Together Each Achieves More = TEAM

This is usually an issue that is encountered at a Club fixture such as a League Track and Field match where 30 – 60 athletes can be involved in a variety of disciplines, or a Cross Country League or Championship event where several athletes are required in each age category to complete a team.

It isn’t always easy to reconcile. An athlete may well have a personal, individual goal perhaps to perform well at a particular major championship.

The Club’s fixtures may not be at convenient times or be at the appropriate level of competition required for that particular athlete.

I am sure that many of you will be familiar with this situation.

I have found myself at times frustrated by coaches and their athletes pulling out of fixtures, for what I as a team manager may feel are spurious reasons, but to them may be totally logical.

Or perhaps requesting an event that they would not normally do within that fixture, in order to help them better prepare for their target, but by doing this, inadvertently ensuring that other athletes are inconvenienced to accommodate them.

In discussions on this matter at my own club and with others, I have been told that the individual should be put first, that each athlete must be dealt with in the best way possible for them.

However, I feel that this is too simplistic a stance to take as it can rarely work in practise.

My counter argument is that place one athlete first, and you line up several behind them, creating a two tier structure; the athletes that matter and the athletes that don’t.

Of course all athletes matter, it is a perception that can be created not a reality.

Athletes are in most instances club members, and therefore part of several groups within what can be a complex social structure.

On the first level they are an individual with their own personal targets.

On the next level they are part of a training squad, under their coach, and then they are part of various teams within the club structure.

You can see quite easily how the agenda and actions of one athlete can impact significantly on the whole club.

I feel that athletics is about more than just the physical and technical skills of the athlete.

As club members, all athletes benefit from the mutual support within the club environment. All members have an extended responsibility to each other.

The individual referred to above would be less competitive without the training squad colleagues that push them week in week out, or without the back up of the club infrastructure that raises funding, provides officials and trains the coaches.

They learn teamwork, respect for their club mates and fellow competitors from other clubs.

Athletics helps young athletes develop their personality and social skills to enable them to deal better with life as they move from education in to employment.

The sport assists in creating good human beings and roll models for others.

I feel that Team events are extremely important.

If you have a vibrant club, with a good team spirit, then the talented individuals will thrive within that environment.

Most athletes do not have the ability to achieve individually at a high level, but often as part of a team pulling together the results attained can exceed the sum of the parts.

Individual club athletes should try to tailor their programme to meet the demands of the club as well as their own individual targets, because without the club behind them, they would not be the athlete that they are.

Clubs have to try and tailor their fixture demands to enable their athletes to get the right balance and quality of competition, whilst trying to build a base of members that can mange the demands of team competition without relying on everybody being available.

Team competition has to be given a high priority by all at the club as it is the foundation of the club.

All the members have a stake in the success or failure.

Team competition is the creator of the excitement and momentum that can move the whole club forward.