Another Take on Being a Team Player

Most all of us already have an idea of what it takes to be a team player... Be nice, be encouraging, support your team, shake hands, be a good sport, let your captain do the captain's job and don't complain, do your share of chalking and so on. Here's another take on being a team player. You can agree or disagree but here is my viewpoint and food for thought...

I play on teams for several reasons. First off, I love darts. Next, I enjoy the other passionate darters that I meet along the way. Just as important (if not more important), I AM COMPETITIVE. I love to play, I give 110% and I love to win. There's nothing like that natural high when you're in the zone and throwing the way you want to throw naturally, without even thinking. It happens. Granted, you're not "on" every match and you can always play great darts and still lose but again, there is NOTHING like that adrenaline rush that comes from being in the zone, being mentally focused, throwing great shots and beating a tough competitor. There's just nothing like it and every time my team captain tells me I'm up next for singles, I am ready to go and throw the darts of my life. Like I said, I give it at least 110% every single time.

When I show up for league night I want to play as much as possible, but I understand that there's no "I" in team and I'll play my fair share along with my other teammates. As a team player, it's my job to support the team and the captain with whatever decisions are made. (And God bless team captains because it can be a tough job that gets a lot of grief. Been there, done that and I'm happy to let someone else be team captain..). Different captains have different methods of running their teams. Some captains are fair and others not so fair. Some play everyone equally while others play darters bases on the situation at the moment, the way each team member is throwing, the team's win-loss record, and desire to win for that particular night. I understand this and I get it. Again, I'm happy to let my team captain do his/her job and to be the best team player that I can be.

With all of that said, I find myself in a situation that I've never been in before. And in this situation I have specifically asked my captain NOT to play me in singles. Let me explain.

I've recently changed my stroke so I'm not shooting from the hip. The bottom line is my game isn't where it was or where I want it to be. It's partly a confidence issue but mainly an issue of mechanics. I've changed my mechanics and throwing darts with this new style isn't yet comfortable and I'm thinking of everything I have to remember with every shot that I throw. Sometimes I hit what I'm aiming for, sometimes I've got good groups and sometimes (thank goodness) I somehow manage to slop into something good. Other times my darts are all over the board and I just want to cringe! The consistency just isn't there yet. I know in my heart of hearts that with practice, determination and hard work my game WILL get to where I want it to be. In the meantime, I'm low man on the totem-pole skill wise when compared with the others on the team.

Do I want to play as much as possible? You bet! At the same time, this season is nearing it's end and my team has a shot at playoffs - a first for this particular team and well-deserved if and when we get there. So sometimes being a good team player is knowing when to say to your captain "My darts are off and sitting out the singles matches are A-Okay with me". Earlier in the season one of my teammates did exactly this. She was having an off night and told the captain to sit her out. She didn't swear in frustration or kick the wall or put the blame anywhere else. And she didn't storm out. Instead, she sat out the rest of the night, did her fair share of chalking, and stayed for the entire night supporting and cheering on the others on the team. Kudos to her and I respect her approach.

Now it's time to realize that sometimes as a team player you have to do what's right for the team. Sometimes this means sitting out and supporting the team, as much as you want to step up to the line and compete. This is a new line of thought for me, but an important one. Being a team player means doing what's best for the team, not always what you want to do.

Do you agree or disagree with what been's written here? I'd love to add YOUR comments to this section for other darters to read so click here to send me an E-mail on My Response and Thoughts on the Subject of Being a Team Player....

As always, shoot well and I'll see you at the line.