3-2-13

3-2-13


Three wins, two ties, and thirteen losses. That was the record of my 2010 soccer season at Rhode Island. With a team loaded with talent, how could this be? With each frustrating loss, the drama on our team escalated. 

My team has had many struggles in the past...on the field, off the field, you name it, we’ve struggled through it. One of the most glaring problems that we have had is a lack of leadership. This lack of leadership has translated into an unsuccessful past fall season. At the end of the season, our team received a new coach. This coach has addressed the leadership problem, and has formed a leadership group of ten girls who will be a foundation for leadership throughout the team. With this new leadership group, I am left to answer the question, “What really is leadership, and why is it so essential?”  So I turned to the dictionary. 


Leadership
-noun
1.The act of leading a group or organization of people


Too vague. After careful thought, I put together the definition of a leader that I have formed over years of playing soccer.

First and foremost, I would describe a leader as an individual whose every unselfish action benefits a group that is greater than him or herself. Leaders are confident. Their actions are never forced. A leader doesn’t think, “Wow, I really worked hard today.” A leader always works hard. They have that inner drive that is solely second nature. Great leaders are supported. They create a network of people around themselves who want to work for them.  A leader can balance on the thin line between friendship and integrity. Good leaders instill trust in their teammates. People can talk to leaders about whatever their concerns may be. On the field, leaders are vocal. They are encouraging without being offensive. Leaders motivate. As essential as communication is on the soccer field, actions speak just as loud. Leaders bring teams together. They create a sense of the word  “team.” On a true team, not only are you playing for yourself, you are playing for every single one of your teammates. Leadership is essential for any team. A teams without a sense of leadership is misguided, and will not be as successful.

Our new coach has already given us an air of confidence. We are starting from scratch, learning the foundations of what it means to be on a team. We are fixing the parts of the machine that were broken last year. I do not have a doubt that we will be winning games next season. Lots of games. Winning games starts with gaining leadership, so here’s to the 2011 fall season.