Our #1 subject? Our student-athletes -- their academics, their health, their attitudes. Programs of excellence don't deal in things, they deal in people. There is not a day that goes by that we don't meet as a staff or in pairs to talk about our student-athletes and their needs.
Subject #2 is most often recruiting. Why? Because it deals with us bringing in new family members. Again, many would think we would talk entirely about skills but we spend a great deal of time talking about attitude, personality, and the other intangibles.
Subject #3 is about what we are doing to develop our team chemistry. What are we doing as a team so we can continue to learn and grow together. Yesterday in our staff meeting, this was a major subject. We looked at our team calendar and discussed ways and dates of building our community.
It's why I loved this passage today from "The Maxwell Daily Reader" by John Maxwell:
September 20: DO THINGS TOGETHER AS A TEAM
I once read the statement, "Even when you're played the game of your life, it's the feeling of teamwork that you'll remember. You'll forget the plays, the shots, and the scores, but you'll never forget your teammates." That is describing the community that develops among teammates who spend time doing things together.
The only to develop community and cohesiveness among your teammates is to get them together, not just in a professional setting but in personal ones as well. There are lots of ways to get yourself connected with your teammates, and to connect them with on another...the where and when are not as important as the fact that team members share common experiences.
