Being on a team brings with it certain responsibilities. We have the responsibility to carry out our assignments and to do the best we can with them. There may be times that we do not enjoy doing the assignment we have, but we do them because it will help the team. This may happen at home with chores we have agreed to perform, or in school on a project that we are working on a team.

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Everyone of us is on a team. Our most important team we are on is our family. Mom, Dad and all the children are teammates. So what are we bringing to the team? What are the strengths we bring that make the team better? It is very seldom that we see everyone is good at the same skills. That is what makes a team so strong. What I may be weak at, may be your strength. When we pool the strengths of each of us then we are able to accomplish tasks and goals that would have been much harder if we had tried to do them by ourselves. At the same time a team can make us better at skills too. You may not be real good at organization, but if you watch and listen to someone on your team who has that skill, you will find that you will improve in that skill set also. You may not ever be as good as your teammate but you will remember that you have your own set of skills to bring to the team. Appreciating our own strengths and the skills of others will help a team be stronger too. There is no reason for us to pretend that we are not good at a skill, thinking that others may like us better or we do not want others to think we are showing off. At the same time we do not want to quit a team, or stop playing full out, because someone is better at a skill that we wished we had. Remember, Team is about pooling our skills to accomplish a common goal using the skills of many. When we can share an accomplishment with others it is more enjoyable and will get done faster than if we tried to do it by ourselves.

All of us have been on good and bad teams. When we are on a good team we can really feel the spirit of cooperation, there are individuals with good attitudes and the character of the individuals create a winning attitude. Even if it is not a sports team, the attitude is about getting the job done while making the best of the situation - maybe even having fun. Not all great teams win all of the time. But one thing that all great teams and teammates do is play fair and divide the tasks fairly, so that all the responsibility does not fall on any one person. When things are going well for the team, it is not surprising that they are successful in the task at hand. Sometimes though the team is just not working. One thing I have learned in teaching is that when things are not going as you would like to see, the first place to look is at your self. If you are on a team and it just is not working out - we may want to look first at ourselves and see if we are being a good teammate. Examine our attitude, the responsibilities we have taken from the leader and examine what we can do become a successful team. It may require that we have a team meeting and refocus on the goals of the team, making sure everyone is on board. What can we do to contribute to the success of the team? Using “I” messages is a good way of expressing our concerns without pointing fingers or making others feel rejected. “I need help in this matter or that” is a good way of being sure everyone on the team knows how they can be more effective teammates. If you have been on a good team or bad tell us about it here. What did you do to have the best experience possible?

When we exchange ideas with each other - this is one of the most valuable exchanges we can have with another human. Some of us fit into a category called “idea man”. At least that is what I have personally been called. But the fact is we all have ideas, and when we share them we are forming a team that can really do great things. So what is your vision? If there were no other obstacles what would you like to accomplish or see get done? For those of you who know me you know that I have a vision for our school. I would love to see our students be known not just for the physical skills and there consistent discipline to attain those skills, but also for their contribution to their teams and our community. How do we try to reach that goal? Slowly we have built a team, a group of students, parents and others who have the same mind. Balanced Life Skills is not just another after school activity to spend some energy on and get some exercise . The goal is to become better individuals, both as parents and children. Again we ask what is your vision for your family? How will you reach your goal? “If you commit your self to excellence and surround yourself with things that represent excellence, your life will change.” Balanced Life Skills is here to be part of your team. I am here to contribute to your team in any way you would like for us to. All of the tools that we provide in the dojo and outside are designed to help each of us to reach our goals. Be sure that you are invited to talk to me at any time about how we might serve your team better.

Teamwork is our word of the month. There are times when we must work alone, but most of us enjoy having the help and company of a team to accomplish tasks. Teams make the tasks easier and more fun as general rule, unless of course someone on the team has an attitude of being better than the others or does not play full out. A team is never about just one person - it is about the team and the power that comes from the concerted effort of a group of individuals. While teamwork can be used in different parts of our life, home, school, work and recreation, I believe our most important team is our family. How do we approach tasks at home? As parents sometimes it seems feels more efficient to just do the job ourselves, or if we want it right we will just do it ourselves. But is it fair to the one person doing the work? Are we teaching our children the responsibility they have as a part of the team. Young children like to play games. I would like to suggest that as we are teaching our children about teamwork make it fun and create games for getting things cleaned up or in helping in whatever the tasks are around the house. At the same time be sure to talk about the family team. They will get the idea that they are a part of a group of people who have a purpose or goal that if they work together will accomplish much and have time for more fun things to do. This weekend is Mothers Day. Mom’s are many times the ones who carry an unusual amount of the load at home. Be sure to express your appreciation and work on taking some of the load from her, not just Sunday, but for the rest of the year.