Does your program have this award?

A couple of months ago, I spoke with Premier Lacrosse League player Mark Glicini of the Carolina Chaos. Mark was named the 2019 PLL 'Teammate of the Year.' This award and how Mark won it fascinated me, so we talked a lot about how one wins it and how coaches can emphasize the importance of being a great teammate to their players.

"Mark, if you could speak to players of every sport and tell them how they can become better teammates, what would you say?"

"A great teammate is two-fold. First, they ask better questions to get to know others more deeply. Secondly, be the most competitive person on your team and be willing to do anything to help your team win. To summarize, be the most cooperative player on the team and the most willing to take a 100 mph lacrosse ball in the back to stop a shot."

"Wait a minute, you take shots in the back? That sounds extremely painful."

"I do. I'm known for that, and my teammates love it. They know I have their back off the field when they need me and on the field when I dive in front of a 100 mph ball. I'm willing to do anything for my team.

All teams need more Mark Glicinis. Why are there no more leagues celebrating 'Teammates of the Year'? I have always believed that 'what you celebrate, you cultivate', but I have never considered creating a teammate of the year award for any of my squads.

After our conversation, I looked into other leagues celebrating a 'teammate of the year'. The only league I could find is the NBA. It has the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. This award honors the league's "ideal teammate" who exemplifies "selfless play, commitment, and dedication to his team." 

It is named after Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes, teammates on the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals from 1955 to 1958. Stokes' career tragically ended after a severe head injury during a game led to paralysis due to post-traumatic encephalopathy. Twyman then took on the role of Stokes' legal guardian and advocate, demonstrating a profound example of dedication and humanity until Stokes died in 1970.

I'd never heard of Jack Twyman or how he cared for a teammate for 12 years. Wow, what an example for our athletes.

If I had not been introduced to Mark Glicini, I wouldn't have known about the impact of taking a 100 mph lacrosse ball to the back.

Our players need to know about Jack Twyman and Mark Glicini! They need to know examples of other athletes who have been amazing examples of a teammate.

When the Tampa Bay Bucs signed Tom Brady, he first asked for the phone numbers of all his new teammates.

When Shaquille O'Neal played at LSU, he offered to come off the bench to help out a teammate. "It would help his confidence if he started. Please allow him to begin, and I will come off the bench. Don’t worry about me, coach. I’ll give you the same effort whether I come off the bench or start.”

In today's NIL, transfer portal world, we must celebrate elite teammates more than ever.

I am embarrassed I didn't have a 'Teammate of the Year' award. I encourage you to add one to your program this upcoming year.

The Blueprint will discuss these examples and more in the three-week series for the training camp scheduled for next fall. In the meantime, you can provide your athletes with mental performance training this summer. If you commit to ten to twelve minutes per day, you can transform your team's culture and give your athletes the mental performance edge other teams are not getting.