These posts are part of a series in which we examine three of the major understandings that are required of athletes in competition that also apply readily to the search for fulfillment and success in life after sports. Ultimately, while there are challenges in adapting to life after competition, we are equipped by our experiences with tools that will help us to make this a successful transition.
Part 2: An Understanding of “Part to Whole” We learn how component parts of our individual performance produce a greater level of success; we also learn how the component parts of a team do the same thing.
As our level of competitive participation increases, we learn more and more the value of breaking our sport down into smaller parts, and improving our abilities in each of them as a way to get better. Sport becomes increasingly complicated as we focus on things like the angles of our feet, body position, strides or strokes, and any of a thousand other possible elements of performance. Improvement comes in the details. From that understanding, we are able to take what is already a high level of performance and make it even higher. This is true of nearly every sport on the planet.
With that mindset comes a more comprehensive focus on the team game – we learn that, just as a focus on the details of our own performance brings improvement, so does a focus on the details of specific position or tactics within the team game. This is where the concepts of ‘role players’ or ‘fitting a system’ comes in. Coaches know this well, and often recruit and develop players with skill sets that meet the needs of their systems or events. It could be physical make-up, body type, or strength; or it could be intellect or character. We all know that a team that functions effectively is one that is composed of parts that function together efficiently and in a manner that brings about a desired outcome. Fast teams can sacrifice size but never speed. Teams built around a power game less so. Relay teams need legs to be carried in certain ways. We become comfortable playing a role that contributes to a larger system.
Even individual sports require this kind of thinking. Certainly individual technique and attention to details are important, but when these individuals combine to compose a team, there is strength in a variety of skills and attributes. Track and field is one such example. Athletes bring a specific skill set to individual events, and yet as coaches seek to compose teams, they need to round them out with a comprehensive roster that affords the team an opportunity to maximize points scored in a meet. Golf, tennis or swimming are similar in that a variety of strengths make for a stronger overall team in competition.
This becomes a gift when we enter the broader scope of life after competition. Learning a new skill requires understanding and mastering the component parts of it, beginning with the fundamentals first, and then increasing in complexity and detail. We improve at any sort of complex skill by understanding the smaller parts of a task, and working to improve those with which we may struggle.
So too is the application of a team concept. We all play roles in life. We exist within many different systems. The practice of sacrificing one’s ego to the larger interest of the team is an expectation in the competitive world and it translates well to life beyond; whether working in the interest of a company, of our families, or of any other group with whom we may be associated in life. By seeing our place in a larger context, we can contribute to whatever team we are on.
While this series is intended to highlight three of the more prominent gifts that we bring away from life as a competitive athlete, it is by no means an exhaustive list. Different sports, different people, and different circumstances produce different results. One of the goals of Competitor Shift is to begin with the commonalities and expand our discussions to include the personal experiences of athletes in their own unique experiences. Please feel free to join in and expand our understanding of the topic.