Originally appeared in the Augusta Medical Examiner August 17, 2012
Watching the Olympics this year just did something to me. I stayed up way past my bedtime, I was yelling at the television rooting the teams on (as if they could hear me and that would cause them to go faster), and I was a tad emotional during some of the award ceremonies. I was overwhelmed with the stories of trials, triumph and victory, and more so in awe of the team camaraderie
Have you ever heard of the Dream Team? If a sports fan I’m sure you have and if you’re an Olympics watcher it would have been hard to miss hearing it this year. Whether you refer to the 1992 Jordan, Johnson, and Bird basketball team or the most recent 2012 Bryant, Wade, Durant team there were many dream teams, in my eyes, highlighted during the Olympics. Starting with the U.S. men’s 4x100 swimming relay, the dynamic volleyball duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, the women’s 4x100 track team and not to leave out the Fab 5 gymnastic team and the women’s soccer team, there is an endless amount of inspiration, admiration, hard work, victories and personal bests enveloped within these select groups. They train hard and push themselves beyond what they think is possible for them. They keep their eye on the prize and work to be the best in what they do.
I’ve been inspired, again, to recruit and build a ‘dream team’ for my child. Now I’m not trying to get him to the Olympics (just yet), but wanting to have the right players on our team to take him to his best. We already have myriad of physician specialists, an awesome pharmacist, therapists, family and friends who are all part of our team and involved in routine care, yet I want to expand and refine it. Not everyone on our team has the vision, desire, work ethic or belief to reach the goals set. With that knowledge, I know the importance of recruiting not only those who are good at what they do but those who embrace our vision.
As I work to mold our ‘dream team’ these a some of the characteristics of a ‘dream team’ player that I look for: (1) embrace the concept of ‘No I in TEAM (2) Trust and listen to the coach (3) Trust teammates (4) Think outside the box (5) Open communication.
As we enter into a new season and kids are going back to school, you may consider building your own dream team. Whether looking to go back to school, change careers, venture to into a business, reach a new fitness level or to help your child reach their full potential it’s helpful to have like-minded people with you along the way. Know that everyone will not believe in your dreams and goals and that’s okay. Alienation isn’t always necessary, yet aligning oneself with those who can provide guidance, encouragement, and constructive criticism is vital to staying the course and reaching the goal.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day nor was it built by one person. Map out the course, set the pace, brace for bumps in the road, and work with the team to git ‘er done!