How many times do we hear this..”team first”. What does that really mean? I’ll tell you…it means that you accept the tasks or positions offered to you as part of your team without question and play. Teams aren’t made up of 11 superstars. That’s not possible, unless you’re a Major team with a big budget that can afford to go get the best talent on the planet.
For the rest of those, who are not playing in the Conference but in the C, D and E world at large this holds true. Which means, that if you’re on a team of 11 guys, then at least 1 of you is #11 in talent. That’s not an insult. That’s just where you fall. There are things you can do to improve your skills, and by doing that you can move up, but even then there is a threshold you can’t climb over at some point.
So that means that you (whoever “you” are) has to play your position, and be a supporting cast member. You’re not the superstar, but that’s not a big deal. There are things you can do, and should do to help your team win games. These are things your coaches in baseball (if you played) will tell you. Obvious things like, hit behind the runners, hit the ball in the air to avoid the double play, make sure you hit the ball deep enough to score a runner from 3rd if you miss it. This message often gets lost in a world of individual stats.
To see an example of this you only need to look at the Conference stats. Some teams have a full lineup hitting over .700 but didn’t make the Major World Series or have a very bad win/loss ratio. Why? Because those guys are playing for themselves and not the team. Hitting solo home runs to save their average instead of hitting the ball down.
My team was not immune to that either. However, in the Michigan Last Chance everyone on the team focused on winning. We had to. Win or miss the Major World Series. The players averages were about 100 points lower than usual, but we went 5-2. Team play DOES matter. While you may not see it initially, it will happen and things will begin to go your way, if you play team ball.
No one is perfect, and mistakes happen. Home runs are hit we didn’t expect, balls are mis-hit into double plays, etc. Those things can and do happen. Pick yourself up, and try again. Make the most of every opportunity…and even if your average suffers you will be a player looked at as a “TEAM” guy. Guys who focus on their stats are often left without a place to play nowadays so become a team player and you will improve your chances of moving up.
Softball Nation 365 