What can I give ?
It changes everything . n
If you want your athletes to perform at their very best , whether you are a parent or coach , then you must get them to the right question .
What can I give ?
Athletes who ask themselves what they can give , bring “ I can give / I can do ” attitudes and actions to the table for their teams . They can actually “ get ” everything they are looking for simply by starting with the following serviceoriented ideas :
» I can give my best effort in practice and games
» I can give my team a positive attitude no matter what the circumstances
» I can give my team a boost no matter how many minutes I play
» I can give my team a better chance to win no matter what position I play
» I can do the dirty work so my teammate can score the goal and get the glory
» I can sacrifice my personal ambitions for the good of the group
» I can lead by example
» I can be an example of our core values in action
As a coach , I used to think that the most important thing was to have my best players be my hardest workers . But now I realize that isn ’ t enough . Being a hard worker can still be a selfish pursuit .
No , the most important thing as a coach is to have a team who all ask , “ What can I give ?” especially when it comes to your captains , your upperclassmen and your most talented athletes . You must teach them that the selfish attitude may occasionally lead to success , but the selfless attitude leads to excellence , celebrates the success of others and makes you the type of athlete that EVERY COACH wants on his or her team .
The most successful sports team in the professional era is not the New York Yankees , or the Boston Celtics , or Real Madrid , but a team from a far-lessknown sport . It is the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team , who have an astonishing 86 % winning percentage and numerous championships to their name . In the outstanding book about the All Blacks , “ Legacy ,” author James Kerr discusses one of their core values that epitomizes the selfless attitude .
It ’ s called “ Sweep the Shed .”
You see , the goal of every All Blacks player is to leave the national team shirt in a better place than when he got it . His goal is to contribute to the legacy by doing his part to grow the game and keep the team progressing every single day .
In order to do so , the players realize that they must remain humble , and that no one is too big or too famous to do the little things required each and every day to get better . You must eat right . You must sleep well . You must take care of yourself on and off the field . You must train hard . You must sacrifice your own goals for the greater good and a higher purpose .
You must sweep the shed .
After each match , played in front of 60,000-plus fans , in front of millions on TV , after the camera crews have gone , and the coaches are done speaking , when the eyes of the world have turned elsewhere , there is still a locker room to be cleaned .
By the players !
That ’ s right , after each game the All Blacks leading players take turns sweeping the locker room of every last piece of grass , tape and mud . In the words of Kerr : “ Sweeping the sheds . Doing it properly . So no one else has to . Because no one looks after the All Blacks . The All Blacks look after themselves .”
They leave the locker room in a better place than they got it . They leave the shirt in a better place than they got it . They are not there to get . They are there to give .
If you are a coach , recognize that by intentionally creating a culture where players seek to give instead of get , you will have a team that not only develops excellence on and off the field , but is a team that is much more enjoyable to coach . Create a culture that rewards the 95 % who are willing to give and weeds out the 5 % who are trying to get . When you do , the “ getters ” will stick out like a player who is vomiting : he feels better and everyone else feels sick . Eventually , he will get on board , or be thrown off the ship .
Parents , teach your children to be teammates who give . It will not only serve them well in athletics — it will serve them well in life .
For as former New York Yankee great Don Mattingly so eloquently stated :
“ Then at one point in my career , something wonderful happened . I don ’ t know why or how … but I came to understand what ‘ team ’ meant . It meant that although I didn ’ t get a hit or make a great defensive play , I could impact the team in an incredible and consistent way . I learned I could impact the team in an incredible and consistent way . I learned I could impact my team by caring , first and foremost , about the team ’ s success and not my own . I don ’ t mean by rooting for us like a typical fan . Fans are fickle . I mean CARE , really care about the team … about ‘ US .”
Mattingly continued : “ I became less selfish , less lazy , less sensitive to negative comments . When I gave up me , I became more . I became a captain , a leader , a better person , and I came to understand that life is a team game . And you know what ? I ’ ve found most people aren ’ t team players . They don ’ t realize that life is the only game in town . Someone should tell them . It has made all the difference in the world to me .”
Please share this article with an athlete or a team that matters to you . Encourage , no , implore them to take Don Mattingly ’ s advice , to take the All Blacks advice . Come prepared to compete , and to be a “ giver ” and not a “ getter .”
You will stand out . You will be a difference maker .
And you will get everything you want by giving fully of yourself , and helping everyone else get what they want .
It changes everything . n
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