Two outs, runners on first and third. We’re up by one. The county
championship game…

The culmination of my career as a varsity athlete. I’ll never forget the
energy I felt…the crowd…my team…it was surreal. The most important moment of my life. It
took ten seconds for the ball to leave my hand and clear the field. In the blink of an eye, the
game was over, we lost. I was completely devastated. It was the worst experience of my life. I
fell to my knees right there in the center of the field, I was alone. Suddenly, I felt a crowd of
people hovering behind me, next to me, in front of me, patting me on the back. I realized that I
wasn’t the only one on my knees, my team was also. We all felt that loss, it wasn’t my loss, it
was our loss. My coach taught us the importance of working together as a
team. He embedded in us a philosophy of “…we win together, we lose together…” he used to
say, “no one person is better than the team.”

It took me a few years but I eventually realized that he wasn’t just teaching us about
plays on a field, but rather lessons for life. I’ve come to learn that life is but a series of
experiences and moments that shape you. These small, yet pinnacle moments define who you
are and what you believe in. That county championship game was a defining moment for me.
Not because we lost, but because I realized just how important being part of a team really is and
just how important that organization can be in a time of need.

Whether you’re on a field, in an office or at a school, collaboration and teamwork are essential.

I’m curious, how do you grow your team? Comment below or tweet me @DominicArmano using the below hashtags.

#LeadingWithSWAG #ProudEducator #TrueTeam #TeamBuilding