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There is no “I” in “team,” yet there are two “I’s” in “Trinidad.” Wait! Hear me out. This column is not just another commentary about our women’s valiant effort at making World Cup history. Rather, I would like to use events within that fateful match as examples to highlight an important characteristic of team sports.

There is no “I’ in “Team.” The cliche is true. Selflessness wins games; it is a characteristic of the most successful athletes. It is a characteristic not possessed by many of our local greats. We have all heard the stories and read the news reports of our star athletes having their way with parties, women and alcohol, despite having a responsibility to their teams, clubs and their countries.

However, the problem does not only lie with the athletes themselves. In a newspaper article this week, Fazeer Mohammed highlighted Brian Lewis’ comment that the Trinidadian population supports events, not sport. He made reference to the behaviour of the fans who continued to party despite the loss, when they should have been congratulating the women, trying to uplift their despondent spirits and encourage them to move forward, continuing their development. But we can expect nothing more from such fans when there are two “I’s” in Trinidad. Fans come for the party, to enjoy themselves, and not to truly support sport, our athletes and their respective programmes.

It is therefore no wonder that we saw glimpses of “I,” of selfishness, during the times that mattered in the T&T/Ecuador match. Our young athletes have no role models of selfless team players in the likes of some “heroes” who have gone before them. Nor do they have good examples and support from selfless fans, who would cheer, console, celebrate and be present with them on every occasion. Rather, they draw superficiality and “I” from womanisers, and liming bandwagonists indiscreetly posing as “fans.”

On at least two occasions in the match, there were three T&T players against just the Ecuadoran goalkeeper and one defender. However, our player with the ball held on to it too long, and failed to pass it to the other free players who both had a clear shot at goal. One may argue that it was a lack of experience playing at that level, or anxiety, that contributed to those missed opportunities. While I agree that those factors were probably present, it cannot be overlooked that the glory that would come from scoring that ultimate goal was prominent in our players’ minds. Selfishness was certainly a factor that contributed to the lack of T&T goals in that game.

Team sport is deeper than talent, than physical fitness, than mental toughness. Athletes who can transcend those characteristics and acquire a sense of selflessness for the greater good of the team are truly successful. Don’t let the sermonic statement deter you. Michael Jordan is one of the most successful athletes in sport, and one of the most selfless.

Indeed, his selfless nature and its relationship to his success have been the topics of articles. Several sports writers have commented on the fact that Michael Jordan started winning MVPs when he began focusing more on his team, and what he could contribute to it. Lionel Messi, while he is the Michael Jordan of football, cannot carry a team to victory on his own, as was demonstrated in the most recent World Cup. Star players need a supportive team to succeed, and without that team, failure is inevitable. The whole is much larger than just the sum of its parts.

Coaches play a pivotal role in creating team players. In Michael Jordan’s case, it was coach Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls, whose foundational philosophy was the selfless ideal of teamwork, and who took the Bulls to three successive NBA victories in 1991-1993. Coach Jackson believed in a “heightened group consciousness” and attributed the Bulls’ domination to “the power of oneness instead of the power of one, which transcended the divisive forces of the ego.” Well said, coach! As a former athlete in a team sport, I can attest to the power of that cohesion, and the unique feeling when one experiences the undeniable force of a team in unison. You are part of something and it is part of you.

There is no doubt that our girls played superbly, and deserve every bit of praise given them. Indeed, they have surprised the nation. Selflessness, like agility and ball tricks, is a skill that takes years of hard work to develop. It is the skill that our girls, and all our teams for that matter, need to build into their repertoire.

According to Phil Jackson, “good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the “me” for the “we.”