There is an "I" in team

Stay with me on this...

"My dad (Ken Griffey Sr.) would have bopped me on the head if I came home bragging about what I did on the field. He only wanted to know how the team did." Ken Griffey Jr.

Rest assured Ken Griffey Sr. wanted the best for his son- I'm sure he wanted his son to be the best player on the field. However, Griffey Sr. probably understood the importance of putting team first and he probably understood how putting team first could benefit his sons development as a player.

So it turns out there is an "I" in team. If you want to develop to the best of your abilities as a player, put team first. Here is how it works-

If your struggling, who do you rely on? Yep, your teammates. If your a great teammate, always picking up those around you, they will pick you up too. If your a bad teammate, getting down on those around you, good luck with them having your back. If you want to develop as a player having the support of your teammates can be a difference maker.

If you have great energy, good body language, and are able to overcome mistakes quickly, your coaches will rally around you. If you have poor energy, bad body language, and can't move on to the "next play," your coaches won't want anything do do with you. If you want to develop as a player having the support of your coaches can be a difference maker.

Another great benefit that comes from putting team first is that it can remove the stress that comes from worrying about your individual results (which are not always within your control). You are in control of the ability to be a great teammate. If I go 0-4 at the plate, but I was a great teammate and brought great energy to the field, I am able to move on from my personal results faster. The ability to move on to the "next play" "next pitch" or "next game" is a huge difference maker in the on-going development of an athlete.

So which scenario will help you develop more as a player? Be a great teammate! It will help YOUR development as a player.

So it turns out there is an "I" in team.