One for All and All for One: Sport and Society
Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work – Vince Lombardi
Team spirit demands that the individual work harder
We’ve all heard the expression ‘letting the side down’. So much of our lives is lived striving to be in harmony with others: we are almost constantly governed by the collective principle or ‘team spirit’ as it is more commonly known. This is especially true of the workplace, where a group of people work together to achieve an objective or goal. Team spirit demands that the individual work harder for the good of the company or organization. It demands a sacrifice of the individual ego for the collective.
The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team – Phil Jackson
The individual must prepare physically and psychologically, off the field as well as on
Team spirit is, of course, very much a part of most sports activities. It is on the playing field that it is found in its purest form. For team sports, especially at collegiate and elite levels, the demand is not just to train and perform as a team. The individual must prepare physically and psychologically off the field as well as on. Again, the individual ego is subsumed, to a degree, by the demands and objectives of the collective.
If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team – Bud Wilkinson
Athletes are individuals, not machines
All team players must look after their mental and physical well-being. Their bodies and minds must be primed and ready for delivering their best performance when it matters most. This kind of preparation can be achieved through constant monitoring and gaining data and insights into the condition and behavior of an athlete.
It needs to be stressed that athletes are individuals, not machines. That is why sports coaching is as much an art as it is a science. Click To Tweet Coaches often find themselves in the role of friend and even mentor to their athletes.
Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability – Patrick Lencioni
Each player needs to establish and maintain a dialogue with their coach
Each player needs to establish and maintain a dialogue with their coach to discover their individual strengths and weaknesses and how to address them. We live in a world where self-expression and openness are encouraged and rewarded. Where taboos are broken and lose their power and hold over people. This culture is very much present in team sports today. Psychological well-being is as important as physical well-being. This culture of openness leads to better human beings, be they workers or players.
Sport also, like Art, teaches us how to live
They say that Art reflects life. The same can be said of sport. In this article we have seen how team spirit is manifested on the sporting field. But, also, how players should be treated as individuals as well as members of a highly socialized activity.
Sport also, like Art, teaches us how to live. What better formula for successful living than self-knowledge, self-discipline and physical and mental well- being? What better way to prepare for working life than to know the value and importance of… Click To Tweet
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