It’s been an eventful few weeks. The world watched with baited breath to see if the unimaginable could happen, to extract 12 young soccer players and their coach from Thailand’s Tham Lang cave where they had been trapped a mile underground for nine days. Two thousand Thai soldiers, 200 divers and thousands of people from around the globe used their expertise to successfully extract the boys unharmed from the watery cave.
It was a miracle. What made this daring and incredibly dangerous rescue a success, teamwork.
More international teamwork was on display during the month long World Cup. The most watched sporting event in the world concluded last weekend with two of the best soccer teams competing for the coveted FIFA trophy. France, who’s squad is 80 per cent from migrant backgrounds, embraced the teams race and diversity and celebrated the win of soccer’s biggest prize.
The Croatian team, who’s players and their families suffered atrocities during the Yugoslavia civil war, were the underdogs who won our hearts for their skill and commanding team work. These two extraordinary examples of collective energy are awe inspiring and motivating. I have been riveted.
There must be a place for the individual in society but collectively a team can make a bigger impact. That’s because by nature team members share responsibility, are interdependent and work towards a common goal. A team’s commitment to a final outcome creates synergy that almost always produces higher performance.
In our community there is some very important teamwork going on. It’s amongst the candidates who are running in this fall’s municipal election. There are three slates of candidates competing for your vote, Independents Working For You, headed by Jim Cessford, George Harvie’s team Achieving for Delta, and Team Delta headed by Sylvia Bishop.
I admire the candidates that choose to run independently but nowadays politicians are subject to unprecedented harsh criticism on so many platforms you’ve got to be tough to run alone. Running for office is also expensive so it only seems natural that we are seeing an increase in slates of candidates. We need quality people running for office so team building is a natural and effective way to entice talent to commit to run for public office.
Who is on your team? It may be your church, the people you work with, your sports team or your garden club. My team is made up of blended family and close friends who come from diverse backgrounds. Eccentric, quirky and always interesting, there is division sometimes, but there is always love.
The braveness of the soccer team and rescuers who managed to stay calm for two weeks inside a dark cave, or the teams who risked the agony of defeat to achieve World Cup greatness must not fade from our hearts and minds. We need more inspiring team stories. I’ll be looking for a good one on October 22 when we see a municipal election race for the record books.
Ingrid Abbott is a freelance writer and broadcaster who takes to feverish housecleaning in order to reduce the stress when her favourite soccer team is on the pitch.
