The fall sports season is upon us!
It’s sad to see the summer come to an end, but it is exciting to see athletes of all ages return to the fields and courts for the beginning of their fall seasons.
To commemorate their return, I tweeted a bit of advice to the fall athletes last Friday:
If you’re taking the field/court tonight, remember: Good teammates understand they represent more than just themselves. #CLASS
Our Be a Good Teammate efforts hit a bit a social media milestone recently when we passed the 10,000 followers mark on Twitter. We got a “K” added to our page!!! (*That’s how Twitter signifies 10,000…10K!)
The movement is growing more every day, and it certainly makes my heart smile to know that others are buying in to the message and sharing it with members of their respective teams.
While my advice about players understanding they represent more than themselves was intended for the fall sports consortium, it is advice that is applicable to anyone who is on a team. And…everybody is on a team in some capacity.
Good teammates sincerely grasp the concept of representing something more than just themselves. They appreciate that the choices they make and the actions they take are a reflection of their team.
How that individual conducts himself or herself on the metaphorical playing field allows others to form opinions about the entire team. Good teammates always want their team to be cast in the best possible light.
Any unethical or unsportsmanlike conduct tarnishes the perception of their team. And since we usually belong to a lot of different teams (our community, our organization, our family, etc.), the images of more than just the immediate members of our team can also be tarnished by our poor choices.
The best teammates are not just aware of the situation, they consciously consider the ramifications of their choices before they act. They factor in the effect their choice will have on the perception of their team and then make their decision accordingly.
As the hashtag alludes, it’s called class.
Good teammates have class.
On that note, I would like to take a moment to thank every one of those 10K followers for joining the Be a Good Teammate movement. Of course, I also extend my gratitude to everyone who follows along on Facebook and subscribes to this blog too. You are all good teammates, and together we are going to make Team World a better place.
As always, remember: Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
