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Crossing Over Into New Beginnings _____________________ |
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| The Power Of A Team By Roland Young, III The power of a team lies in its unity. Unity is defined as “the state of being one among a number of persons” (Webster’s Dictionary). When members of a team are united, focused on the same goal, the results produced are amazing. When I think of the strength and power of a team, I think of the building of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11:5-6: “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, 'Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (KJV). God’s destiny for a team is fulfilled by every member not just one individual. As a coach, one of the first things I work toward is instilling a “team first” attitude in my players. The second is defining roles. Each player brings to the team their own abilities and personality. Putting all of these together is like putting together a puzzle; combining personalities and abilities to produce a winning program. Encouraging my players and watching them succeed in their abilities is the fun part. As the season unfolds, players begin to see the importance of staying in their role and ultimately get excited about the significance of their contribution. In game situations, when each player is focused on the same goal, and encouraged in their role, strength and power have manifested on the court to the point where I have seen supernatural happenings beyond my team’s own natural ability. Trust and commitment are key ingredients to the unity of a team. One season, while preparing my team for the biggest game of the year, I decided we needed to use a certain strategy, one that we hadn’t practiced all year. Upon communicating this to my team, the response from one of my captains was, “Coach, don’t you think we should stay with what’s been working for us all year?” We had been talking about trusting each other all season, and this was a great opportunity for unity. I asked my team to trust me, they executed the plan, and at half time we were ahead 26-11. While meeting in the locker room, my captain looked over at me and said, “Coach, I think this is working.” We went back on the court, won the game, and that year went on to win the state championship. Had we not been willing to work as one, we never would have seen God’s destiny come to pass. It was an exciting time for our school as we were the first girls’ basketball team from a Christian school to win the New Hampshire State Championship. That’s teamwork! |