IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM.

By John Leonard

         We are a Character Based Team. Anyone not interested in that, belongs in another place. It’s the only reason we coach. Every day, we do all we can to help parents raise great children and great citizens. EVERY DAY. EVERY DAY.  It takes a team, for every child.

        Great People will swim to their personal potential as well because this exhibits great character.  As well as STUDY to their personal potential, RESPECT their families to their personal potential, and Treat others with respect and fairness, because they have learned the lessons about how challenging life can be. Swimming is an ideal medium to teach these simple and irreplaceable lessons.

        One lesson Sticks Out to me above all others. The lesson TEAM. The side of our Championship Black Cap says TEAM EFFORT. For a REASON.

         One acronym among others I have heard is that Together Everyone Achieves More. TEAM. I know that’s true, in fact, NO ONE I have ever known has achieved ANYTHING without their team around them. Their family team, their swim team, their work team, their local team, their nation’s team. We are all inter-dependent.

         Individual greatness is simply a myth perpetuated by people who can’t see the real relationships we need each day, to succeed. We become like those we spend time around. We think like them, act like them, respond to adversity like them and treat others the way our TEAM teaches us to treat them.

         I don’t do banquets, I don’t do “every time you breath you get a Trophy” I don’t do Awards, all because NO INDIVIDUAL earned ANYTHING on their own. It’s all due to the team around you. So if it’s not a team award, it’s nothing. What you earn for yourself is the internal reward satisfaction, knowing what you have contributed to the TEAM EFFORT.

         I don’t even let anyone on our team put their NAME on their cap, because the only name that matters, is already on our caps. Our team name.

         Every day we close practice with a huddle. We pile our hands on top of each other and have one last character thought for the day and then we make noise with our TEAM NAME. Society today glorifies the individual. This is DEAD WRONG. Not one of our children would accomplish A THING without the other children in their practice group working hard next to them, which enables them to do likewise.

         They TOUCH EACH OTHERS LIVES EVERY DAY. So we huddle up and symbolize our mutual commitment at the end of practice.

         Similarly with Swim Meets. One team tent, one parent tent (usually in the same place, but not always.) One group of athletes supporting each other, taking care of each other, helping each other get to the blocks. If they screw up once in awhile, it’s a great learning experience. (they are children, they will make mistakes).  When you screw up on your own, you learn not to repeat it.

         It’s a simple lesson. We are a team. We are not a drop in program to do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. We do things as a team. Always. Forever.

        Nothing else is acceptable. If you need to do your own thing, I am sure there are programs who would love to have you write them a check for participation on your own terms. Make yourself happy.

        Forty years from now, when your children look back on their childhood, they won’t think/talk about the swim meets, the places in events, the “achievements”. They will talk about their TEAMMATES. They will talk about what they learned from teammates and coaches. And it will be ALL that matters, and IT WILL MEAN EVERYTHING.

       I know this, because I have former swimmers in their 60’s now. And in every decade of their life, they send me letters and emails (TONS of them…) saying thank you for the lessons learned and asking about their teammates. THEIR TEAMMATES.  Those letters would make a rock cry. Very moving.

       ITS TEAM, TEAM, TEAM. It’s the Lesson of a Lifetime. And the one our coaching staff cares about most.

       By the way, on a much less important note, I thought our TEAM swam very well at JO’s, ESPECIALLY the relays. Challenging conditions, great response by 98% of our team. Well done, swimmers and parents.

All the Best,

John Leonard