plays a critical role in a team's success. A great defender is no less or more important than a striker.

I like to play everyone at a variety of positions throughout the year. It helps them understand what each position requires. As they grow older, they'll learn that they have the skills to play one position better than another. Recently I've noticed that everyone wants to play forward so they'll get a chance to score a goal. I had to remind them last week that being on a team means that you put the needs of the team ahead of your own ambition. It's the same way with a family, church, or career.The ironic thing is that when you look after the needs of others, your own needs get met in the process. Like someone once said, "There's no limit to what we can accomplish is we don't care who gets the credit." I asked them point blank before last week's game, "Do you want to score goals or do you want to win the game?" They gave me a funny look but they said that they wanted to win the game. I told them that winning a game means to play as a team. Playing as a team means playing positions that you don't want to play and doing some things that don't give you personal glory.

I was proud of how they stepped up in the face of adversity and accepted their various roles. I'm telling you this so you'll know how to approach them after a game. Instead of focusing on goals, applaud them for playing their role, sticking with the game plan and helping the team. Compliment them on an accurate pass, a key defensive stop, or a great save. Goals tend to be their own reward. Everyone notices a scorer. What often doesn't get noticed is the passer, defender or goal keeper. A team requires everyone to step up.

Thanks again for your having your kids on our team. You are all doing a wonderful job teaching them what it takes to be successful. I hope that they'll take what they learn on the field and apply it to their lives. Sports can be about so much more than just playing a game.

See you on Thursday.

-Joel