Talent is not enough.

A dear friend passes recently.  I played left field and he had played left-center field on a men's softball team some years ago. By today's standards we would have been described as a bunch of redneck farmers playing softball. It's true, most of us played in blue jeans and more than a couple played in work boots. Never thought anything of it.  At least not until we entered a tournament and saw other teams in actual uniforms.  Our jersey top?  Purple mesh with gold lettering. Yeah, you could spot us coming from a mile away.

I think people took one look at us and laughed, until the game started.  We might not have looked like much but we were good, real good.  Speed and power on offense, gloves and throwing on defense. We rarely lost and were usually shocked when we did. Our greatest strength was found in our friendships off the field. We all attended the same church and knew each other outside of the game. We knew each others strengths and weaknesses as players and people, but most importantly we understood how working together we could cover for each others weaknesses and accentuate our strengths.

A coaching colleague's team recently lost in a state championship game and he expressed concern about feeling ambivalent about it. He thought maybe he should feel more upset about the loss than he did and was wondering if his passion for the game was perhaps waning. I cannot answer for him but I think perhaps he understood they lost to a better team. His team was comprised of a great group of girls who also happened to be pretty good soccer players. They accomplished all they could, they reached their potential and in doing so could not feel disappointed about falling to a better team. He felt a sense of satisfaction with having come in second and that seemed at odds with his competitive nature.

Recently I fielded a request to be interviewed about my time as head coach of Lima Central Catholic's girls soccer team. This team was a blend of the two described above. Little to no equipment, old uniforms, practice site was a construction landfill, never a winning record in 11 years and little school support. We self-transported or crammed into two school vans for most matches.  The girls seemed to accept such was their lot.  For years they played to expectations which was to underachieve. A small (17) but passionate about soccer group that I saw potential in.

That first season we won more games, scored more goals, allowed fewer goals than any team in school history. The situation immediately changed. The summer before the second season the AD introduced me to the new school president with a statement that I would have the girls soccer team playing in Columbus that fall. He meant the state championship game at Crew Stadium. Somehow we had gone from just experiencing our first ever winning season to expecting to play for the state championship in a matter of about 7 months? 

I had secretly been thinking we could make a serious run at a state title, but had never spoken of this to anyone. The talent was on hand to make such a run, but talent alone is not enough. Team chemistry was the terminology we used back in the day. Today it is often referred to as team bonding. The softball team I played on had it.  My colleague's recent soccer team had it.   The LCC group did not have it and the struggle to establish it would eventually decide how far the team would go.

I had always played second base as a kid. Usually batted second in the lineup.  As an 18 year old playing with men in their 20's and 30's on that softball team I found myself assigned to left field and batting 9th out of 10.  I did not care. I had made the first team, was starting and we were winning. I had the time of my life. My colleague had related similar stories of the girls on his team. Position changes, accepting roles, sacrificing self for team. 

The LCC group never achieved "team" status. Personal agendas took precedent over team goals. Talent carried them far but when adversity struck they did not have each other to rely upon. Trust had never taken root because personal agendas always trumped team mission. Truth be told there were two exceptional leaders at LCC. The problem was there were 3 negative leaders with overpowering personalities.  Parents of the negative leaders exacerbated the situation by insisting their children play a more significant role than they were capable of and holding the school financially hostage in order to get their way.  Finally the administration agreed a certain matter required disciplining specific athletes, but chose to ignore the transgression under threat of financial consequences to the school leading to the end of my time at LCC.

FWIW, I declined the request to be interviewed. I write of my experience at LCC now because I can relate it to my colleagues confusion over how he feels about his recently completed season. I felt a sense of relief in stepping away from LCC.  I will always wonder if they had ever become a team whether we could have won a state title. I believe the necessary talent was on hand, but talent alone is not enough. I walked away knowing I had done everything I could under my control to build a respected program and develop a team atmosphere. Without admistration support, I could not take that paticular group any further. I was, to me, strangely satisfied with what we had accomplished even while feeling we had left so much on the table from a talent perspective.

It's the same type of satisfied feeling I had after each softball season with the St. Matthew Lutheran Church team. The difference being the softball team achieved to its full talent potential because we were a team in every sense of the word. I think this is what my colleague has been feeling as well.  It is also what I am feeling with this spring's club soccer team.  A collection of U15-U17 boys playing U17 soccer.  The results have been good thus far, but the comradery has been exceptional. This is a group with many strong personalities some of which could certainly be negative if they chose to be, but everyone has bought in to the teams goals. Everyone.

These guys are true friends off the pitch as well as good teammates on the pitch. The truth of real friendship is a powerful force.  Call it team chemistry or bonding or whatever else you will. It is that elusive magic some collections of talent never find.  It is this magic that can bring out the best in individual talent as it pursues team objectives. I have been lucky to be a member of teams both as a player and a coach that have had "it".  This may well be why I can look back at a situation like LCC and not have regrets on a personal level.  I understand the decision to be a member of a team is made by each individual. We can work to include everyone but ultimately each member of a group must make their own decision. Sometimes people refuse to sacrifice personal agendas for team objectives and we cannot change their minds, but when it all comes together.... what a wonderous thing!

So far this spring I have been fortunate to be a part of a team loaded with talent and equally loaded with TEAM spirit.  I am thankful to have been so blessed. I know on talent alone these guys have a chance to achieve, but with the trust we have in one another we have a chance to really achieve. It's a great feeling to have.