I
LOVE SPORTS! In fact, each season of the
year brings a different sport for me to enjoy.
Currently, as summer kicks off, I am enjoying the NBA Playoff Finals,
which are in progress. My favorite NBA team, the Lakers, did not make the
playoffs this year. However, the two teams playing, the Spurs and the Heat, are
keeping me entertained.
When
Fall arrives, football begins, and in the Winter, I totally enjoy watching NCAA
Basketball. Anyone who knows me KNOWS that I am a DIEHARD DUKE BLUE DEVILS
fan. When Duke Basketball is on,
everything on my schedule stops until the game is over.
My
love for sports stems way back to high school, and I have been on several teams
as an athlete. I was on a basketball team, a track team, and even a cheerleader
squad. So my exposure to teamwork and
team- building started pretty early in life.
In fact, I developed a belief in the concept of teams in many different
areas of life from work to family.
A
team is simply defined as “a group of people who come together to
achieve a common goal.” The goal can be
either simple or complex. When we think
of a sports team, the obvious goal of achievement is to WIN. No doubt, we all love to win. Not too many
people join a team with the objective to lose.
As a former high school coach, I quickly learned that winning, although
it is great, is not everything that makes a team spectacular. Talent and skills
can create wins, but it does not always guarantee commitment, dedication, and
perseverance.
I
remember one of my own former college coaches telling us this statement every
game or meet: “No one remembers 2nd place.” That statement hit us hard, so we always
worked very hard to achieve 1st because we thought being known as
NUMBER 1 was the most important factor of our contest. His coaching method instilled in us the need
to WIN in every competition, which by the way, did not always happen.
So
what happens when we don’t come in first place, or we don’t win the trophy or
award for being number 1? Do all of our
efforts as a team member fail? Certainly not.
It is proven that many of us gain more benefits from being a member of
team than just the victory of winning.
Although winning or being first is flattering, it is not most
important.
Many
times what we do or say to each other on our teams assist us in working toward
the common goal. Words and statements
that encourage one another are key on any team.
By participating on teams, we learn great character traits that last a
lifetime such as commitment, achievement, dedication, development, and
leadership. There are not too many
places, outside of a classroom, that we can collect all of these traits over a
period of time, so teamwork is essential.
Team
communication is vital as well. I have
seen some of the best teams lose or miss a critical effort when communication
breaks down. “What we say” and “How we
say it” make all the difference in building relationships and the success of a
team.
Coaching,
cheering, mentoring, and motivating team members can often be the defining
factor that helps the team reach a goal.
Philippians 3:14 states, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Oftentimes, the highest mark may be
the championship title, the symbolic ring, trophy, award, or medal of victory,
or even a monetary award for winning.
However, when we truly PRESS toward the mark, a Higher Mark- Jesus, we
ultimately become a member of His team. By being on His Team, we never lose. We
always win. We gain everything in just
being a faithful member of team that is striving for the highest goal. There are no losers on Team Jesus! So press toward the mark and enjoy the
benefits of being a team of winners. It feels great to be on this winning team!
Dr. Sunshine68
June 14, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment