Teams- Stop playing for each other.

Yesterday I told a D1 lacrosse team to stop playing for each other.

Imagine the surprise on an athlete’s face to hear advice completely contrary to everything they’ve ever been told.

But the truth is, that’s not the primary objective if you want to win. We’ve overcomplicated and buzz-worded ourselves into a hot mess these days.

Teams are meant to compete and come out on top, to fulfill a designated purpose, to win. Otherwise what are we training for, sacrificing for, becoming great for? Just to be a bunch of super fit people who hang out a lot and get along really well?

No. Don’t play for each other.

Play for the ball.

There is one thing that makes you the winner. The ball, one single ball, making it into your opponents net more than it makes it into yours. Possessing that ball more than they do. Keep it out of their hands. Owning and controlling the fate of that ball.

Play for the ball, it is THE objective. It should be valued, cared for, fought for, protected, never casually handled or neglected. Without it, there is no victory and it becomes dangerous in the hands of the other team and can be used against you.

Sure, it’s a piece of rubber, costs around $2.50 or so, but it’s also the key to every season goal you want to accomplish. The real value of that ball, if we’re being honest- is priceless.

So don’t play for each other. Play with each other, on a mission, focused on the safety and delivery of that ball into the target- the back of the net inside the goal at the opposing end.

Take a look down there… that ball in your hands is so dangerous that they have a fully padded gaurd with a triple sized head on a stick just to keep it out.

Don’t let vital parts of culture and teambuilding confuse the objective. You need those to work together but it’s not the mission!

Don’t let cases of balls, often lost in the woods or down the storm drain or left on the field, devalue the one thing that stands between you and the title you long to earn this season.

Refocus your mission and reevaluate the true cost and worth, of the ball. Name it, celebrate it, chase it, fight for it, and as a team, thrive together on a mission to make it yours, always.

PLAY ON!