The Hero Within You

Post date: Oct 26, 2016 9:03:48 AM

Frederick L. de Guzman

Teacher I, COBNHS

An adage that says “United we stand, divided we fall” has long been used to identify the importance of working together in order to achieve success. It is likewise evident that in the field of sports, we cannot deny the fact that the same thing applies. One thing is for sure, if I’m going to ask you “have you joined a team or a group?” you will definitely respond positively. But was there any instance where you tried to think how well “your” team or group performed? Who contributed a lot? Or who helped the least? How about your involvement in the team, are you more of an asset or a liability? It is in this light that I would like to impart with you how each member can support or contribute to the success of the team.

It is a given fact that every team is a distinct group. It has a deeper sense of clear organizational mission (Anderson and Abermann, 2006), an open communication mechanism (Pain and Harwood, 2009) and the development of strong leadership (Janssen, 2004). For me, a team is like a broom or sweeper. Together, we are capable of cleaning a lot of litters but separately, we are powerless. Like each member in a team, every person has to know what their goal is. Once any member is not aware of his/her task, expect that the team will not perform at their best. But that should not stop the team from executing their plans-the leader is there to bridge the gap. And one of the ways to bridge the gap is through effective communication. This is where a challenge to the leader arises. Janssen (2004) said that lack of leadership challenges team cohesion. The ability of the team to perform at their best is compromised when this communication problem is not resolved. Noteworthy to mention is that obstacles in a team are always present. Whether it is environmental or personal, technical or psychological, the ability of each team member to recognize these problems is very important.

In as much as we recognize the inevitable potential threat in a team, and that will eventually affect the team performance, likewise, everyone is a potential part of the solution. I always tell my players that committing an error is not important; it is how they deal with it and how they will make up matters more. This is where flexible and constructive coaching is needed to enable the team to grow and maintain team cohesion. But as an individual part of the team, we must remember that the more each member know what their goal is, that everyone knows his/her task, and knows each other well, the more that the team will be cohesive.

You will never realize where you are now or how you’ve been through unless you learn from your experiences. A person’s worth is measured not only in his/her achievements but how he/she learned and shared his learnings to others.

In a team, losing is not an end in itself. It should serve as an inspiration to perform better. Who knows, your team needs a hero to lift it up.

Lastly, bear in mind that each member is a piece of a puzzle to fit in a team. Though committing mistakes is unavoidable, one must not stop and be demoralized. Instead, find that hero within you. We must always remember that if a team needs a hero, that hero could be you.