There's no I in Team.

G'day Tragics,

This week's poll got me thinking.  When do sports people decide whether they are going to pursue a team or individual sport as a profession?  Do they follow a path they grew up with?  Maybe a sport that suits their personality?  Do they chase the big money?  Pushy parents perhaps?

There is such a wide chasm between team and individual sports and ultimately the participants.  Being a lover of team sports myself, I also thrive on the individual challenges offered in the lonely pursuits of golf and tennis.  Amateurs can afford to have a mix: we don't need to earn a living and dedicate our lives.

Individual Sports.

Have you ever felt like slapping Lleyton Hewitt's face every time he does one of his ear drum busting "C'monnnns"?  It's impossible not to admire the gutsy South Aussie, but occasionally his extreme petulance is hard to bare.  Could his behaviour stem from the fact that he has been on the road with a tennis racket and his Mum and Dad since he was wetting the bed?  Lleyton and thousands of other individual champions have always been surrounded by coaches, trainers and "yes" people...not team-mates, school mates and the real world.

Those that are champions in sports such as tennis, golf, athletics, swimming, cycling and boxing just to name a few must be obsessively disciplined, dedicated, regimented and determined.  They must isolate themselves from society to train, train and train some more if they hope to become the best of the best. 

Do they choose this life or does it choose them?

Is being an individual champion somewhat hollow?  After a huge victory do they go out and have a few beers with themselves?  Do they have a 20 year reunion alone to revisit their own achievements?  Or do they merely receive a hug from their folks, then launch back into training for their next assignment?
It's hard to imagine following that black line in the pool day after day.  Is it any wonder swimmers retire in their early 20's?  Running round and round and round a track must be so bloody boring.  Hopping on the bike for a leisurely 300km ride...Do they have a bum masseur?

Apart from golf, tennis, cycling and motor sport, there is very little financial reward for the dedicated souls of individual sport.  Some work multiple jobs,  sleep in their cars or sell their soul to support their passions.  Some of these sports fail to capture the mammoth television audiences enjoyed by team games.  It's yet another downside to the battle of being a lone ranger.  You have to wonder what drives these legends.

Maybe it's the ultimate sense of achievement, the thrill of the challenge.  While you're eating fish and chips, these people are making their own fishing rod.  Constantly striving to better oneself is a drug and these athletes are addicts.  They aren't lonely, it's all they've ever known.  It's like being born somewhere cold, but never needing a jumper...it's completely normal.  The repetitive training, the strict diet and the non-existent social life is a job...a job they are bloody good at...a job they love.  Those that have made it are truly special and unique.

We watched in horror as Tiger Woods fell from grace and wondered "what was he thinking?"  We wonder if Federer is actually a  robot from the future.  Thorpedo is a mystery we may never solve.

There is no doubt that individual athletes face many battles, both on and off the field.  Mental, financial, social and psychological wars would be a workplace hazard.  Unless you've lived such a life it's hard to imagine.  It's a sacrifice to be the best in the world...especially their world.

Team Sports.

Pranks, road-trips and scandals are three very random things that all play an integral role in binding the fabric of a sports team.  Being part of a team is essentially like having a second family and in professional sport, possibly more like a first family.

Victories, losses and everything in between are shared equally amongst a group a men or women that have build a bond based on blood, sweat and tears.  These surrogate brothers and sisters share the load of  a chaotic life in professional sport. 

It's true that not all teams are a cohesive unit that have family picnics following match day.  Over-paid premier league stars are rumoured to share mostly a professional relationship with each other at best.  Could these be individuals that have stumbled into the wrong sport...who knows?  Inflated egoes and pay checks sometimes leave groups as a team of individuals.

So what draws one to becoming a team player?  Camaraderie?  Working with a group of others towards a common goal? Being able to hide in a group when a mistake is made?  Or can I go as deep as saying : looking for a family life one never had?

Conclusion.

As I said earlier, I've never really given this topic much thought before and reading back I've written a lot of dribble.  It's like the chicken and the egg.  Does the sport you ultimately choose to dedicate yourself to contribute to shaping you as a person, or does your personality guide you to the sport your destined to play?

After a few weeks of self indulgence, I thought it was time to get a little deep and meaningful.  This topic has left me scratching my head, with no real answer.  Individual or Team that is the question. 

My humble, un-important personal take is this:  I ultimately chose Aussie Rules football as my number one sport when I was much younger and better looking.  I am someone that thrives in a team environment, I love feedback from others and soak up the off field relationships formed.  Training in a group is exhilarating during the good times and bearable during the bad.  Now older I enjoy catching up with team-mates and reliving the "good old days". 

Honestly, I don't think I possessed the mental toughness or the discipline to go the extra mile required for an individual sport.  I relied on my natural ability, rather than pushing myself to develop and grow.  I find it tough to go for a run or to the gym alone.  I like a training partner, someone to train with and against.  Ultimately I'm wired as a team man.

Now it's your turn to get on the shrinks couch...Individual or team...spill the beans....Tragic.