I have spent many days watching various sporting events. Last year, I estimated that I attended over 150 different games. Of course, that does not include the occasional TV/internet game, so the total number per year may exceed 200. What a great life!
One can learn so many things by observing people work and play together. One of the observations I have discovered as a coach and spectator is that most individuals and teams are unjustifiably preoccupied with the ball. It really does not matter what sport it is or at what age level you are watching but it is best observed at very young ages. Little children playing soccer, basketball, or football all seem to move in unison, like a school of fish, with the movement of the ball. The dichotomy is created because the best players and the best teams experience the greatest success when they are good away from the ball.
Because of the importance of the ball in all games we play, most scoring occurs when you possess the ball. Our natural tendency is to watch the ball. Anyone who has ever been coached remembers being told to “keep your eye on the ball”. Certainly this is good advice during the small percentage of time when you are hitting, catching or throwing. But what is happening the rest of the time when we are not directly involved in the play? In basketball or soccer what are the other players doing when the person with the ball is dribbling? What are the other players doing when the quarterback takes the snap? Is everyone watching the ball?
Next time you go to a game try and see what the players without the ball are doing to prepare to get the ball. I believe great teams, championship teams, and perhaps great families, organizations, and governments, all succeed because the happenings away from the proverbial ball create more opportunities to “score” than would have otherwise existed by focusing on the ball.
As a coach I would tell my players to forget about the ball! If you are doing what you should do in preparation to receive the ball, the ball will naturally find you. It is a hard sale but the axiom is true and the results are staggering. If we all forgot about placing blame or who got the credit for the accomplishment and instead focused on working for success, then the triumph comes and we all win.
During a stretch of my career, with one great player and several very good players, many hours were spent teaching each person what their role was on the team, and to not worry about who got the ball. I explained that we could be very good if everyone had the same number of shots each game and we all played defense. We might even win a championship!
I then taught them that we could be a GREAT team if the best player took a few more shots, played a few more minutes, we all played defense, and ultimately we all forgot about the basketball. Well, five years, 151 wins and 17 losses later, it is safe to say that they quit caring about who had the ball and were more concerned with the team accomplishments.
The leaders in our communities and our families must keep their eye on the ball and work for each of us. That is what they are elected, hired or chose to do. Perhaps the rest of us should see what we can do away from the ball to elicit success. It works in sports, perhaps it will work in other areas of our lives.
