Team Spirit (Player's Handbook Chapter)

This team is not about you. The late Jim Valvano, former North Carolina State coach said, “A person really doesn’t become whole until he becomes a part of something that’s bigger than himself.” Thus, being a part of this team is about being a great teammate and losing your “me attitude” in our “team attitude”! I have a good story that illustrates this team concept, and I hope it means as much to you as it does to me:

A man was given a tour of both Heaven and Hell so he could select his final destination. In Hell, all the occupants were seated at a banquet table loaded with every food imaginable, but the people were skin and bones. Each person had a four-foot fork and knife strapped to each hand that made it impossible to eat. Next he entered Heaven. The scene was almost identical, except all the people sitting around the banquet table were healthy and happy. The man was bewildered. Then he saw the answer. Each person in Hell had been trying to feed himself. Four-foot forks and knives made this impossible. Each person in Heaven was feeding the one across the table.

Life is like an echo. We must treat people the way we would want to be treated. Your teammates' and coaches' welfare should be very important to you on and off the court. On the court you will often hear me say if you get someone else open, you will get open. The same principle applies to life. Great teammates make themselves available to serve. They pay attention to the needs of others. Great teammates do the best with what they have. They don’t make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. Great teammates do every task with equal dedication. Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. Great teammates are faithful. They don’t leave a job half undone, and they don’t quit when they get discouraged. And great teammates maintain a low profile. Self-promotion and being a great teammate just don’t mix.

With all this said, everything we do is team. That is why we do not ever want one-on-one spectacles, but moments when individual skills contribute to the team as a whole. We value the man who makes the pass that leads to an assist. We appreciate the man who busts himself to get another teammate open. We value the man who takes pride in defensive help and takes a charge. We appreciate the practice player who does not see much playing time, but pushes his teammates day in and day out. This team attitude applies off the court as well. That is why we emphasize not to do anything that will bring unusual attention to yourself; such as your hair, language, dress, and actions.