What makes a team

I really enjoyed a couple things at the Olympics last night. Watching the Short track event and watching the moguls and Nordic Combined today. What makes a team?

Last night the Koreans were rolling into the last turn 1-2-3. The third place skater tried a bad pass and took both of them out. That is not a team. I know it is the olympics, but it is worth losing everything to get Silver and not Bronze. Not to me. It strikes me as people who don't spend a lot of time supporting one another.

By contrast the American teams in the Nordic Combined and the woman's moguls are among the most celebrated TEAMS that the US have in the olympics. In fact, the woman who got third in the moguls looked happier for the girl who won than the girl who won. The nordic Combined men have never won an olympic medal. We went 2-4-5 today in the normal hill event. Theose guys train together EVERY day. I am sure they are supporting each other.

I look at my squads. The boys are aggressive with each other. They talk trash, they kill themselves in workout to beat each other and they do not settle for getting beat in workout. However, they enjoy one another. They hang out and they push each other to the brink. When we go to big meets they will watch and cheer for one anothers swims and they know each others goals. They have had a great year.

On the other hand, I have teams that are competitive in a different way. They worry only about beating each other. They would happily have a teammate have a bad day so that they win. That is the self destruct button for most teams. They bail on one another in the worst pobbible times.

THE team out there right now in Colorado swimming is STARS. Those girls are hammering each other every day in workout. They are racing, Todd Schmitt is pushing them hard to race and beat each other. Every time someone wins, someone loses. Can you handle that? I had a couple girls a few years back that could. It just pushed them harder to win the next time, but they were always happy for their teammate. Those two girls both went to Olympic Trials. The Stars girls are showing that benefit right now. They are super supportive of one another and when you race that hard everyday, no meet is ever scary.