Playing For The Name On The Front, Not The Number On The Back

The definition of a team player is someone who plays or works well as a member of a team. Being an athlete, no matter what sport is being played, unless it's something such as golf where you are your own team, being a team player is required. That doesn't mean this comes easy to every athlete though. Many athletes today struggle with this concept: not playing for the number on the back of the jersey (the players number) but the name on the front of the jersey (the team). It bothers me when I encounter a sports team that prioritizes the win over the way the players on the team treat one another. I play competitive travel softball outside of high school, and our team is based around this mentality. We are taught to have our teammates backs all of the time. As you can imagine, just like many other sports, it's a hard transition coming to high school ball. Here at high school, the girls are not as serious about the game as on my travel ball team, and being team captain for my high school team, I had to adjust to their attitudes and be the "middle man" between the coaches and the girls. I think this is a good life lesson for me because it has taught me that things aren't always peaches and rainbows in life. There are going to be people in this world that are mean or that don't listen to you, but working to figure out what works best for everyone within your field of work (or play, for me) can help you to become a better leader. More people will be happy, leading to more success in the end. I believe this is a good lesson for everyone to learn, and will be beneficial to the growth in the future leader that lies within us all.