T-E-A-M

Together Everyone Achieves More

Most everyone has been involved in some sort of team, whether it be sports related, academically related, or some sort of organization where one must work in a group like setting. It is understandable that not everyone is cut out for group work, some just work better on their own. When it comes to playing a varsity sport though, this should not be a quality possessed by an individual.
At the level of varsity sports, everyone should be a team player and should, for the most part, understand what it means to be a team player. If one has not achieved the "team player status," then one has no business playing at a level of such height.
But then, there's the little town of Hillsdale which has an exception to everything.

I will always stand up for my sister, unless she is horribly, horribly wrong. I'm the older sister after all, even if I couldn't fight to save my life.

Teams work together to achieve a set goal they have in mind, whether it's winning a game, a season, a tournament, finishing something on time, or simply showing up and putting their all into whatever they're doing. In team atmospheres, you work off of other people to help the rest of the team out, as well as yourself. A team cannot operate with one less individual, a team depends on every individual in an equal manner and expect the most of an individual in every situation. One should strive to be the best they can be for their team, to help their team get to the top.

One of the best team-oriented movies is Miracle, the 2004 movie retelling the story of the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team and their struggle to really become a team of players from all different competitive and rival parts of the country.
"When you pull on that jersey, the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back" - Herb Brooks
This was one of the best quotes in the entire movie, and I feel like it really defines what a team should be about.

Sports use teams because one person cannot win a game on their own. Unless you're playing tennis or ping pong, or a select few other sports, you need someone else. And even then, you're still working with a team. The people cheering you on are your stand-in team. Is it that difficult to show some respect to your teammates? The people who work just as hard to be where you are? The people who encourage you when you're down, and help you when you need it? 'Cause that's what a team is about isn't it? You can't play soccer without a goalie, you can't play football without a quarterback, you can't play basketball without a point guard (I can't believe I know that word...).

So when you play for a team, play for the team, not for yourself.

When I ran cross country last year, I always pictured it as an individual's sport. You ran on your own for 3.1 long freakin' miles to beat your previous records. Boy, was I wrong. Cross country was all about the team. One of the most important things the best coach I've ever had said to us one day at practice was when he was discussing the bond cross country runners had that many other sports teams did not. It was something along the lines of the fact that we bond at the level we bond at because we share each other's pain. We know what it feels like to get to that third mile in a cold, wet race when all you wanna do is quit, when your legs want to give out, you can't breathe, and you can't feel your arms. We know how that feels and we all know that each one of us feels that. It may begin earlier for some, it may last longer for some, but at some point during that winding race, we struggle to keep going. But it's our teammates cheering us on on the side of the course who keep us going. It's knowing our teammates are pushing through the exact same pain you are going through. It's knowing our teammates are going to finish and they expect you to finish. I ran for my team. I ran so that I could help my team be the best they could be.

So when you're asked to be a part of a team, you treat them like your family, regardless of how you feel towards them outside of the team environment. It is not fair to bring the team down because of your issues with someone else. It is up to you to continue to lift your team up, even in rough times. Work past those differences, build trust, friendship, and love for the commonalities you share between other team members.

And finally, when you're the team leaders, do what is expected of you. Lead your team, help your team, encourage your team to be the best they can be. As a captain, that is your job, your duty. Carry it out in a way that you would hope others would. Guide your team in ways that you would like to be guided. Basically, if you're not picking up on the trend, _________ others the way you would like to be __________ (each blank is basically a verb of some sort). Your job is to encourage others and be a role model to the team. Bring them up when they're down, tell them they are doing a great job, make them be the best they can be..

If you can't do that, then don't play for a team.
No one wants to participate in something where an individual is quick to recognize and glorify themselves.

So either suck it up and play like a team, for your team, as a team.
Or leave.
'cause no one wants to be team mates with a one-man team mate.

Better yet,
go play tennis.