You Are All On The Same Team!

Being a grandma is completely different than being a mom. When my kids were little, I'd take them to sports team practices armed with a book to read, a checkbook to balance, or I'd sit and talk with the other parents. Of course I watched their games diligently, but practices were just another part of a day I took for granted.

The other night I went to Ben and Taylor's basketball practices. Ben, almost six, practiced first. I brought nothing but wondering eyes as I watched the coaches teach these little ones the arts of the game. I was particularly impressed by the lesson taught by the coach of another team practicing at the same time. He spent 15 minutes explicitly drilling this message: "You Are All On The Same Team!" Over and over he would toss in the ball and teach eager five year old's to judge who had possession and then help cooperatively. They weren't ready for formal plays; they just needed to learn to not hurt each other's progress and thereby strengthen the team.

Then this guy expertly moved to the next level. He introduced opposition. He started a little scrimmage and taught the children: "They Are On The Other Team!" He began introducing principles of defensive guarding so the children could protect the ball from The Other Team. They practiced this concept explicitly for another 15 minutes, carefully identifying who to trust and against whom to defend, who to cooperate with and from whom to run away.

Maybe every sport begins on this level. Probably my own children received this training when I was busy with my own minutia. But after watching this brilliant coach, it crossed my mind that many of us weren't listening. Otherwise, we'd be much better at cooperating with Our Own Team, and we'd recognize the forces that oppose our progress instantly as The Other Team.

Today's resolution: be a better member of My Own Team, and defend ferociously against The Other Team.