APIVEO

Changing the World Through Youth Sports

Youth coaching

Leadership is NOT a Team Sport

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Leadership is an individual responsibility. Leadership is NOT a team sport. Each of us is called to lead in a specific and special way. That’s not to say a group of leaders cannot work together. To the contrary, leaders must cooperate. Leaders working in concert toward a common goal is extremely effective as long as each leader is personally responsibility for a specific area or function. In other words, they function as a team of leaders. There is a profound difference between a “leadership team” and a “team of leaders.”
A leadership team (a.k.a. leadership by committee) can lead to confusion, contempt and even worse, compromise. I know it’s not politically correct to call compromise bad, but all too often, sound and decisive leadership decisions are watered down for the sake of compromise. Many “win-win” situations turn into to “lose-lose” outcomes because of this.

A great leader will solicit input and feedback. A great leader will consider as many points a view as possible before making a decision. However, when it’s time to chart a course, cast vision or call a play he or she will make a decision and execute.

For example, think about the last time you purchased a car or some other expensive item. You most likely did research online as well as visited dealerships or stores. You asked friends and colleagues. You spoke with people that already owned the brand or item you were considering. After all of that work, you made the decision. I doubt you went back to everyone you spoke with and asked them to vote to try to form a consensus as a basis for your purchase.

In today’s “leadership team” environment we have lost a great deal of accountability. Decisions can become so diluted by team involvement that no one knows who made the decision. “Including everyone’s opinion” has become the goal instead of an individual making a sound decision and being held accountable for the outcome.

It’s essential that leaders remain focused on the things they do best and stay in their lane. Imagine a 4×100 meter relay race between a “leadership team” and a “team of leaders.” Each leg of a relay race requires a certain type of athlete. Because of this, the “team of leaders” will assign each leg of the race to the leader that is best suited or equipped for that leg. On the other hand, the “leadership team” has a much broader view of the race and the level of participation. The “leadership team” seeks to involve everyone in every leg for maximum involvement. When the race begins both teams will move the baton around the track, however, the “team of leaders” will move as individuals in succession allowing for the greatest speed and efficiency. The “leadership team” will run the race side by side and hand the baton to each other in stride. The outcome of this race is obvious.

I have never read a single definition of leadership that describes more than one person. A leader is simply a person of influence that is influential in the area where he or she has demonstrated competence and achievement. Leadership is exclusively an individual responsibility.

Whitewater Baseball Always Plays IV Each Other: An APIVEO Story of Leadership

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If you had the opportunity to see the Whitewater High School baseball team play this past spring. you had the opportunity to witness a group of young men serving and caring for each other through the game of baseball. If you looked in the stands, you had the opportunity to see students, families and fans Always Playing IV Each Other with their APIVEO signs and cheers. As the season started Coach Rusty Bennett, Head Baseball Coach at Whitewater High School, introduced APIVEO to the team and it quickly became much more than a simple rally cry or motto for the Wildcats. APIVEO became the way these young men, coaches and families lived. They lifted each other up emotionally and physically on and off the field and by doing so they made it to the final high school baseball played in the 2014 season. Unfortunately, the Wildcats came up short in that final game. Losing game three of the state championship was a bitter pill to swallow but growing into leaders that serve and love each other in the process is the real and lasting victory.

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Starr’s Mill HS Volleyball Team Hosts Kids Camp

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Starr’s Mill High School Volleyball Team featuring today’s players and tomorrow’s!

APIVEO SMHS VB IV Pic 20140605

Thank you Starr’s Mills HS Volleyball Team! We had the opportunity to share APIVEO’s passion about leadership at the Starr’s Mill High School kids volleyball camp today. It was great to see our high school athletes sharing their skills, enthusiasm and heart with younger kids. This is how legacy is built. Afterwards our new friends took this inspiring legacy IV pic! SMHS Volleyball Always Plays IV Each Other…in everything they do!

