Fielder’s Choice - Barry Burleson


Thursday, October 25, 2007
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Fielder’s Choice
By Barry Burleson

Teamwork

There was a lot of talk about teamwork last week.

I heard it at the weekly meeting of the Holly Springs Rotary Club. I heard it at the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce fall luncheon.

Irene Walton, superintendent of the Holly Springs School District, called for communitywide support of the public schools.

“We must all come together in this effort,” Walton told members of the Rotary Club.

Bill Renick, executive director of the Marshall County Industrial Development Authority, and Andre’ DeBerry, mayor of Holly Springs, called for unity when speaking at the chamber luncheon.

“We must seize the (economic development) opportunity – together,” Renick said. “We can’t go in different directions.”

Mayor DeBerry added, “We must now work together for the common good of all.”

I agree. Teamwork is a great thing, and more than ever before, Holly Springs and Marshall County must display it.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, here’s a definition.

Teamwork is the concept of people working together cooperatively, as in a sports team.

Projects require that people work together, so teamwork has become an important concept everywhere. Effective teams are an intermediary goal towards getting good, sustainable results.

Listen to other people’s ideas. When people are allowed to freely express their ideas, these initial ideas will produce other ideas.
Ask questions, interact, and discuss the objectives of the team.
Treat others with respect and support their ideas.
Help one’s coworkers, which is the general theme of teamwork.
Share with the team to create an environment of teamwork
All members of the team are encouraged to participate in the team.
For a team to work effectively it is essential team members acquire communication skills and use effective communication channels between one another – for example using email, viral communication, group meetings and so on. This will enable team members of the group to work together and achieve the team’s purpose and goals.

A teamworker is the oil that keeps the machine that is the team running...the yeast that helps the dough rise. They are good listeners and diplomats, talented at smoothing over conflicts and helping parties understand each other without becoming confrontational.

Teamwork is also commonly used in jobs as an efficient means to attain completion of a “mission.”

Kids usually learn teamwork at an early age.

I picked it up back in the days of youth baseball. Coaches drilled it into my mind. They were right.

But as adults, we often get away from it. We let petty problems or differences rip it apart. Lack of communication is often a root in destroying teamwork.

Thursday night, a small crowd on the Marshall Academy campus got to see an important move toward unity among our county’s youth.

The Patriots hosted Byhalia Middle School in a seventh and eighth grade football game. All I’ve talked to say it’s a first – a football game between a private and a public school in Marshall County.

The Mississippi High School Activities Association and the Mississippi Private School Association have OK’ed such contests. This season MA will also play Potts Camp and Myrtle in basketball. There may be other games on tap.

It was a joy watching the kids from the two schools take part in good competition Thursday night. I was on both sidelines at points during the game. I saw no problems. I saw lots of positives.

Following the match-up, coaches Webb Lewis (MA) and C.B. McClatchy (Byhalia) brought their players to midfield for prayer – together.

Adults, take note.

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