Putting the Pieces Together

It was like a scene from a fictional sports’ fairytale. Fans lined the streets and crowded tightly together with no room for movement. They clenched their fists and pulled their hair, overwhelmed with anxiety and uncertainty as the clock slowly approached zero. Their eyes, filled with desperation, locked to the jumbo screen in front of them, nothing could disrupt their focus. The city plagued with a history of bad luck, heartbreaking losses and the notorious “curse” was moments away from winning its first NBA title.  When the desperately anticipated buzzer finally echoed throughout the city, it was official. The 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers accomplished the unthinkable in typical “fairytale” fashion, a happy ending.

One team saved a seemingly hopeless city. One team overcame all adversity. One team achieved precisely what they had set out to do.

This weekend, the Ohio Northern women’s basketball team not only survived the first 2 practices of the season, but we also had our team retreat. We sat in a circular formation and discussed the pillars of our program such as communication, selflessness, trust and loyalty. We talked about the culture of our team and how we want other teams, fans and the community to perceive us. By making our goals and priorities clear, everyone in the room was able to reach a common understanding. Through this discussion alone, I could feel the bond of our team strengthening. In my opinion, the most important topic we discussed that day was our willingness to accept our specific roles on the team. Each person has a role and each role is important to being successful.

Some people believe the Cavaliers won simply because of LeBron Jame’s return to Cleveland. They believe that without his leadership and impressive triple doubles a championship wouldn’t have been possible. I disagree. Although LeBron’s influence was extremely important and vital in winning a championship, it wasn’t the sole reason for the Cavs’ success. What made this team so admirable was their willingness to accept their roles and sacrifice for the greater good of the team.

Cavs’ veteran point guard, James Jones, came up with an idea to inspire the team throughout their postseason run. He created a puzzle with sixteen pieces. Each piece represented a win necessary to take the title. The puzzle would travel with the team to each game but was kept a secret from the public. After every playoff win, a piece was placed in the puzzle by a player who contributed in a different way. After the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, a Game 7 victory over the Golden State Warriors, the final piece was placed in the puzzle forming a golden trophy. According to espn.com Jones stated, “Together, that’s how you win a championship. Individually we are all just a piece. Everyone had to have their role. Everyone has to have their piece.”

If the Ohio Northern women’s basketball team is able to set a goal, trust the process, work together tirelessly and accept each piece to our puzzle, just like the Cleveland Cavaliers, then I believe that we are also capable of reaching our “fairytale” ending.