Polish the bright spots in our kids

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APIVEO Silver TarnishWould you throw away a tarnished spoon? Of course not. All you have to do to reveal the luster is polish it. After all, the spoon is not made of tarnish; its beauty and value are only obscured by it. The next time you look at a kid try to focus on the silver instead of the tarnish. That’s the first step in polishing the brightness into our kids. Brad Jubin, APIVEO

Bradyn Swinson : : APIVEO Player of the Month : : May 2014

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Congratulations Bradyn and thank you for Always Playing IV Each Other!

Watch Bradyn’s story on CBS Atlanta

Excerpt from the APIVEO Player of the Month award ceremony;

This evening we celebrate Bradyn Swinson because he Always Plays IV Each Other. There is no doubt that Bradyn puts others first; but he doesn’t do it by putting himself second. Bradyn doesn’t simply get out of the way so someone else ends up in front of him. Instead, he rolls up his sleeves and cares for people; he lifts them up and puts them in places they can’t always go on their own.

Bradyn is a student and baseball player at BEST Academy. He is described by his baseball coach as “his brother’s keeper” for his tireless dedication to the needs of his friends and teammates.  While Bradyn personally excels on the field and in the classroom, he steps up and actively helps his friends excel as well. Bradyn is a leader.

Now I would like to introduce the Gwinnett Braves Manager, Brian Snitker, and Gwinnett Brave, Brandon Boogs, to present the APIVEO Player of the Month award for May 2014. -Brad Jubin, APIVEO

Bradyn’s story will be shared on CBS Atlanta on Saturday, May 31st during the evening sports telecast.

Thank you Gwinnett Braves, Zaxby’s, CBS Atlanta, Ronnie Snitker and Jeff McPhail for your enthusiasm and support. You have made a young man feel appreciated and loved. That’s Always Playing IV Each Other!

Confidence in Sports

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Emmitt IV PictureThis article was inspired by Emmitt Smith.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about youth sports. We talked about the lifelong benefits of being involved in sports as a kid. At one point during the conversation, my friend became very serious and declared that “confidence” was the greatest life lesson he learned through his years of participating in sports. I was truly impressed with his confidence when he said “confidence” and I wanted to learn more about it.

Over the years I have used the word “confidence” countless times and in countless situations. But what is confidence? I know there’s a lot more to confidence than just having “a feeling of assurance, especially self-assurance.” How do we intentionally share the concept of confidence with our kids, so that they can grow up confidently?

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus once said, “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.”

From the golf course to the gridiron to the executive board room, confidence is built through hard work and dedication to a specific goal. Confidence grows in us as we work toward that goal. A football player is confident because of the hours, weeks, months and years he has invested in his abilities. In the same way, a gymnast wouldn’t have the confidence to attempt a flip on a four inch piece of wood if she hadn’t worked her way up to it through practice and effort. Confidence is built in the same way any skill or talent is honed and perfected; with great effort.

Emmitt Smith is a confident man. He is also the reigning NFL All-Time leading rusher, a Dancing with the Stars Champion and responsible for a flood of tears during his Hall of Fame induction speech. Each of these accomplishments in and of itself confirm that Emmitt Smith is a confident man. But when you look at the effort behind the accomplishment, it’s easy to see that his confidence came from hard work. In his book “GAME ON”, Emmitt Smith said that his emotional speech at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony came after hundreds of hours of work, practice and effort. Confidence is the direct result of hard work. Confidence is the fruit of our labor.

So how do we bring up confident kids? The first step is to stop “telling” them to be confident; confidence is not a feeling that they can simply experience on demand. The second step is to help kids discover their talents and gifts. Then we must enable them to work at becoming better and stronger in those areas. Finally, we should help them find opportunities where they can share their gifts and talents to benefit and help others.

On a personal note: I write articles to share ideas that will help kids learn about leadership and character. This article took me at least 100 times longer to write than it took you to read. For that reason, I am confident in sharing it with you.

This article was previously shared on TeamSnap.