Wow! Turns out that "team thing" made a difference after all! The American team won the Ryder Cup Sunday 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 over the visiting Europeans. In his post game press conference, Captain Paul Azinger was quoted as saying, "I focused on the team concept. We spilt them up into small groups and had them bond. They were never coming out of those groups."
I mentioned in my previous blog that team success is directly proportional to how much the individuals are willing to give to each other. There was never a question of giving for the Americans in this 2008 Ryder Cup. Infused by a group of six, enthusiatic rookies, the Americans were giddy, laughing, and clearly having a fun time. The mood of the event was much lighter than in recent years. This is all due to the philosophy of Captain Azinger...focusing on TEAM, giving heart and soul to something greater than yourself.
I was proud to watch this American group do so well. The Europeans were equal to the task for the most part, but home field advantage and the fueled crowd turned out to be a huge advantage for America.
Fulfilling the Need to Grow...The Americans won because they gave of themselves for the team goal. Strategy and player placements made some difference as well. Have no doubt, though, this Cup was won by America because they were the better team. Togetherness was at the core of this deal. The great golf that ensued was just the result. I particularly cherished how players such as Boo Weekley refused to put too much pressure on the moment. The rest of the players simply joined him. After all, he was just being a great teammate.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment