Team work

Last weekend, my friends and I went on a runaway weekend vaca to Ft. Collins, and as we were setting out for home, we realized we had a flat tire. There were four of us (none of whom are spring chickens) who all kicked into action, doing the things that we each did best.

As Gen Xers, we didn’t panic, we just played to our strengths.

One of us was on the internet looking for places that were open on a Sunday in Ft. Collins to fix a tire (that was easier said than done), I was on the phone with AAA to try to get assistance, one of us was determined to change the tire on our own, and the other of us was YouTubing “how to change a tire.”

Whether it was setting up the the jack and getting the car jacked up, or giving advice on what steps we needed to take in the process of changing the tire, or relieving each other from the physical requirements of getting the car in the air and getting the lug nuts loosened — because that stuff is hard — between the four of us, we were able to get the tire changed before AAA even texted to say they were on their way.

But, we had backup just in case we failed in our endeavors.

There was never a moment where we gave up on our mission, we simply knew we were going to make it happen, and we worked together to get it done.

That is what winning looks like.

Successful sports teams embody that teamwork mentality.

Yes, teams usually have a star player or players. But, they cannot expect to win on their own. They need every member of their team to do their part and play their role in order to achieve success.

They need that defensive specialist to dig up passes in volleyball so the setter can give his or her hitter a great set. With the ball perfectly placed, the hitter can then swing for a kill.

They need the offensive line in football to protect the quarterback and to block for the running backs and wide receivers so they can gain yardage. They need a strong defensive line to hold their opponent out of the end zone, and they need a kicker to score extra points and field goals.

They need the point guard to get the ball up the basketball court to set up the offense. They need guys or gals who can shoot to score points, and they need bigs underneath to do a number of things such as shoot and pull down rebounds and defend the paint.

They need a strong defensive line and a skilled goal-keeper to keep the ball out of the net in soccer. They need skilled midfield players to set up strikers who can then put shots on the net on the offensive side of the pitch.

Alone, even LaBron James or Caitlyn Clarke, would never see success without their team working with them to make it happen.

There’s a reason that teamwork makes the dream work.