Young people should be on teams which create a lifetime of memories

Editor:

My inclination to write this stemmed largely from years of working together with others in the pursuit of common interests, goals, and things bigger than what I individually cared about.

Working with people who shared similar objectives gave me many opportunities to experience the satisfaction of accomplishing things I would have otherwise found impossible. Where their families came from and what they looked like mattered not at all. We put aside any differences we may have had in the interests of achieving together what we otherwise could not.

What I have been hearing and observing lately suggests younger people are keeping increasingly to themselves. If that is the case, they are depriving themselves of opportunities to revel in the pleasures of teamwork and celebrating the contributions of every member of a like-minded group to that group’s success. Teaming up also presents us with unique challenges and chances to enjoy what others bring to the “table.” And there is still is much truth to the adage, “The more the merrier.”

We often cannot get much of anything done working alone.

So, should we not be encouraging people to band together in the interests of getting more accomplished? The idea that a school cannot field a soccer team for lack of participants is truly sad in my estimation. Someone recently told me that a local baseball team only had 12 players. Those of us who know what there is to gain from working together can contribute by promoting involvement in group activities.

There really is much that we can add to our lives by working with people who share our values and interests. The benefits of setting aside individual aspirations in hopes of securing a common objective are significant and produce a lifetime of memories.

Furthermore, when we gain happiness by setting others up for success, we all win.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent

Albion