As a stepmom to 2 boys who participate in the Team X sports program and a wife to a Team X Flag Football coach, I have had a lot of exposure to the Team X program.   But I learned a great deal more when I had the opportunity to attend the Team X Coach and Volunteer meeting this past Thursday evening.

Throughout my childhood I played several team sports, and I have been exposed to all kinds of sports programs over the years, both community and school-based.  From a young age, I was taught the physical skills I needed to succeed in whatever sport I was playing at the time.  Of course, coaches always talk about “teamwork” and “sportsmanship” on a basic level, but the bottom line goal in most cases was winning games.   I can honestly say that my exposure to Team X Sports has shown me what all those programs were missing. 

On Thursday night I sat in a room full of coaches, assistant coaches and volunteers and listened to Mike Brown explain the core values and mission of Team X Sports.  And I realized in that moment what every coach I had ever had forgot to teach me.  No one ever demonstrated to me what kind of character it takes to succeed as an athlete and a teammate.  I eventually got there on my own, through the examples of older teammates, my parents, and other role models at school and church.   But I look back now and think how much faster I could have gotten there, if at an early age I had been part of a program like Team X Sports.  

Team X Sports is so much more than just a youth sports program.  I believe what makes Team X different is the program’s commitment to giving kids the tools they need to not only build their physical skills but to build the kind of character one needs to be successful both in sports and in life.  Winning is not the ultimate goal.  The ultimate goal is providing children with a safe and fun environment where they can learn a sport, get equal playing time regardless of their skill level, build their confidence, and learn the character skills they need to succeed both on and off of the field.  We spent a lot of time in the meeting discussing the need to focus on the process and not the end result.  Each coach/volunteer was given the book “The Greatest Coach Ever, Timeless Wisdom and Insights of John Wooden” which features tributes from athletes, coaches, and other sports leaders that pay honor to Coach Wooden and reflect on how he developed character in his players through being “a teacher first, and a coach second.” 

 As I sat and listened to both Mike Brown and other coaches talk about how to best lead the kids into the coming season with a focus on developing their characters as well as their physical skills, and watched them pledge to uphold the core values of the program, I wondered how many of the Team X parents truly realized the mission of the program.  As I sit on the sidelines, I often hear parents complaining amongst themselves if their team is losing, or yelling at refs for a call that may cause their team to fall behind.  I will openly admit that I have done both of these things at one time or another.  The challenge I would like to extend to both myself and the Team X parents is this – on game day, think about the mission of the program.  Remember that winning comes last.  Focus on being a positive example for our kids and support the coaches, referees, and volunteers in demonstrating good character.   And most of all, have fun!