Sometimes a situation will develop on a sports team where the production level of its star player is called into question. Despite having a steady streak of accruing dominant statistics, the star player’s numbers are unexpectedly way down, while the statistics of a normally unheralded player are concurrently on the rise.
It’s the basketball player who was previously averaging 30 points per game but is now only scoring 8 points per game, while his lesser-known teammate is suddenly scoring 25 points per game.
It’s the wide receiver who was previously averaging 12 receptions per game but is now only catching the ball 5 times per game, while his lesser-known teammate is suddenly hauling in 10 balls per game.
It’s the striker who was previously averaging 5 shots on goal but is now somehow barely managing to get a single attempt at the net, while his lesser-known teammate is suddenly scoring hat tricks.
You get the picture.
Whenever this situation happens, the critics come out. They label the star player as being in a slump. They attack his level of commitment. They say he doesn’t have “it” anymore. Some of them wonder if his good run was nothing more than a fluke. All the while, the critics hail the increasing performance of the lesser-known player.
But the criticism given to the star player and the exultation of the lesser-known player might not be accurate—or even fair.
A scenario like the one described above can tear a team apart. It can be a catalyst for volatile levels of jealousy. But it can also be an opportunity to discover whether a team is comprised of good teammates or just talented independent contractors.
The star player’s diminished statistics are quite possibly the result of a change in the opponents’ strategy. The other teams have realized that the star player is too talented for them to try to defend him through traditional means, and they have therefore incorporated some type of defensive scheme to limit his access to the ball.
They may be double or triple teaming him and he’s just not getting the opportunities that he once was.
However, the opponent’s new scheme has made them vulnerable in other areas, which is the reason why the lesser-known player is suddenly more open and why his statistics are going up. The lesser-known player isn’t necessarily playing better. He’s just more open now and getting more opportunities than the star player.
Likewise, the star player isn’t necessarily playing worse. He’s just less open now and not getting as many opportunities as the lesser-known player.
How each of these players responds to their newfound circumstances speaks volumes about the kind of teammates they are.
If the star player pouts or gets frustrated with his reduced performance, he’s not a true team player. He’s proving himself to be more of an independent contractor—a hired gun whose interests aren’t necessarily tied to his team’s success. He’s falsely basing his value on the prominence of his statistics, instead of the outcome of the game.
The star player needs to understand that his “value” is based on his capacity to give his best effort on every repetition. He needs to continue to work hard at getting open and continue to be a constant threat to the defense, so that they continue to strategize against him. He needs to understand that his willingness to do so is creating the opponent’s vulnerable position.
The lesser-known player can’t get a big head. He must understand why his opportunities and his statistics have increased. He must also continue to give his best effort on every repetition. If and when his opportunities happen to go back down, he too cannot pout or try to base his value on the prominence of his statistics.
The true value of both of these players is tied to their effort and their execution, not their statistics.
Too many groups call themselves teams, when in reality, they are not teams. They are just a collection of independent contractors, who define their contributions through their individual statistics. What differentiates an ensemble of team players from ensemble of independent contractors is how they view individual statistics.
Good teammates understand that the only statistic that really matters is the final outcome. Independent contractors are too concerned with their individual statistics to see it that way.
In other words, good teammates care about everything…except who gets the credit. They understand when the team wins, everyone on the team wins.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
