Children who learn how to be a good teammate—and harness the power of teamwork—develop great advantages over “lone-wolfs.” Scottish-American industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, wrote, “Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

The Importance of Leadership
Good teamwork starts with good leadership. Strong leaders encourage a team-first mentality, creating a culture of accessibility and accountability. Smart leaders listen, pay attention, and help teammates develop skills and acquire resources to strengthen the likelihood of mission success. American author Napoleon Hill wrote, “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”

Teamwork Inspires Unity
As people work together to pursue common goals, surface-level small talk can grow into healthy camaraderie and flourish into deep bonds of trust, commitment, and loyalty. The things we initially set out to do for ourselves evolve into something much more special, unifying individuals as a more powerful collective. Aligned together, everyone is inspired to give their very best. Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

Constructive Criticism & Diversity
No one is above the team. Good teammates embrace constructive criticism, eager to learn and improve on their existing skills. In healthy team environments, teammates speak freely, helping each other improve as individuals to strengthen the competitive advantages of the team. With the multi-faceted capabilities of a fully loaded Swiss army knife, the more diverse the team, the more angles from which the team can pursue success. American author, Ken Blanchard, wrote, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

Youth Sports: Teaching Good Sportsmanship
For both children and parents, its very easy to get caught up in the emotion of the game. Mothers should model and cultivate good sportsmanship, the hallmarks of which include: showing respect for both opponents and officials, learning from mistakes, encouraging teammates, losing gracefully, winning without gloating, and last but not least, always doing our best.

For practices and games, kids should show up with a good attitude, on time, and ready to work hard. Even with stretching, calisthenics, and running, mothers should encourage children to always do their best. These exercises are not just about conditioning—they build team cohesiveness. Sports are supposed to be challenging, there is no place for whining or complaining. Don’t criticize coaches or speak poorly of teammates to others. Conflicts are best managed privately, one-to-one, out of the public eye.

Toxic Characteristics
Avoid boasting, dismissiveness, and infighting, all of which undermine the success of the team. In unhealthy working environments, when teams are not united, missions are more difficult to accomplish.

Problems arise. Teach children that without effective leadership, a small amount of pressure can cause the whole team to implode from within. With poor communication, teammates may struggle to understand one another. If teammates are unable to accept differences, innovation will be limited, opportunities will be wasted, and the entire team will underperform.

Summary
Excellent teams harmonize the efforts of each player, combining as a unified force to overcome adversity and achieve more, together. President Harry Truman wrote, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
—Proverbs 27:17 NLT