I have been a member of several sports teams throughout my life, but none has felt more like a community than the Mount Royal University women’s basketball team. I joined the team last September and have been enjoying my experience ever since! A large part of our team’s cohesiveness is the fact that most of the athletes are new to the program. The new faces on the team have allowed each and every one of us to be more open to new relationships and experiences. Both the athletes and coaches have made a solid effort to interact with each other before, during, and after each practice and game in order to continue to grow the relationships within the community. Each member of the team has a great respect for one another both as players and as individuals. Currently, our team is ranked second place is the ACAC South division with playoffs just around the corner. The mutual respect among community members and the dedication to hard work and commitment has allowed the team to grow more cohesively and improve the standings in the ACAC compared to last year.
Although it may seem that the only members of the Cougars basketball community are the players and coaches, this assumption could not be more wrong. Without the support of athletic therapists, event organizers, fans, and facility crews, the success of games and practices would be completely reversed. It is necessary to recognize the important role that these people play in the success of the community, and I believe the basketball team, including myself, and the coaches can do a better job of showing their appreciation to these members of the community. In order to improve the quality of the experience for all members of the community, I believe it would be beneficial to have an appreciation night for all of the “behind the scenes” members of the community. All of the players and coaches already feel appreciated and well respected in the community, but the encouraging fans, sound crew, film people, event planners, and promotions people need to have a least one night per season dedicated to them!
It wouldn’t be hard to organize a night to show the teams appreciation for everyone’s hard work, but until that night is organized: fans, sound crew, event organizers, film makers, photographers, promotions team, and maintenance staff, this is my shout out to all of you on behalf of the cougars: thank you for being so amazing and contributing to the success of our community! We would not be where we are without all of you!
Great post Emily. I liked how you brought the unsung heros to the forefront of your blog. I am in complete agreement that there is so much effort that goes into events and teams that many of the players and spectators do not realize. This is an important life lesson to a groups that have a reliance on volunteers to ensure that their efforts are being recognized. Sure, internal motivation is usually at the root of volunteerism, but knowing that others appreciate the effort and skills that you bring to an event makes all the difference. I think that many people undervalue the impact of saying "Thank you" to someone. I for one know that I don't say it often enough.
ReplyDeleteHey Emily I liked your post.. being a varisty athlete comes with alot of responsibility and it takes many people to help you and your team or "community" along the way. I agree that many of these people do not hear the words "thank you" enough but their hard work never goes unnoticed. Being an athlete and seeing all the "extra" work that goes into a teamlike community it provides us athletes with a deeper appreciation for the small things. Continuing a career in the business aspect of sport and recreation it gives us an inside look at what it takes to keep a community alive and running. We must make sure to acknowledge these people as they are what keeps a team/organization/community going strong.
ReplyDeleteNice post Emily. I liked how you recognized the people behind the scenes and not just the athletes themselves. The trainers and sound crew and everyone that has tasks to do in order for our games to run smoothly are very important. Very unselfish of you to credit everyone else and not just the athletes.
ReplyDeletegood post. Being on a team where everyone is close and gets along is for sure a pretty cool thing and makes you feel like your part of a community. I have also been on teams where guys dont get along so good and its individuals and not for the team, communtity can not be formed when that is the case.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I feel the same way about our cougars hockey team. The program must be bringing in great people for all of the teams. Good luck with the rest of the season keep winning!
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