October 4th, 2015 | Uncategorized
On Saturday night, I watched my teammates on the Wildcats national league team scrap, battle, and fight their way through our first official game of the season. I was unable to play due to the fact that I have not yet fully recovered from my knee injury, but I was determined to still have an impact on the game by doing the only thing I could: being a good teammate.
I think a lot of people underestimate the effect good teammates can have. A team can have all the talent in the world, but it doesn’t mean anything if the players on the team can’t figure out how to respect each other and work together. Being a good teammate means doing whatever you have to do to ensure that you put your fellow teammates in the best position to be successful. For instance, if my teammates and I are all playing to make each other better, that gives us a much better chance of success than each player merely playing to make herself better.
The same concept applies even for players while they are sitting on the bench. The bench should be an extra spark of energy for the girls on the court, constantly cheering on the current lineup. And since I was relegated to the bench for the whole game, I spent the entire evening cheering on my teammates like a wild woman and offering them points of advice for certain things that I could see from the bench but that they could not see on the court. I jumped up and down when the girls made great plays and even more importantly I encouraged them when they made mistakes. I whacked them on the back and said “good luck” when they went in and I high fived them and said “good job” when they subbed out. I tried everything I could to make some sort of impact on the game, without actually being able to step out onto the court, because I know my teammates would do the same for me.
Even though we were down a number of key players and lost the game, the girls played with incredible heart. So for that I am proud of them, and I am proud to be their teammate. Our first game proved to me that, winning or losing, playing in the game or cheering on the sidelines, the Wildcats will always be a team that fights to the end, together.
Victory Scholar: Katie Fox
Present University: Waterford IT
US League: NEC
Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats
Alma Mater: St. Francis College
Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland
