Building a Team
Growing up just outside of Chicago in the 90’s meant professional “sports” and “team” were synonymous. We had the Bulls, Cubs, Bears and Blackhawks. The Bulls had one of, if not the, most iconic athlete of a generation in Michael Jordan. But what cemented Jordan as the greatest of all-time was not only the individual accolades, it was the six team championships he helped the Chicago Bulls win. Track and field athletes also begin with a team mindset. Think back to tripling at your high school conference meet to help your team get more points. Then, somewhere around college we see that track’s mindset change from “team” to “me”.
![]() Sorry, this content is for members only.Click here to get access.
Already a member? Login below… |
Great article Dan! Building a team is an artform. You could have an amazing collection of talent but if it’s every man for himself they will all fall short of their full potential. During my time at EIU there was no doubt that my teammates wanted to win as badly as I did but we still celebrated each other’s victories. We knew that their success was a reflection of the work that we put in together. The battles that we fought through together. The hill workouts that we puked through together. Any success that I had as a runner was because I had great teammates pushing me to be better than I was yesterday.