Teammates

In between games this weekend we went to eat together and as the team gathered I couldn’t help but think of the times when I was a player huddled around for a meal with my teammates under similar circumstances.  As my athletes joined together it was such a nice moment to reflect back.  I watched from a couple of tables away thinking back to how much fun I used to have with my teammates when I was still playing.  Coaching sometimes requires a lot of time, patience and sacrifice so it is really nice to have those moments to just enjoy by taking a look at the players that have come together.  Seeing the improvement in the quality of their lives just by knowing they are a part of a solid group with no bearing, in that moment, on playing time, points scored or what happened in the last game.  It is just as simple as pure friendship.   

Of course many of us have friends from all parts of our lives.  It could be from early childhood, school, work, church or other social activities but for me when I think of my teammates it is a very different level of friendship entirely.  I may know some of my friends on a deeper level and have a better idea of all the things we have been through together over the years.  However, my teammates and I have done battle together very few things go deeper than that.  For me it reaches to my soul and although I didn’t get along over the years with every single one of my teammates I still respect them and appreciate their contribution to the group we were a part of.  

I think at the time I was in those circumstances I probably took my teammates for granted a lot more than I should have. Teammates are such an important part of the experience.  They are in the trenches with you but they also help you see things you maybe didn’t see. They are part of your learning, development and memories.    

Among my favourite things to reflect back on are the jokes and laughs shared.  For example, sometimes we went to restaurants in high school and would secretly tell the server it was our coach’s birthday so they would have the restaurant staff come over and sing her Happy Birthday unexpectedly. They would bring her cake and we would find it so funny. We did it once in a while each season to the point that when we got to the restaurant she would tell us not to do it. We still sometimes would so she would get paranoid and would tell the server in advance that it wasn’t her birthday just to stop us from playing that trick.  I still smile when I think of it.  

All of the teams I was a part of always found ways to have fun whether it was in junior high, high school, college or university.  We shared many memories on the court and nicknames, inside jokes and genuine laughs off the court. We also had moments of heartbreak, failure, injuries and challenges to manoeuvre through as well.  As a coach you have to in some regards be a bit distant from the team so it is nice to know they have each other to get themselves through.  When the team finds something to fight for other than the individuals that make up that team it is something really remarkable to witness.  Having team chemistry and a solid culture can really impact the longevity as well as the heights the team is willing to work to achieve.