YOU ARE AN EXTENSION OF YOUR TEAMMATES

"Each player is an extension of his teammates. When Jerry Rice catches a ball, he is an extension of several players – those who are blocking the pass rushers, the receivers who are precisely coordinating their routes with his and the quarterback who is taking a hit after throwing the ball. When Roger Craig broke through with a big run, it embodied the fierce execution of the offensive line, the timing of their blocks and the execution of the down-field blocks by the receivers."

TEAMWORK: WORKING TOGETHER, HAVING FUN TOGETHER

Teamwork isn't just about game time.  
Teamwork is about preparation.  

Teamwork isn't just about the season.  
Teamwork is about the off-season. 

Teamwork isn't just about working hard together.  
Teamwork is about having fun together.  

And when you combine all of that, you can have something special.

Here is what LeBron James has to say about it:

"When you work out or you're doing anything active, it's more fun as a group. You may lose track of the time, and the next thing you know, you're working out for two hours because you're having fun."

RAY ALLEN ON HARD WORK AND PREPARATION

We loved this quote from Ray Allen.  It is something we speak about often -- to our team and to our campers.  The great ones always make it look easy but it is always the result of hard, intentional work:

"I've argued this with a lot of people in my life. When people say God blessed me with a beautiful jump shot, it really pisses me off. I tell those people, 'Don't undermine the work I've put in every day.' Not some days. Every day. Ask anyone who has been on a team with me who shoots the most. Go back to Seattle and Milwaukee and ask them. The answer is me -- not because it's a competition, but because that's how I prepare."

-Ray Allen

WINNING IS SOMETHING YOU BUILD

"For me, winning isn't something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream."

-Emmitt Smith

ONE WAY KD MAKES HIS TEAMMATES BETTER

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've just finished reading an excellent book "What Drives Winning" by Brett Ledbetter.  He gives a ton of examples of outstanding athletes and the work they put into being great.    One story from the book that we shared with our team is:

Here’s something that Kevin (Durant) told me he started doing as a freshman when he played basketball at the University of Texas: "One thing I try not to do is be a guy that goes into the gym and wants to be the only guy in the gym. I don’t want to be the guy that says 'I was working today, what were you doing?' I want to pull my teammates into the gym with me. If I work hard and we all work hard, I know only good things can come out of it."

NO TEAMMATE LEFT BEHIND

The following comes "The Hard Hat" written by Jon Gordon that talks about the amazing team-first habits by George Boiardi.  George was a standout lacrosse player for Cornell before tragically dying before graduation.  This is a great book that should be read by anyone interested in becoming a better teammate.  It is a book that was mandatory reading for our team this summer.  Here just an example of George being a great teammate:

Another practice George started in high school was to be the last person to leave the locker room. He played football, hockey, and lacrosse, and he was always the last to leave. He would clean up after everyone so the janitor didn’t have to do it. It was a practice he continued in college as a freshman and throughout his time at Cornell. Whenever you walked into the locker room after practice, you knew George was going to be there. As an upperclassman, he was always the last to leave and, in doing so, he would often drive the freshmen home, knowing they had a long, cold walk ahead of them to North Campus.