In the game of football, there are 22 players allowed on the field at any time. It is you and 10 other guys on one side of the ball, and 11 opponents on the other side. The mentality that my high school program developed was that every player needed to do their 1/11th.

Doing your 1/11th means to do your part on the field. Everyone has a specific task on each given play and the 10 guys beside you and your whole sideline is counting on you to do what is asked. If one person does not fulfill their job responsibilities, the whole team is at fault.

The Best 11 Not the 11 Best

One of the sayings the coaches also used to use was that they were going to put the best 11 players on the field, not the 11 best. Now, this may be confusing at first, but it actually makes perfect sense. They wanted to put the 11 players that were the most successful working together on the field at the same time. They did not care if someone was a better athlete or thought they should be playing over someone else. It came down to who was going to work the hardest for their teammates beside them, and if they thought that a good athlete wanted to perform for themselves rather than the team, then that individual would not play.

Translation to the Business World

• Work together in teams in both situations
• If you can not work well in a team you will not play, or keep your job
• Communication skills are imperative
• Have to respond well to leadership, or lead yourself
• Teaches you the importance of listening

Playing football taught me how to be a part of a successful team. If even one person is giving less effort then the rest of the team, it brings the whole team down. A successful team includes a group of people that know their duties and how to execute them and are striving to accomplish a common goal.