The most difficult thing last season was dealing with the age dynamics on the team. I’ve been on the B team for quite a few years. As my friends moved on up, I became the only senior on the team. I’m proud of this because it shows my willingness to venture out of my comfort zone and stick with a challenge.
All of the other girls were younger than me, and most didn’t know how to play touch, so someone had to explain how it all worked. As the eldest, I took the responsibility to introduce them to our rules and strategies. But it was much more difficult than I had anticipated.
At first, the girls were easy to collaborate with because they were all new and wanted to understand the game better. It honestly gave me a little bit of a headache to try and explain it in terms that made sense to a newbie, and also the younger girls grew closer, and became more resistant to help.
However, over time and with practice, we eventually became a well-greased machine. Since the constant explanations and personal cheerleading helped us collaborate more effectively in the long term, I think it was worth it. Even though I wasn’t team captain or anything, by taking the girls under my wing, it enabled us to collaborate effectively as a team.
