As someone who has primarily been accustomed to working solo for the past few decades, over the weekend I was reminded about what a difference great teamwork and practice makes… not only in sports and music but life in general.
The first part of my Saturday was mostly devoted to the Mini Festival of Soccer tournament. Brighton and his cousin Ryder had two games to play that day in the under nine boys community. The focus first and foremost was to have fun, not to win.
It’s only a game.
For some on their team, it is their first or second year playing soccer, while others have played for many more. That mix in playing years was probably more noticeable in skill level rather than how well they played together. Even the most skilled player needed to remember that he was part of a team.
Learning essential team skills like communication, collaboration and support really makes a difference in soccer! Soccer is a team sport which requires you to work together. Meeting only once a week for practice makes it a little hard to build on those skills, especially if you have a shy kid. Brighton is familiar with about half his teammates, having played with them in the Fall. He also knows all his teammates’ names, but he use them during a game, which can be helpful when it comes to passing and receiving the ball.
Watching a game is of course very different than being in the game itself. But in observing the interactions on the field, my sister and I noticed how a lot of the kids were still very focused on being the one handling the ball. Often, there were four players on the same team all trying to go for it at the same time, when they should have been spread out on the field, waiting for a pass from their teammate. When the opposing team scored, it was sometimes because they’d had a breakaway and there was no one playing defence supporting their goalkeeper. Or they also were better at passing to one another and working together to score a goal.
The one player who scored all the goals for Brighton’s and Ryder’s team also happens to be the one who has played for the most number of years. He seems to live and breathe soccer, as he practices a lot, according to his mom. But while he is very skilled individually, he could work on his passing skills, so he is not always the striker.
I watched an interview with Simon Cowell recently where he recalled memorable advice his dad had given him – that everyone in life has a sign on their head and that sign says “Make me feel important.” He took it to mean that if you want to do well in life, it’s going to be a team effort so make sure you recognize everyone on that team.
I love that piece of advice! Everyone wants to be made to feel like they matter, even if you’re not the best soccer player. It’s especially important when you are in a group and have to work together.
I witnessed more examples of great teamwork Saturday evening, when I attended a jazz concert that my older nephew, Jackson, was part of. It was a last minute decision as I’m not a huge jazz enthusiast, so it was more to support my nephew and spend time with family.
Don’t you love being pleasantly surprised by something when you have zero to little expectations?
The majority of concerts we’ve attended in the past ten years have been elementary school concerts with lukewarm to mediocre performances at best. I’ll admit to tearing up at one of the kids’ school concerts last year, but it was just days after we had said goodbye to our first kitty. So likely that had more to do with my emotions than the quality of the music. I had forgotten what it was like to hear live music that was actually a joy to listen to.
Most elementary schools only introduce band to students once they are in grade six. Unless you have taken private music lessons, let’s be honest, most kids are simply not that great when they first start. And especially if they don’t practice enough on their own. This is the first year that Jackson has been playing baritone and he has gotten quite good. He was one of the few grade six students who was allowed to join his school’s jazz band, which only practiced together on Thursdays at lunch. And sometimes Mondays, after school.
There were two elementary school jazz bands invited to perform as the openers for the Saskatoon Youth Jazz Orchestra. Jackson’s school jazz band went first and they were quite good, playing three songs, with the last being the most memorable. Dinosaur Strut, I believe it was called.
Then the second school’s jazz band took their place on the stage. When they started playing, the bass and the percussion stood out for me, and in particular the drummer for the second school REALLY stood out! I had spied him walking up and down the aisles beforehand, dressed in a suit jacket and dark sunglasses and wondered what his deal was. Most of the other students simply had on a nice shirt and pants. But when he was onstage, his sound and his look commanded my attention. I guess you could say he had and has that star quality.
Still, as good as he was, he knew as the drummer, that it was his job to keep the beat. His musicianship was amazing and you could tell that he’d put in a lot of hours to become as good as he is but he also didn’t upstage the other musicians. I suppose the reason why he wore the shades was to stand out just a little.
When the Saskatoon Youth Jazz Orchestra took the stage, again, you could hear the difference in quality. To be part of this group, you have to audition and be between the ages of 14 and 22. So the people who are in the orchestra really want to be there. But once you are in, you also have to do your part by practicing. No one wants to be singled out for making the whole group sound bad!
They performed about five or six songs, with different soloists getting their chance to shine each time. I wasn’t nearly as impressed with anyone in their group as the drummer from the previous band, but enjoyed the performances. Everyone had their part and played it well, which is crucial for a good concert!
Learning to be part of a team is not necessarily easy, but it can make a huge difference in whatever it is you’re trying to achieve. My family is my home team right now and my main goal everyday is getting each and every member to tidy up after themselves. Not too ambitious, but not that easy to achieve when your team members are not on the same page.
At least, the rain held off long enough today for Matt to reclaim his yard maintenance duties.
