What makes a team a winner?

[Pudlugger]

A winning team is one that:
...functions as a tightly held group (esprit de corps).
...looks out for each other so everyone is doing their job.
...loves the game.
...has a common mission or goal such as winning district or making the play-offs or wiining state.
...is willing to make the sacrifice to achieve that goal.
...recognizes individual weaknesses and strives to improve.
...learns from a mistake and is able to move on.
...believes in themselves and their coaches.
...gains strength from adversity.
...keeps a cool head when others lose theirs.
...rejects the notion that any one player is more important than the rest.
...players always act unselfishly in the best interest of the team.
...refuses to give up, never quits, forces the opponent to bend under the pressure first.
...may lack the talent of opposing teams but can compensate with all the above.

Something to think about going into Friday's game.

[duckbutter]

Very well said.

[footballgal]

Originally posted by Pudlugger:
A winning team is one that:
...functions as a tightly held group (esprit de corps).
...looks out for each other so everyone is doing their job.
...loves the game.
...has a common mission or goal such as winning district or making the play-offs or wiining state.
...is willing to make the sacrifice to achieve that goal.
...recognizes individual weaknesses and strives to improve.
...learns from a mistake and is able to move on.
...believes in themselves and their coaches.
...gains strength from adversity.
...keeps a cool head when others lose theirs.
...rejects the notion that any one player is more important than the rest.
...players always act unselfishly in the best interest of the team.
...refuses to give up, never quits, forces the opponent to bend under the pressure first.
...may lack the talent of opposing teams but can compensate with all the above.

Something to think about going into Friday's game.

I like that, thanks for sharing; I especially like the third one, "Loves the Game"

[pegleg]

Great athletes with great attittudes.

Add to your list great athletes and I think you have it. When two teams that have the stuff on the list meet, athletes win every time.
----------------------
"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!"

[eye of the tiger]

good post pudlugger

[Pudlugger]

Originally posted by pegleg:
Great athletes with great attittudes.

Add to your list great athletes and I think you have it. When two teams that have the stuff on the list meet, athletes win every time.

Athleticism is important when all else is equal, which is often the case in championship games. That being said, who has seen a team of good, but not great, players go on to win a championship because they had that intangible we call"heart"? Give me 11 guys with that over a superstar and I'll take them the distance. You can't teach a kid or a team to have heart, but you can and must cultivate it when you encounter it. Unfortunately this is not always the case and opportunities for great things can be lost. Rather than lament over the graduation of your teams great athletes, a winning coach seeks to cultivate a winning mindset in average kids. When that happens year in and year out people talk about tradition and powerhouses and some may even whine about "recruiting". The truth is these coaches know the secret to success is to cultivate these virtues in each player, allowing the talent and resources available to them to be used to their fullest. It is an art, not a science. Some have it, others want it, and some don't know it exists.

[Pudlugger]

What are some stories you might share about teams that had "heart"? I would enjoy hearing from some of you older posters here, but the kids are welcome to respond as well.