Obviously, you can see where I'm going with this and how I feel about teamwork. You may be the best player on your team or you may be the last player off the bench. Either way, if you desire to have a great team, you must first of all be a great teammate yourself.
If you want to be successful, it is up to you to be an inspiring teammate. The following is an 9 question mini-quiz you can use to rate yourself as a teammate. Think honestly about each question and answer honestly ... only you really know the true answers. Your goal should be to answer each question in such a way that puts teammates before yourself. If your responses are of a selfish nature, think about what you can do to become a better teammate...one that every other player will want to play with. Certainly we are not perfect ... we are not going to be the best of teammates all the time. However, if team success is your goal, you must learn to be a great and inspiring teammate!
Teammate Rating Quiz
1. Do you reach out to your teammates both on and off the court? You may not
be 'best friends' with all of your teammates, but do you sincerely care about
each one and demonstrate that attitude to them?
2. Do you accept your teammates for who they are as a uniquely individual
person and basketball player, or do you tease, mock, and/or cut them down
personally and as a basketball player?
3. Are you loyal to your teammates? A basketball team is really a family,
especially during a long and competitive season. Do you stand up for your
teammates when other's are not being so kind?
4. Do you listen to your teammates thoughts, questions and problems or are you
more concerned with yourself?
5. Are you an encourager? Do you encourage your teammates through tough
times, both on and off the court? Do you help them develop their strengths
and improve upon their weaknesses or would you rather that their
weaknesses prevail?
6. Are you kind to your teammates?
7. In the company of your teammates, both on and off the court, are you being
yourself or are you being what you think they want you to be?
8. When a teammate criticizes, whether constructively or destructively, do you
accept it and possibly discuss it...and even thank them for it? Or do you get
defensive with them, withdraw from them, and/or ignore them?
9. Can you accept and enjoy a teammate's success? Does a teammate that earns
success and all the accolades that go along with that success create a sense
of jealousy or eny?
Final Thoughts: If you answer any of the above questions in such a way that you place yourself above your teammates, you may not be the best teammate you can be. If you truly desire success for yourself and as a team, it behooves you to be a great teammate. If you act selfishly and without regard to your team, they will not desire to play hard for you. If you give of yourself on the court and off, your teammates will enjoy playing with you and will be inspired to play hard for you. |
