“A snowflake is one of God’s most delicate creations. But look what happens to them when they stick together. Have you ever witnessed an avalanche?”

I am so convinced that there is something really special about being a part of a team. When you consider all the incredible life lessons that can be learned from being on a team that wins or loses. It can be God’s classroom if you let it. Let me give you two things that I believe make a good team Great, and a great team a Champion.

1. One for All and All for One

The first is a classic Bryan Adams song. “One for All and All for One”. Such a cliché but so true.

I was a part of such a team my sophomore year at Oral Roberts university. We actually liked each other and rooted for the guys that played in front of us.

Bill Self was our coach and he really did a great job with that team. Coach Self was a MASTER of getting us to pull together as teammates.  He pushed us so hard in practice and the bench players knew that if we lost, there was to going to be a blood bath at practice that next day. (Or even that night at midnight).

I was a bench player that year and I cheered and rooted for my teammates like crazy. All the bench players did. That created a family atmosphere and we really over achieved that year. We defeated Arkansas and Oklahoma State that year and received an invitation to play Notre Dame in the NIT as an independent school with no conference.

It was “One for all and all for one”, and it was probably my favorite team that I was on. Create a family atmosphere and root for each other!

2. Live the Golden Rule

The second is simple; treat your teammate like you would want them to treat you.

If you are a starter or star of your team, do you run more in practice than the last guy on the bench? Nope! Make sure you thank your teammates that do all the dirty work in practice but get no headlines. Make sure they know that you appreciate and respect them.

Stick together!!! When the going gets tough, the tough get going. How do you respond to adversity? Don’t bail on your coach or your teammates. Do not play the blame game. It’s in times of adversity that the greatest victories can be received.

Be a player that gets tougher when things go bad. Be a player that turns negatives into positives. Encourage your teammates and why not try encouraging your coach.

Be like a snowflake and stick together.