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B Coaches College
Tip of the Month
January 2005
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B Coaches College |
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As members of athletic teams, we know and understand that the other people on the playing field with jerseys that match ours are our teammates. The key thing to understand is that while you are practicing, playing, or training, the people that are with you are your teammates, not your friends. Once the game, practice, or training session is over, they can become your friends. In my experience, many athletes have a very difficult time differentiating teammates from friends when faced with situations that call for such a division. It's important that athletes learn to do so, as being a teammate and a friend are entirely different and must be treated accordingly. To understand how these relationships differ, we must look at each one independently. Teammate Teammates are people you respect because they work with you for the better of the team. They are there to help you accomplish a goal. They are willing to push you as an athlete and person to better yourself. They will be there to pick you up when you are down. They will tell and teach you to do something the right way if you are not doing so. They will go into an athletic competition and give all they have for you. They will not let you give up when things are tough. They will tell you things you may not want to hear to make you better. Friend Friends are those you respect because they will be there for you in good and in bad times. They will treat you the way you want to be treated. They will say things you may not always want to hear, simply because they care. They will pick you up when you are down. They will be there to hang out even if they may not know a thing about your sport, but you simply enjoy each other's company. I've had a couple experiences with different teams who could not make the distinction between friends and teammates. In all the cases, the individuals were more worried if people liked them than they were about mutual respect. Let me give you an example. During a recent workout, a group of athletes noticed that their teammates were taking shortcuts (i.e. cutting reps, shorter range of motion, using lighter weights) and did not say a thing. They continued to chat about what they were going to do after the workout. These athletes were too worried what their teammates thought of them as people rather than as teammates. Being friends is great, but you have to hold your teammates accountable to the group. If someone on my team ever cheated themselves, I would be all over them so fast that they wouldn't know what was going on. Regardless of whether we didn't get along or we were best friends, I didn't want that person compromising our team goal of being successful. There are some athletes who think that if their teammates are on their case, that it will affect their friendship. Things that happen in practice, game, or in training remain there. Do not base your friendships with teammates on what you do in practices and games. This can lead to problems if you have a problem with one of your teammates who is also a friend. Your true teammates are the ones who will push you to achieve things you never thought possible. Your friends will be there for you when the game is over.
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