Team: "The Ultimate Melting Pot"

In today's climate it's super easy to just attribute the success of a team to the team's best player. As of lately it's all Jordan, Kobe and LeBron in basketball talk. Even in football we attribute a quarterback's success based off if he can get to the playoffs, and with the elite, win Super Bowl's. We praise the individual entirely too much. It's why kids today are more concerned with trying to obtain offers versus team success. B-Team back up offensive lineman want me to make them highlight tapes. Twitter is full of 13-18 year old bragging about what they can do, or how hungry they are or whatever the hell else they think we'll make them marketable.  The most marketable thing a kid can do, a college athlete can do, and even the professional athletes can do is win.

No one ever does it on their own. 

Don't get me wrong; having elite players is one of the first and most important steps to having a chance at winning in today's sports. But the players around them have to be able to do their jobs and allow the star to do just that, star. This isn't sport specific either. The kind of roles that I'm speaking of are universal. Just like in life individuals have to work together in order for the overall success. Whether it be business, education or sports, the best teams have all sorts of people from different backgrounds. Different people bring different things to contribute to the whole.

The Boston Celtics right now are off to an incredible start to the Eastern Conference Finals, and you can't point the reason why to anyone in particular. They've got all kinds of characters in their 8 Man Rotation who you can sort of fit into two different categories: Clean and Cut and Rough AF.
                                                                       2018 Celtics

Clean and Cut                                                          Rough AF

  

Al Horford                                                               Marcus Morris

Jaylen Brown                                                           Marcus Smart

Jayson Tatum                                                           Terry Rozier III

Semi Ojeleye                                                           Greg Monroe

Boston wouldn't be good with just Al Horford and company. They wouldn't have the same edge, they wouldn't compete the same way. They'd be too soft and there's no way without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward would they have made it this far. There's no way Boston would have made it this far with Marcus Morris and company. Those guys are rough, rugged. If there were a team full of guys like that they would just lead the league in flagrants and fights. The best teams have the mix of both.

Horford's been a great teammate for years.

Still not a believer? Lets's look at the 96-97 Bulls and the 2000-2001 Lakers. The 72-10 Bulls were incredible but they too had their share of characters who brought different things to the mix.
                                                                     96-97 Bulls

Clean and Cut                                                          Rough AF

Michael Jordan (as tough as he was, he made Space Jam y’all)            Scottie Pippen

Toni Kukoc                                                               Dennis Rodman

Luc Longley                                                             Ron Harper

Steve Kerr

Bill Wennington

Jud Buechler

Even weirdos like Rodman have a place on a team.

                                                   2000-2001 Lakers

Clean and Cut                                                          Rough AF

Kobe Bryant                                                            Shaquille O’Neal

Derek Fisher                                                            Isaiah Rider

Tyronn Lue                                                              Robert Horry

Mark Madsen                                                          Devean George

Brian Shaw                                                              Rick Fox

 

Without this series-clinching shot, Kobe and Shaq have one less ring.

Think that's only at the professional level, let's look at the hometown team our Longview Lobos. A saying that I've heard coaches say all the time is "nice kids get you beat." This insinuates that the kid who is yes sir and no sir maybe a great kid, but he doesn't always have the talent of the kid that you've got to keep on a leash to make sure they're passing, going to class, and even coming to the games sometimes. The years we went to state in 2008, 2009, we had a fair share of guys who were raised in 2 parent homes, guys who went to Hudson PEP,  guys who were in the Gifted and Talented Program at Foster, and guys who were never in the mix who not only played but started. Don't get me wrong; we had some Rough AF guys as well. It's a necessary component. You need guys who make people uncomfortable. It works both ways. They learn to work with one another and before you know it they're dancing and rapping together, fishing together and most importantly for us, winning ball games together.

Don't be afraid to allow your children to participate with other races. Yes, it's uncomfortable and you will have to be around people you're not usually accustomed to being around, but your kids will benefit from it. Trust me, when they get into high school, we don't care if their White, Black, Brown, Green or purple. We're in this thing to win. The more flexible and coach-able your athlete is the better the team will be.