As I was reading the sports page in the Bismarck Tribune yesterday, Steve Thomas wrote a column entitled All About the Team. I don't always agree with Steve Thomas with what he writes or his style of writing, but I applaud his efforts to report sports fairly and accurately. I know that it seems unusual to discuss a sports story as having an impact on education, but he made some very good points that reflect the very same issues we see in education with today's society.
Steve starts out discussing the success of Bismarck High football as a result of selflessness and putting the team ahead of personal glory. He then cited the following quote, which really got me thinking: "That conversation came just a few days after the subject of self-centeredness sprang up in the Bible study I attend. It's long been my feeling that a person can't live a meaningful life until he realizes there is something bigger than what he wants." He then discusses how this was especially true during the Great Depression and the World Wars. What individuals wanted often was secondary to raising your family or defending your country. That is still true today with the military.
Steve mentions that this is true in sports today. I don't agree that it is true in all locker rooms, but I agree that it is true in the locker rooms of most teams that win championships. He also makes reference to a book entitled I Am Third. This is the autobiography of Gayle Sayers, written in 1970, and was the inspiration for the movie, Brian's Song which is about the tremendous relationship between Gayle and Brian Piccolo who died at a young age (27) from cancer. The story chronicles their friendship and the incredible courage of Brian, but the reference Steve makes is to Gayle Sayer's philosophy, "The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third."
The point Steve is making, and I believe that we have lost this mentality on most of our youth and their parents, is the importance of putting the team or the task ahead of our own personal wants and needs. Steve finishes by saying "Our chances as a nation will be a lot better when the 'what's in it for me' attitude is supplanted by a big picture outlook." That says a lot about the challenges we encounter in the classroom for all phases of classroom management.
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Randy, you have a very powerful point this week. I shouted out a big "Amen Brother" when I finished reading! I think in general teachers have the big picture outlook, but it can easily be overshadowed at any point and for many reasons. I am always bemused when I find my self agreeing with or inspired by anything sports. I quite often consider myself anti-sports, but in this case I find my self agreeing and understanding. I think this article is remembering the way things used to be and that being part of a team was valuable and that is how things should again be. You are right that not all locker rooms are the big picture example. That is a shame because so much emphasis is placed on things contradictory to the big picture. That might be why I am anti-sports most of the time. It just discourages me to see the direction of sports go so awry. If we could all embrace this notion of the the bigger picture Mr. Thomase is right that the world would be a better place.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Haraseth
You brought up a great point in your blog this week. Our world today is so set on self satisfaction and I feel this is hurting our students in so many ways. I try to implement a team atmosphere in my classroom by encouraging students to help others and myself on a constant basis. I think students would have more of a team attitude if there wasn't so much pressure to perform well when it comes to academics and sports. Our students also are bribed from the day they were born so they feel that everything they accomplish should be rewarded. In my opinion more teachers should run their classroom like a team because the classroom might be the only chance for a student to work like a team rather than a one man show who only works for themself.
ReplyDeleteRandy-
ReplyDeleteYour blog caught my eye this week. What a great topic during this time of the year. After during my Generations project for this class I had time to THINK about the students we are teaching. The "ME" generation can be transformed mentally on the practice field.
I also don't agree with the author when I read his page but he did a great job on this topic. I wonder how many student have even watch the movie "Brian's Song". Maybe coaches should make them watch it on bus trips or make them read the book. I know Phil Jackson suggests books for his players.
Since you were a coach did you find that building that attitude of the "Team" comes first tough to do? What did you do to encourage it?
Have a good week.
Randy -
ReplyDeleteAs always you picked a great topic to blog about. We are constantly being lectured about working as a team in staff meetings or workshops, but sometimes it doesn't really sink in until it is put in a different way. I read "I Am Third" a few years back when I first started coaching hockey and I found it to be inspirational in the fact that this wildly successful man, like many other successful people throughout history, put the needs of himself behind those of the team. It seems that the greatest players in sports were the ones who were the first to give credit to teammates and the first to sacrifice for the team (Wayne Gretzky, Walter Peyton, Cal Ripken Jr., John Stockton are just a few examples). This is a message that we need to talk to our students about because not all of them play sports and do not get exposed to the team concept. Great post.
ct
That was a great article. I can often see this mentality in myself which is a humbling experience when I try to teach my players. It is so important. I think Steve Thomas is onto something with the "self esteem" statement. It does put a big emphasis on me. The other thing that does as well is Maslow's Hierarchy. Everyone is trying to reach "self actualization." The whole hierarchy is about "me". Team sports is a great way to teach for the shift back to "others".
ReplyDeletePhilip