In the 16 years I have been writing these “On the TunneySide of Sports” weekly columns, I have often used the word T*E*A*M, meaning “Together Everyone Accomplishes More.”
I learned that as a youth growing-up (do you always grow “up” not “down”?) with parents who helped me develop and practice that philosophy. I was lucky to be born with that heritage – a father who was a teacher as well as a coach and a mother who practiced at home what my father was teaching/coaching at school.
While others may not have been as fortunate, that philosophy encouraged me to select my life’s goal – at 12 years of age – to become a coach. That early-on decision has served me well, but with challenges at each level of progress. As I moved through those “gates,” to utilize that philosophy, I was intent upon including everyone as part of the T*E*A*M thus, inclusion was first and foremost in my mind.
I can certainly sympathize with President Joe Biden who has accepted the challenge of bringing a severely divided country into one United States of America. I will leave that issue with those much more capable than I. However, I must add a comment that of those two challenges — political and ethnic — I faced the latter in my coaching. Again, my father gave me a head start since the star player on his football team was an African American named Kenny Washington, who not only led Lincoln High School (Los Angeles) to that school’s only football Los Angeles City Championship but was the first African-American to be drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1947 when they moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles.
As a teacher, coach, school principal, and district superintendent it was similar to my basketball coaching experience that if the player could shoot, pass, dribble, and work with the team better than any other he played. I was never concerned with the color of his skin – only his qualities, i.e., his character, personality, and capabilities being first and foremost.
The other characteristic I learned at home and carried forward was the avoidance of derogatory language in bringing people together. One has to be careful in kidding/teasing others. Treating others with respect can carry you forward in a significant way.
Will you include others by focusing on their character, personality, and capabilities?
