“What’s Gonna Work? TEAMWORK!”
This week I decided to write about selflessness in teams and the importance of sharing the glory. Both of these acts are exemplified in the article posted above. In summary, a teen football player was 1 yard line away from scoring his twelfth touchdown of the season, when he suddenly stopped running and purposely stepped out of bounds. Two days prior, a freshman teammate had lost his father to a stroke but managed to suit up for that night’s game. The purpose of his upperclassman teammate getting flagged was to allow him the honor of scoring his first touchdown in memory of his father. [Read the article for a clearer understanding].
The selfless act demonstrated by one teammate caused an uproar in the community. He was able to sit his ego to the side and prioritize his somewhat “lesser” teammate as number one. How many of us would be willing to give up something for ourselves and hand it to someone else?
Working together in a team is all about collaborative efforts amongst everyone. Ones in higher positions should strive to pull ones up that are in lower positions. Everyone should feel equal, no matter his or her rankings. In my opinion, that is the meaning and purpose of being in a team.
October 16th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
I totally agree Andrea. Selfishness has no place on a team. A team can’t function if one person is always trying to be in the spotlight. It’s like the age-old saying “there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’.” Although everyone on the team may not have the same “rank” or position, everyone on a team should feel important. I also think your questions are great self-reflective questions to think about on a personal level.
October 16th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
That story is truly touching. I agree with you all the way.Personally, since I played sports all my life I take tend to take a team approach with everything i do. I think George Mason’s new president has us moving George Mason from a individual school to a team school. which is great!!
October 17th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Teamwork is about putting the goal of everyone else over your personal goals. I agree with Chauncey about how everyone has a different rank or position on the team. But the ranks just help give a structure to how the team is organized. Each person has a different role and can affect the team differently. This organization and roles help the strengthen the team and accomplish their goals.
October 17th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Being that I have ran track my entire life, I can totally sympathize with the player having to put his emotions aside and suit up for a game (or meet) in order to contribute to the team. A lot of times people just see athletes as sports junkies, but we are regular people too! We have family problems, relationship problems, and everyday struggles. The fact that the team was able to give something back to him says a lot about their character. As leaders, I firmly believe we should stand behind one another in difficult times and be a shoulder for someone to lean on. I think this is an exceptional story. Good job, Andrea!!