I believe athletes should be considerate of others, including other players, coaches, fans, and officials. This means I treat others with respect, listen when they are speaking, remember their names, offer help when they are in need, avoid foul or abusive language, consider their needs before making decisions, and are willing to change my mind if the situation warrants.

It is important to appear authentic, approachable, and easy to get along with. I do this by being aware of how I am coming across to others. I try to be good-natured and friendly, wear a smile, make eye contact, and let them know I notice them. Then they will feel more comfortable with me and will be more likely to be open and honest.

Athletes should be willing to communicate freely with their coaches and teammates. We are all the product of a team effort, and we must work cooperatively with each other to achieve success. Unofficial and natural conversations are one of the best ways to gain information about a person’s character and personality traits. I ask questions that get people talking about themselves. I find out things about them that otherwise wouldn’t have been known. This allows me to figure out their strengths and weaknesses and helps me figure out ways to better work together. If team members are not working well together, it can create problems and cause conflict. This can be very harmful for the sport as well as my relationships.

It is important to be sympathetic and compassionate to your teammates, especially those who are struggling. Everyone needs a little kindness during times of stress, which I can easily spot when they start acting in unusual or unexpected ways. Everyone feels overwhelmed and frustrated from time to time, so it is crucial to take a moment to offer some encouragement and let them know that they are not alone.

I try to constantly remain humble, modest, and coachable. When I make a mistake, I try to not let it ruin my entire day. I’ve found the best way to deal with a situation like this is to acknowledge my error, apologize, and do my best to not repeat the same mistake in the future. To be a great athlete, you need to get rid of unhelpful pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness and learn to pay attention to counsel, advice, and constructive criticism. I resist the instinctive urge to take correction personally. Instead, I’ve learned it is important to take a breather before reacting and give their advice some serious consideration—it might actually improve my game. The truth is that there is no such thing as an all-knowing athlete who can get everything right every time. We all need to understand that we, and our teams, and our coaches, and the officials, and the fans are not perfect and that everyone has room for improvement.

I believe good communication is one of the most important tools of an athlete. People who are good listeners are able to listen to what other people are saying without interrupting them. They are also able to read the non-verbal cues that people give off to determine if they are happy, sad, angry, or scared, etc. Body language is important because it conveys information and can also be used to understand what’s happening in the mind of others. For example, when I am with someone who is upset, I might notice that they have a slumped posture, and their shoulders are hunched up. This is a sign that they are feeling uncomfortable and that they want to get away from the situation. On the other hand, when I am with someone who is happy, I notice that they have a smile on their face and their shoulders are relaxed. This means that they are comfortable with the situation and are feeling good. 

When someone is talking, I try to remain attentive and respectful. I don’t have to agree with them, but I should at least try to understand what they’re saying and their point-of-view. If I find myself starting to interrupt, I try to back off and let them finish their sentence. When any of us have something to say to someone else, we should always wait until they are finished before speaking. We should also be careful not to start a conversation with someone that is not willing to hear us out.

I am able to bring to a team a passion for interaction and a knack for truly understanding others. My unstated role on a team is to connect with people on a personal level, even those who have a reputation for being difficult to get along with. I see beauty in the human soul and in the soul of others. I understand that there is beauty in everything, even things that are ugly and disheveled. I am able to appreciate the good in people who may seem unappealing to others. This makes me, and others like me, excellent team players who are able to get along with everyone.

I also understand that everyone deserves little acts of kindness from time to time, as well as other forms of genuine compassion. This is an appropriate form of affection which shows I am interested in their well-being and recognize their spoken and unspoken needs. This form of connection always builds trust and respect between people, greatly strengthening the bonds and camaraderie in a team. It is also one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable parts a relationship.

I am a very warm person with an open mind and a desire to help others. I enjoy being around people and feel connected to others when I am in a social situation. I have great respect for the opinions and feelings of others and try to see things from their perspective. I try to understand and appreciate the reasons behind people’s actions. I try to be understanding of the shortcomings and foibles of others and accept them for who they are. I am not judgmental and do not have an issue with people who are different or who choose to live their lives differently than me.

In a sports team, everyone has different roles to play, and should feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when they do their job well. As someone who is interested in the welfare of my team, my unofficial job is to help others feel like they are contributing to the success of the team. That’s why it is important to have a team culture that fosters collaboration, encourages communication, and establishes an environment where people are encouraged to share their ideas. Building a culture takes like that takes time and effort, but it always pays off with higher morale and a sense of belonging.

Some coaches seem to be more interested in winning than in the health and well-being of their players. I don’t care how much a coach knows until I know how much they care. I am looking for a coach who will inspire me to improve my game and become a better person. I want a coach who will help me to find out who I really am and who will help me to become the person that I want to be. And they don’t do that by screaming, exploding, ranting, or other aggressive behaviors. While coaches should be assertive, disciplined, and professional, they should approach their players as friends and colleagues and not as pawns to be sacrificed throughout their coaching career. Coaches should never fight with their players, but instead win over their hearts and minds with persuasion and inspiration. While helping their players become more successful in the game, coaches should also allow their players to be human and freely express their emotions without fear of judgment or reprisal. Keeping negative feelings bottled up only generates angst and anger.

When I am given the opportunity to provide leadership to my team, I generally like to stay clear of the spotlight and lead from behind or from within the ranks. I am more democratic than most in my leadership approach and often let every player have a chance to express their thoughts and emotions. When there is a conflict, I am far more likely to encourage players to compromise and cooperate rather than become unkind or offensive to one another. If feelings are hurt, I nudge them to quickly reconcile their differences and recapture the spirit of unity and harmony that makes good teams great. I particularly like opportunities to look after less-experienced players and work with those who need extra help. I try to inspire everyone to find their purpose and passion and then improve their skills until they achieve it.

It is important to plant, nurture, and enrich friendly and thoughtful relationships with everyone in your sphere of influence, even if you’ve had a really bad game or a losing streak. For example, do not be afraid to show emotion in the locker room, but do not act like a petulant child or an immature, self-absorbed fool. If you feel something, say it, but be careful of your words and their impact. It is always best to discuss a situation privately if it only involves a single person. Do not act in a way that would be detrimental to your team such as going on social media and posting negative comments about your coaches or teammates, and even your opponents. Others may see the comments and start to question your motives and wonder about your character or the overall integrity of your entire team. You never want to say or do anything that has the potential to harm or damage a relationship, even if that relationship doesn’t matter much to you at the moment. You never know if you’re about to burn a bridge you will later need to cross.

I feel that the best way to be successful in a team sport is to focus on your individual strengths and weaknesses and use them to help the team as much as possible. The best coaches I’ve ever seen are ones who focus on what each player can do to make the team better and allow everyone to shine in their own ways. I want to be on a team with coaches and athletes who actively try to complement each other’s skills and personalities and appreciate their diverse talents and strengths. Everyone is unique and should be recognized for their one-of-a-kind contributions. We may not always get this right, but I think it’s important to try.

While sports are played by athletes on the field, track, gym, pool, court, rink, course, ring, or arena, there is another side of sports which can be enjoyed by anyone. It’s the social side of sports. When it comes to the social side of sports, it is important for a player to have friends and family around. These people have known you for so long that they can be counted on to give moral support through good times and bad. They are your primary support network. Your secondary support network is your fans or followers who also tend to be supportive, especially during a winning streak. Modern players use social media to stay in touch with their audience. It’s important to have both of these networks in your corner because you never know when one will leave or withdraw their support. This can happen to anyone, and authentic supporters who have a relationship with you will help keep you focused and playing at your best.