How to Be a Better Teammate

Becoming a great footballer is never guaranteed, but it is always possible to be an good teammate. And it is great teammates that make outstanding teams, not just talented people. You see this in every sphere of life – in sport or in business – where a group of seemingly lesser talented folks get together and overcome a squad of far more naturally gifted people. It’s teamwork and it’s outstanding teammates who make this possible.

So how can you be a better teammate? Here are 6 qualities of awesome team players:

1. Build Genuine Relationships
You don’t have be the best of friends, but knowing what buddies on your team like, understanding their strengths & weaknesses and figuring out how to interact positively despite your differences can go a long way in getting better performances on the pitch.

2. Be Ready to Play Any Role
Everyone loves playing as a striker scoring goals, but who is going to do the rest of the equally important work for your team? Every Messi needs a Busquets. Every Ronaldo needs a Modric. The best team players sacrifice what they want for what the team needs. And very often, what you contribute most to the team maps to your inherent strengths.

3. Come Prepared to Training
How often are you late to training? Are you carrying everything you need for training – your shin pads, your training bibs, your water bottle? Have you read about what skills and competencies are needed for your position? The best teammates ensure they are on top of their game so that they give their maximum to the team.

4. Understand Your Strengths & Weaknesses
Not everyone can be Ronaldo & Messi because it takes certain skills to play in attack. The best team players understand what qualities they bring to the team so that they own a role that plays to their strengths and minimises their weaknesses.

5. Keep Believing & Stay Positive
One of the essential parts of learning and improving your skills is making mistakes. As a teammate, you need to understand that there will be times when you and your teammates will make mistakes. When you or they do err, stay positive and keep encouraging each other. Nothing good comes out of a negative frame of mind.

6. Set the Standard
Talk is cheap and your actions speak louder than words. If you want your team to be better, be an example yourself. Be disciplined about your diet, work on improving your skills in your free time, manage your school work so you can be regular at training, give your 100% in training and in games – your team mates will feed off your energy!

Spend some time thinking over these qualities. Do you have them? If not, let’s think about them and work towards inculcating these attributes while becoming better teammates! Let’s go!