What does it take to be a team? That question is something I have thought a lot about my four years as a high school athlete. Being a freshman on varsity teams is where I think I’ve learned the best lessons from my older teammates. Their constant drive and hard work allowed me to understand that it was necessary to work hard at practice for the best results in games. Their constant encouragement and motivation allowed me to understand how a leader should act. Their excitement over a good win, or anger over a tough loss taught me to take games seriously. Most importantly, their actions allowed me to know how I wanted to act as a leader.
Flash forward three year, and here I am as a senior; The people that I’ve looked up to all of high school is finally the person that I am now. Last year as a junior, my field hockey captains were the most hardworking and team first people I have met, and I try to be like them everyday. I think being a leader is equally important on the field as it is off the field. This season, one goal I have for myself as a captain is to take the time to individually talk to my teammates and learn more about them. I feel that creating bonds with the underclassmen as an upperclassman helps them feel more comfortable and enjoy their experience more. Being comfortable in the team environment is a huge factor in a team's success. Sports should be the time of the day when people have fun sharing a similar passion with their teammates, and everyone should be comfortable.
I’ve heard the cliche sayings like “there’s no “I” in team” and “teamwork makes the dreamwork” over and over but, to be honest, these sayings are true. No matter how cheesy they are, they put out the main message: you need to work together to succeed. There is no “I” in team and that is sometimes hard to overcome. Efforts done to succeed individually do not help achieve the common team goal. The common goal is to work together and put in the effort in order to be the best team possible. Every season, every team will be different. In order to function as a unit, difference of opinions and clashing personalities need to be taken care of from the start, and left off the field, ice, court or wherever it may be.
As I start my last field hockey season as a Seawolf, I hope to make the same impressions on the underclassmen as my seniors made on me four years ago. I hope my hard work and love for the game shows my teammates to have passion. I hope I make my teammates better every day either as a player or person. And lastly, I hope my teammates learn what it takes to be a team.
