Tuesday’s column by San Francisco Chronicle writer, Scott Ostler, put a smile on our collective faces here at Jedemi. Well — he always has that effect, but this time he provided a nice message that plays well off the sports page (and sports fields, courts, venues, etc.).
Sporting Green Ponderables by Ostler
Timed for the beginning of the Warriors 2015-16 NBA season, Ostler took a moment to put into perspective the season that was– last year’s championship run that wrapped a mere 3+ months ago.
Warriors Championship Parade. Photo by Michael Short.
The chemistry, the mix, the stew was beautiful from start to finish.
The Warriors were not what one normally expects from a professional basketball team because they played truly as a team — not as a collection of paid talent running up and down the court. That teamwork was inspiring to watch.
In his column, titled “Warriors rowed together to win title,” Ostler made a connection to the eight-man rowing crew from the University of Washington what won the Olympic gold medal in 1936. Their story has been told in “The Boys in The Boat,” a New York Times–bestseller story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany.
NYT #1 Bestseller
There is a point in the book where George Pocock, a craftsman who builds the boats and is somewhat of a mystical figure, tells one of the crew members (Joe) that it is not about rowing hard, it is about achieving harmony with the other men in the boat, and that requires an open heart.
“…when you really start trusting those other boys, you will feel a power at work within you that is far beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. Sometimes, you will feel as if you have rowed right off the planet and are rowing among the stars.”
Great quote, right?
Yup! We say post it on your refrigerator or your bathroom mirror or your cubicle wall. Make sure you refer back to it early and often.
That’s what made the Warriors a delight to watch. And you know what? This is something that’s not exclusive to sports teams. Groups of individuals joining together at work or at play can feel this — the energy and sense of purpose where 2 + 2 really equals 7. Synergy and beyond.
Once you feel it and experience what you can accomplish, the key is to keep that energy in circulation. Bring it to everything you do — individually or as a team. It is definitely contagious in an the “awesomest” way.
AWSI, the words of this sports writer (Ostler), as discovered on Page 2 of the Sporting Green, can have ramifications each and every day if we all choose to live proactively and energetically.
Get it. Got it! Live it!
–The Gang
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