There's nothing quite like watching a team that's working together, choreographing their movements play after play after play, performing as one. It's why college basketball is more enjoyable than pro basketball, because the pros have become more and more about a group of individuals doing their own thing. It's why pro football is better than college football, because the game of football can ONLY be perfected as a team, as interdependent players counting on each other to do their part for longer periods of time. It's the only one of the major sports worldwide where half the team has absolutely no say in how half the game goes.
A person's legacy, in professional sports, is partly dependent on how many championships that team wins. Football, then, seems completely unfair, because the best player at any given position can only influence half of the game. Therefore, for as much as I abhor lists of greatest players ever, so many players are left off the list or are put farther down the list because they were on losing teams or never won it all.
Maybe "winning it all" in the sports world isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe the one thing that drives each person to compete and strap on the cleats season-after-losing-season isn't a championship. It doesn't sell tickets or create a loyal fan base, but maybe the best part about being a team is simply coming together as a team!
So, why is football the greatest sport ever? Because the best way for all the pieces to work together is for each piece to be so good and focused at what they do, that they're not concerned about how another player is doing their job. Plus, they realize that their best can always be better so they have grace for other parts that fail but are trying to get better. One example is the whole dynamic of winning. The left guard on the offense has some very specific jobs to do, but only on about 50% of the snaps. Though a motivation may be winning, his immediate motivation is doing his job and knowing enough about the other 10 players' jobs that he jives perfectly with them. He can leave the immediate motivation of winning to the head coach and the general manager. They and they alone see the big picture and make decisions to move the right pieces in the right place in order to beat the next opponent. And, when you turn it around, the head coach and general manager shouldn't have to spend any time concerned about whether the left guard is pulling on this play or not, but can look for other things on each play and each game to move forward.
Whatever other team you are involved with, use football as a great picture of teamwork. Who's the "boss"? Who's the one who sets the temperature and determines direction? Find out all you can about their motivation, their goals, their M.O. Now, make sure you know your role. What's your immediate motivation? Even it equates to bringing water out to the team at timeouts, do that role the best you can and find out how you can improve it. Almost all GM's, team trainers, and offensive coordinators started at a position where they were faithful and good at what they did.
Finally, as the church, the simple transition into "Leaving it all on the field" is that we need to be all about our leader, the head of the church, Jesus Christ! I'm not going to give it all I've got "on the field" just so that I can pull at the right time and block the right guy with the right kind of block. I'm going to do that play after play because I believe in what "the boss" is doing and that their way is the best way. Jesus knows what He's doing, so get to know Him, His playbook, and His heart.
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