The definition of a team is a group of people or players who come together to achieve a common goal. As the fall season comes to an end and a new winter season begins, the Tabor Academy boys’ varsity hockey team will be looking to make a lasting impact on New England prep school hockey. After graduating 13 seniors last year, there are plenty of new faces that will be wearing a Seawolf jersey this year. As a very new and young team, there is a significant amount of adversity the squad will need to overcome as a team, the key phrase being ‘as a team.’ One of the most essential parts of a team is the commitment to the common goal. In other words, one must be able to overlook personal statistics, achievements, and accolades and concentrate all focus towards the betterment of the team. This is a key piece in being an effective leader, and one certainly does not need a C on their jersey in order to do this.
Throughout the fall, the boys have been hard at work building team comradery. By working out together, the team has been able to spend an adequate amount of time with each other. Getting to know your teammates is the first step in becoming a team. Chemistry is the foundation of any team. The willingness to put your body on the line for your teammates must be present at all times. Blocking shots, getting hit to make a play, and sticking up for one another in games as well as in practice, each player is asked to put the team first. A player may have all the skill in the world, but it does not mean a thing if he is not willing to work hard for others.
Selflessness is vital to the success of any team. As I embark on my last season in a Seawolf jersey, my only goal is to make the people around me better. This sport has taken me on an unforgettable ride that has molded me into the person I am today. I would not want to finish it off at any other school, with any other team. If I can make my teammates not only better hockey players but also better people, I have done my job. In the words of John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
