Team

One of my most favorite sports to play and watch is basketball. In fact, I grew up on a basketball court. My dad coached high school basketball my entire childhood and I was at every game, practice, and summer camp. The smell of a gym is still nostalgic for me and I love it. Basketball taught me incredible things about the power of team. You see this any time you watch a team sport—a team knowing each other, working seamlessly, and achieving amazing things.

I’ve played team sports my whole life. I love being part of something greater than myself and working alongside others to achieve something we never could’ve done alone. Now, I’m also a high-achieving individual who sometimes hated group projects … didn’t want the ‘team’ to bring me down. Can anyone relate?! This is the difference between a team—united and bonded toward a common goal—versus the ‘group project mentality’ of “we’ll let the high-achiever carry us.” The latter is not a team.

In the teams we find ourselves on every day—at home, in the office, in our community, wherever it might be—do you feel the power of the team? When was the last time you and your significant other or colleagues got excited about dreams you could achieve together? For most of us, somewhere in the monotony, we forgot we’re better together than we are alone.

Caitlin Clark is one of my favorite examples of an excellent team player. She has every reason not to need her team, but she’s the first to praise them and give credit. She could not play basketball alone—and she knows it.

We, too, cannot do life by ourselves. It leads to burnout and exhaustion. Your team matters. You exist in communities that need your full potential—not the burned out, tired version of you. What is one small but significant conversation you can have to build up your team? We’re better together. Don’t do it alone.