I learned everything about running a business from team sports.

I must have been ten or eleven with a few years of soccer under my belt. Naturally, I knew everything and wasn’t afraid to tell anyone what I thought, especially if they didn’t ask me what I thought. Like most kids, I wanted the full glory of scoring goals! In fact, I went about doing that by ignoring my coaches and their plans, running where I wasn’t supposed to run, not sharing or passing the ball when I could have assisted or a teammate had a clear shot.

If I missed a goal, I got angry at my teammates for not backing me up. But sometimes (honestly, a lot of times), I scored. I felt ten feet tall—a winner! But when I looked back to receive the full admiration I felt this feat warranted, I was met with lukewarm acknowledgements.

One of my coaches, probably recognizing my talent and attitude needed an adjustment, sent me to the defense line. By my reaction, you would have thought he sent me to prison in Siberia. I cried… it’s so borrrring back hereeeee! I couldn’t see the whole game. I only wanted to score goals.

Not only did I pout during the rest of the game and the following next practices, I cried at home that I wanted to switch teams or quit soccer altogether. They didn’t understand me! I was a forward!

Plot-twist for only me: I was not a forward.

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My parents did me a big favor by not allowing me to quit. My coaches did me a big favor by not holding my attitude against me. My teammates did me the biggest favor by threatening me with bodily harm if I didn’t shut up because no one wanted to run laps.

While I was a pretty good shot, I wasn’t a fast runner, I had some vision limitations and I didn’t have awesome footwork skills like some of the other girls. I had brute force, a strong kick and I was super bossy—hence the defense line. Back there I grew into seeing the entire game, became responsible for calling the shots and at the end of the day, took the most pride in knowing I had contributed fully to each of my teammates, every goal that we made as well as every goal that we defended.

Early in my career, my desire to win often eclipsed my team mentality. Nicely put, more employee reviews than I’d like to admit reflected that my interpersonal skills needed improvement. The plan was so easy for me to see… why couldn’t anyone else see how easy it was to see? I’d get frustrated with people not being able to read my mind instead of realizing my vision and my ability to put the plan together was the win. Like soccer, once I understood my own skill, it wasn’t me who got to score the goals, but I was an important reason why they were scored.

In sports and in all of our work environments, it can be very competitive. And I am probably more competitive now than ever. When I think of my opponents and challenges, I am thankful to have formidable ones. Even though I want to win, I do not root for others to lose.

When you play team sports, you learn that fairness, integrity, respect, honesty, responsibility and civility (still working on this one) is the real goal. And at the end of each workday, I think we should all give each other a high-five and say “good game.”

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